How to Become a Surf Instructor
The pay is low, the hours are early, and you will be sunburnt by June. But you spend your days in the ocean teaching people to ride waves. Here is what it actually takes.
What you actually do
Let us get this out of the way. Being a surf instructor is not surfing all day. You will spend most of your time in waist-deep water pushing people onto whitewater waves, not catching barrels yourself. The actual surfing you do is before or after work, if you have the energy.
A typical day starts around 8am. You check the conditions, set up the boards and wetsuits, brief your group, and get in the water. Sessions run 90 minutes to two hours. You might do two or three sessions a day, sometimes back to back with barely a break. In between you are rinsing wetsuits, fixing dings, hauling boards, and cleaning the van.
It is physically demanding. You are in the ocean for hours, swimming, pushing boards, demonstrating, and watching six to eight people simultaneously in an unpredictable environment. Ocean safety is the real job. Teaching technique comes second. Keeping everyone alive and uninjured comes first. Always.
Qualifications
You cannot just rock up and start teaching. You need a recognised coaching qualification and, in most cases, a beach lifeguard certificate. Here are the main options.
🌊 ISA (International Surfing Association)
The gold standard if you want to work internationally. ISA Level 1 is the entry qualification. The course runs about two weeks and covers coaching methodology, wave selection, ocean safety, and assessed teaching sessions with real students. Accepted in Portugal, France, Bali, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, and most other surf destinations. If you only get one qualification, make it this one.
🇬🇧 BSA / SurfGB
The British Surfing Association and Surfing England (SurfGB) run UK-specific coaching awards. Good for working in Cornwall, Devon, Wales, and Scotland. The Level 1 Assistant Coach course takes about a week. Cheaper than ISA but not recognised outside the UK. If you plan to stay in Britain, this works fine. If you might want to teach abroad later, go ISA from the start.
⛑️ Beach Lifeguard (ILS / RLSS / SLSGB)
Almost every surf school requires this alongside your coaching qualification. The RLSS National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ) is the UK standard. ILS is the international equivalent. Courses take two to four days and cover CPR, open water rescue, spinal management, and first aid. You will need to pass a timed 200m swim and a run-swim-run assessment. Stay fit.
Cost of qualifying
Getting qualified is not free. Here is what you are looking at.
💰 Typical costs
ISA Level 1: £800–£1,500 depending on location. Courses in the UK tend to be cheaper than those in Portugal or Bali.
BSA / SurfGB Level 1: £300–£500. Shorter course, lower cost, UK only.
Beach lifeguard cert: £200–£400. Two to four days.
First aid: £60–£120. Some ISA courses include this, some do not. Check before booking.
Total budget: £1,200–£2,000 for ISA route, £600–£1,000 for BSA route. This does not include accommodation and travel during the course.
Some training providers offer package deals that bundle the ISA course with accommodation and lifeguard training. These are often better value. Do your research and compare. The cheapest course is not always the best, and passing the assessment is not guaranteed. You need to be able to surf well before you show up.
Where to work
Surf instructors can work almost anywhere there are waves and tourists. Some spots are easier to break into than others. Here are the main destinations.
🇵🇹 Portugal
The biggest market for surf instructors in Europe. The Algarve, Peniche, Ericeira, and the Lisbon coast all have dozens of surf schools. Season runs May to October. ISA qualification required. Pay is typically €800–€1,500/month, but most schools include accommodation. The surf is consistent, the cost of living is manageable, and the after-work scene is good. Read our Portugal guide.
🇬🇧 UK (Cornwall, Devon, Wales)
Newquay is the UK surf capital. Plenty of schools in Bude, Croyde, Woolacombe, Pembrokeshire, and the Gower too. Season is shorter: June to September, though some schools run Easter onwards. BSA or SurfGB quals accepted. Pay is £1,000–£1,500/month. Accommodation is expensive in Cornwall during summer, so check if the school provides it. The water is cold. Get a good wetsuit.
