Kaizen Surf is a Surfing training for all levels committed to improving their skills through continuous practice, feedback and analysis, mindfulness and training.
Whether you’re catching your first wave or experienced, our course has been proven to help.
The term “Kaizen” means continuous positive improvement
Kai= Change
Zen= Good
It is rooted in the concept of small compounding improvements through the techniques and coaching we offer. Our program is designed from decades of practice both in coaching and in surfing and relies on techniques we know work, couples with the strengths and skill level of each surfer we work with.
We do not use a singular approach like other academies. We take into account each persons age, developmental level, abilities, underlying motivation and work with them through an individualized approach to move them through skill adoption, progression, confidence, and comfort in the water. Our individualized approach encompasses these 5 pillars that are based on years of experience:
Everyone comes to their board with a history. We think it is critical to get a feel for our students….what they know, what they are curious about, what their fears might be, what their goals are, and what motivates them. Our coaches take the time to understand each student so they know best how to help them through their progression.
Surfing is both art and science…but the science is where we begin. Understanding the science of surfing is critical in solidifying a foundation for rapid continuous improvement to occur. Each skill we focus on can actually be broken down into easily digestible steps that are easy to understand and to implement. Understanding the “why” behind what we teach is essential in retention of skill building and behavior modification.
As always, Safety is paramount. Through practice both in and out of the water through visualization and analysis, we teach safety skill and techniques that help our clients avoid potentially scary situations and to immediately know what to do should they find themselves in one. Autonomy and self-reliance are lifelong skills learned through this program that aid growth and development in all areas for our students.
Fitness on the board and off is an important part of being wave ready. All of our activities out of the water are designed to help improve our student’s surfing skills. From yoga, mobility, jui-jitsu, nd skating, there are multiple opportunities to have fun, learn, and actively rest while unconsciously creating muscle memory.
Technique is irreplaceably connected with the decades of experience our instructors have both in the water and in coaching. We believe that technique can be taught 90% but that the remaining 10% is unique to everyone. Through feedback in and out of the water and comprehensive ongoing video analysis, our goal is to teach you what we know and to help you find and capture that 10% that is uniquely you. Our approach is strengths based
If you are interested in enrolling your child with us, send us an email here
After an introduction to the team and an overview of Surfing Basics, it is time to get wet! Assuming conditions are good (which they are year round here), your surf coach will bring you to Encuentro which is a 2 minute car ride down a dirt path from the hotel. He/She will teach you the spot, the breaks, local etiquette, and help you to read the waves in preparation for your lesson that day. He/She will be there the entire time you are in the water, providing real time feedback while our filmmakers film you from ashore. Because we know that learning and improving a new skill requires ongoing feedback loops…it is not uncommon to take the occasional pause for feedback from the coach to help quicken the improvement process.
Every day after surf, you can enjoy one of our activities designed to complement your surfing journey. From Yoga, BJJ and Mobility Classes, massages, to surf skate drills. Each activity is carefully crafted to cement the mechanics of surfing on during your “land time” to reinforce your success in the water.
In the afternoon, you will meet with your coach to review the videos of your prior surf sessions. Sometimes we review these in a group to learn from each other’s successes and sometimes this time is better spent one on one with your coach. Your coach will get super detailed in his/her feedback of your progress and technique to help you progress fast and with good habits.
We believe in ongoing education. Afterall Surf Kaizen comes from the Japanese term “Kaizen”, meaning continuous positive improvements.
Kai=Change
Zen=Good
Each day will round the day out with a bit of theory. This is meant to be synergistic to your surf journey. Some days will be a movie night with other guests over dinner in which we watch a documentary. One day may be classroom learning style. Don’t be surprised if we video conference in some of our more infamous surfing friends to drop some knowledge on us.
We can provide transportation to all of our guests to and from the airport, as well as to and from surf sessions and all activities as part of our program. We also have a few cars for our guests to rent during their stay should they want to go on an adventure. Of course this is subject to availability.
We provide healthy breakfasts pre or post surf in the mornings for our guests to fuel their minds and bodies. Expect easy, healthy meals made from local ingredients that wont bog you down but will sustain you as you train.
Gabriel, “Gabo” is our head coach from Margerita Island in Venezuela. He has been surfing for over 25 years in all parts of the world. He has created performance programs for schools in Latin America and the Caribbean and has since focused on perfecting our team’s coaching technique here at Surf Salvación.
He is passionate about the technical aspect of surfing and is obsessive about breaking down performance into small exceptionable improvements. When Gabo is not working with our clients to improve their surfing, you can undoubtedly find him in the water.