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Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School

The Instructors

The instructors work for the surf school in the summer months and have other jobs or are students.  The lucky ones head south to surf somewhere warmer in the winter.

Instructors, assistants and Rip Curl Girls Tour hula girls July 23rd 2009

All of the instuctors working for the WSF are fully qualified British Surfing Association coaches, CRB checked with Surf Life Saving Society or Royal Life Saving Society beach lifeguard awards.  There is quite a range of surfing ability amongst the instructors from Mike "its taken me 25 years to be this average" Steadman to Nick "how did he do that?" Reid.  Its all about having fun and safety is the only thing we take seriously.  One thing to think about is that all of our instructors were beginners once.

Having a meal up the Kings Head. From the left Cathy, Ben, Sam, Mel (talking again), Mike, Chris, Charlie, Nick (hiding), Paul, Tom, Gina (hiding), Anne, Rhian, Laurie, Joe and Matt.

On the beach each instructor wears a yellow identification vest, waterproof two-way radio, emergency whistle and rescue surfboard.  We also take a first aid kit to the beach.   In the lesson you willl wear our distinctive yellow and black wetsuits or your own with one of our lycra vests in the surf school colours.  All this equipment is there just in case and the most important thing each instructor takes to the beach is the ability to spot risks well before they can become a danger. 

For this season these are our regular instructors and a little bit about them:

 


Mike Steadman (Surf school manager)

Age:            44
Years surfing: 26
Years instructing: 16
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 2)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 9/5/12)
Main occupation: Teacher of I.C.T., Olchfa Comprehensive School, Swansea (15 years)
Other info: Other hobbies include snowboarding, mountain biking and moustashe growing (retired).

   WE ARE THE LAW - August bank holiday fancy dress at the Kings Head Mike's trademark surf manoeuvre   Mike, early morning instructor training on Gower Mike, September 2007  

 

Charles Legg

Age: 42
Years surfing: 26
Years instructing: 5
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Surf Life Saving & Surfing Coach Award (Valid to 09/5/12)
Main occupation:  Surf instructor
Other info: Charlie lives and breathes the sea juggling his "busy" life between surfing, canoeing, fishing, spear fishing and teaching surfing. How does he do it?

Unfortunately the "pose with a surfboard" section of Mr Universe had been cancelled but nobody had thought to tell Charles.   Legg  Charlie Legg- half man half surfboard

 

 

Cathy Rees

Age: 42
Years surfing: 25
Years instructing: 1
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Surf Lifesaving award (Valid to 3/5/11)
Main occupation:  Works at Hillend Caravan and Camp site
Other info:  

          
Cathy Rees


Matt Crome

Age: 27
Years surfing: 10
Years instructing: 3
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 2)
NARS Surf Life Saving & Surfing Coach Award (Valid to 12/6/12)
Main occupation:  Youth and community worker for Parklands church
Other info: Plays in a band.  Married to Claire Crome.

Matt- Now back in the UK but still cant stop thinking he's down under  Matt Anne and Julie at the Kings Head


Joe Loft

Age: 21
Years surfing: 5
Years instructing: 2
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 1/6/12)
Main occupation:  Student
Other info: One of our Welsh speaking instructors. Karate.

Joe Loft


Laurie Jones

Age: 19
Years surfing: 5
Years instructing: 2
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 1/4/12)
Main occupation:  Student
Other info: In Welsh and British Lifesaving team. Beach flags and sprints European champion

     Laurie Jones


Nick Reid

Age: 27
Years surfing: 12
Years instructing: 3
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 15/6/11)
Main occupation:  PHD student
Other info: Previoulsy member of Welsh surf team, winner of student surf championships

Nick  Nick in the tube


Tom Hayman

Age: 21
Years surfing: 5
Years instructing: 3
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 22/6/12)
Main occupation:  Engineering student at Cardif University
Other info: Other hobbies include rugby

Tom  Tom and Gina


James Williams

Age: 30
Years surfing: 18
Years instructing: 2
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 1/6/11)
Main occupation:  Primary school teacher
Other info: One of our Welsh speaking instructors.

James james-williams   james-williams 

Chris Sanders

Age: 22
Years surfing: 5
Years instructing: 2
Surfing Qualifications: British Surfing Association Surf Coach (level 1)
NARS Beach Lifeguard (Valid to 12/5/12)
Main occupation:  Student
Other info:

Chris Sanders  Chris Sanders

 

Here are some of the people who work in the office:

Mel Steadman (Office manager)

Age: Not telling
Years surfing: Only dabbles when its sunny
Years instructing:  
Surfing Qualifications:  
Main occupation:  Nurse
Other info: Married to Mike, likes cooking

Mike, R2D2 and Mel  Mel is the one on the right

Gina Sanki (Office assistant)

Age: 22
Years surfing: 2
Years instructing:  
Surfing Qualifications:  
Main occupation:  Graduate
Other info: Microbiology graduate due to start a "proper job" in the autumn.

Sam Gina and Mel

Sam Beynon (Office assistant)

Age: 19
Years surfing: 2
Years instructing:  
Surfing Qualifications:  
Main occupation:  Student of Criminology at Cardiff University
Other info:  

The office team. Rip Curl Girls Event 2007- Sam, Mel, Lynne, Rhian and Ben.  Sam Rhian and Laurie

Rhian Poulton (Office assistant)

Age: 17
Years surfing: 2
Years instructing:  
Surfing Qualifications:  
Main occupation:  A level student at Gwyr School
Other info: Speaks Welsh

Rhian  Lynne, Mel and Rhian

Claire Crome (Office assistant)

Age: 24
Years surfing:  
Years instructing:  
Surfing Qualifications:  
Main occupation:  Clothing retailing.
Other info: Married to Matt Crome.

Matt and Claire Crome

 

Want To Be A Surf Instructor?

Fancy joining the team?

If you have a passion for surfing, are a good communicator, enjoy teamwork and have a keen eye for safety then please apply.

You should be a competent surfer, we teach beginners so there is no need to be of a competition standard.  You will need to have the RLSS or SLSA beach lifeguard and surf coach awards.  If you don't have these awards then we can show you where to get them.

Having the surf coach and lifesaving awards and experience of working with the longest established and most successful surf school in Wales looks very good on a CV if you a gap year student.   Teaching people to surf is also great fun and personally rewarding.

As we run at weekends and school summer holidays ideal candidates will be surfers who are school teachers, students or someone who has a winter job.

If you are interested please send an e mail saying why you want to work for us and attach a CV and a recent photo.

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