Absolute beginners
You have never surfed. Good. That's who this is for.
No experience, no fitness requirement, no swimming certificate. Waist-to-chest-height water, a soft board, and someone standing next to you the entire time.
The honest answers
Whatever you're worried about, it's on this list.
- “I can't really swim.”
- Then you are in the right place and you should say so when you book. Beginner lessons never leave water you can stand up in, the board has more flotation than you do, and your instructor is within arm's reach. Plenty of people learn to surf here before they learn to swim properly.
- “I'm not fit enough.”
- Surfing looks athletic because you only ever see the good bit. A first lesson is mostly lying on a board and standing up on it, the paddling that makes surfers tired comes later, when you're going out past the break. If you can walk up a flight of stairs, you can do this.
- “I'll be the worst one there.”
- Groups are small and mixed, and everyone in a beginner session is falling off. Nobody on that beach is watching you. The one person who is paying attention is being paid to, and has seen considerably worse.
- “I'm scared of the sea.”
- Reasonable. Edava has a sand bottom where we teach and the beginner area is chest-height at most. We start on dry sand and only go in when you're ready to. If you want to spend the first twenty minutes standing in the shallows getting used to it, that is a completely normal lesson.
- “I'm too old for this.”
- There is no upper age limit on a beginner lesson and we have never turned anyone away for it. The board does the hard part; you supply the timing. Tell us about knees, backs or shoulders and the instructor will change the pop-up to suit rather than pretend you don't have them.
Hour one
How the first lesson actually goes.
Twenty minutes on the sand first. You lie on the board, you learn where your feet go, and you practise the pop-up until it stops being a thing you have to think about. This is the part beginners want to skip and the part that decides the session.
Then the water. Your instructor holds the board, points it at a wave, and pushes you into it. You are not paddling for waves in your first hour, you are learning what a moving board feels like under you. Most people are up on their feet within the first handful of attempts.
You will swallow some seawater and you will fall off in front of people. Both are fine. The falling is not the failure state of surfing; it is the majority of surfing, and it stops being embarrassing about four minutes in.
Kids
They're going to love this.
We teach kids from around age seven. Lessons run in calm, waist-to-chest-height water on a soft sand bottom, no experience needed, and non-swimmers are absolutely welcome. One parent or guardian should be on the beach during the session. Safety comes first. Fun comes a very close second.
Families usually book a group session together. It costs less per head than separate lessons and children try considerably harder when a parent is falling off beside them.
And then?
One lesson is a nice morning. Three is a skill.
A single session gets you standing in whitewater. That is a real thing and worth doing, and plenty of people come for exactly that and go home happy.
If you want to leave actually able to surf, catching your own waves and turning along the face rather than straight at the beach, you need consecutive mornings. Muscle memory is built by repetition close together, not by one lesson a year.
That is what the surf-and-stay works out cheaper for, and what a camp week is built around. Neither is a requirement. Book one lesson, see whether you like it, decide after.
Beginner surf lessons
Straight answers for first-timers.
Can I learn to surf if I can't swim?
Yes. Beginner lessons at Kuma stay in waist-to-chest-height water over sand, with the instructor beside you and a high-flotation soft-top board. Tell us when you book so the instructor plans for it.
How long does it take to learn to surf?
Standing up in whitewater usually happens in the first 90-minute lesson. Catching your own unbroken waves reliably takes most people several consecutive mornings rather than several separate holidays.
Is surfing dangerous for a complete beginner?
The main risks for beginners are sunburn, other people's boards and getting tired. We teach in a sand-bottomed, uncrowded stretch of Edava on soft-topped boards, and the instructor calls the session off if the sea isn't right for learners.
What should I wear for my first surf lesson?
Swimwear that stays on, a bikini top that ties at the back will not survive the first wipeout, and board shorts with a drawstring are worth it. We provide the rashguard, which is what stops the board rubbing your ribs raw.
How old do you have to be to learn to surf here?
We teach children from around age eight, with a parent or guardian on the beach. There is no upper limit. Tell us about any injuries and the instructor adapts the pop-up rather than working around it silently.
Do I need to book in advance?
A day ahead is usually enough, and the same morning often works. During December and the camp weeks it fills up, so message us on WhatsApp at +91 99953 38248 before you plan the day around it.
Anything not covered here, message us on WhatsApp at +91 99953 38248.
Where to go from here
- Lesson prices and timesGroup and private rates, what's included, and how the morning runs.
- Who's teaching youThe instructors, the safety approach, and why the groups stay small.
- Surf and stayConsecutive mornings, a bed by the break, and breakfast in between.
- Everything elsePayment, cancellation, packing, and the rest of the practical questions.
Not sure which fits?
Send your dates, headcount and surf level. We'll point you toward the right room, session or week.
Ask Kuma on WhatsApp+91 99953 38248