🇫🇷 France (Biarritz, Hossegor, Lacanau)
The southwest coast has some of the best surf in Europe. Schools in Biarritz, Hossegor, and Lacanau hire instructors from May to September. ISA qualification needed. Speaking basic French helps and some schools require it. Pay is similar to Portugal. The waves are powerful, so you need to be a competent surfer, not just qualified on paper.
🌴 Bali, Sri Lanka, Morocco
Popular with instructors chasing warm water and low living costs. Pay is lower (€500–€1,000/month) but so are your expenses. Bali runs year-round. Sri Lanka has two seasons depending on the coast. Morocco is best November to April. Visa requirements vary. The surfing is often incredible but the work can be informal with less structure than European schools.
🇦🇺 Australia and Costa Rica
Australia pays well by surf instructor standards (AUD$25–35/hour) but you need a working holiday visa and competition is stiff. Byron Bay, Gold Coast, and Sydney are the main hubs. Costa Rica runs year-round and has a relaxed vibe, but pay is modest and you will need to sort your own visa situation. Both destinations require ISA certification.
Pay reality
Here is the honest truth. Surf instructing is one of the lowest paid seasonal jobs. A ski instructor in Verbier earns more. A yacht deckhand earns more. A festival bar manager earns more.
In Europe, expect €1,000 to €1,800 per month. In the UK, £1,000 to £1,500. In Southeast Asia,€500 to €1,000. Some schools pay per session (€15–€30 per lesson) rather than a monthly salary, which means your income depends on weather, swell, and tourist footfall. A flat week with no waves means less work and less pay.
The trade-off is the lifestyle. Your accommodation is often included. You live on the beach. You surf every day. Your commute is a five-minute walk across the sand. You are fit and tanned and surrounded by people who chose the same thing. Most surf instructors are not doing it for the money. They are doing it because the alternative is a desk. If you need to save money, this is probably not the right seasonal job for you.
Getting hired
Surf schools start recruiting early. The bigger operations in Portugal and France begin hiring in November and December for the following summer. By March, many positions are filled. Do not leave it until May and expect to walk into a job.
Smaller schools hire later and more informally. Some will take people mid-season if they lose staff. But you are gambling on availability rather than planning your summer.
💡 Tips for getting hired
Have your qualifications sorted before you apply. Schools do not want to hear that you are planning to get qualified. They want to see ISA Level 1, lifeguard cert, and first aid on your CV already. A short video of you surfing helps. Show that you are competent in proper waves, not just a longboarder in ankle-high mush. Include any experience with kids or group coaching. Apply to multiple schools. And create a PeakWave profile so schools can find you directly.
Returning staff get first priority. If you do a good job in your first season, most schools will invite you back. That is how you build a career in this. Reliability matters more than raw surfing ability. Schools want someone who shows up on time, is good with customers, and does not call in sick because the waves are too good down the coast.
The lifestyle
You wake up early. Check the forecast. Dawn patrol if the waves are good. Then work. Teach two or three sessions. Rinse gear. Maybe fix a board. Eat something. Surf again if there is still light and energy. Sleep. Repeat.
You will be physically tired in a way that office workers do not understand. The sun, the salt water, the constant swimming. Your shoulders will ache. Your skin will be wrecked by August if you do not look after it. Wear sunscreen. Actual sunscreen, not the bottle you bought three years ago.
But the mornings are something else. Empty lineups at 6am with your housemates. Dolphins sometimes. Perfect glassy waves that you have to yourself because the tourists are still in bed. You earn those moments by putting in the work during the day. That is the deal. And for the people who get it, there is nothing better.
🚀 Progression
After a couple of seasons you can move into a head instructor role, managing other coaches and running the daily schedule. ISA Level 2 opens up coaching in bigger surf and more advanced students. Some instructors move into surf school management, handling bookings, marketing, and logistics. A few eventually open their own schools. Others combine surf coaching with SUP instruction, yoga, or photography to diversify their income. It is not a traditional career ladder, but there is a path if you want one.
Frequently asked questions
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Do I need a lifeguard qualification too?
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