Being s surf instructor in tropical holiday destinations is a dream only a few among us can live. Introducing many surf holiday guests to the sport of surfing, meeting like-minded surfers from all over the world and doing what you love every day of the year. This almost sounds too good to be true. But this dream can become a reality on the wonderful island of Fuerteventura. If you’re thinking of being a surf instructor, we’ve got just what you need:

Besides a true passion for surfing and teaching beginners how to surf, there are both some personal and professional qualities a surf instructor must have. You should be open-minded, have a passion to help other surfers, be responsible and enthusiastic. You should also be familiar with local surf spots and their intricacies in order for your surf students to be safe.

Professionally, there are some “official requirements” you need to meet before calling yourself a surf instructor here in Canary Islands. Every year, the FCS (Canarian Surf Federation) together with the C.E.T.U.D organizes surf instructor courses for those interested in teaching surfing and obtaining a surf instructor certificate. This pretty much means that, once a year, everyone interested in joining the surfing community meets in the surfing mecca that is Fuerteventura. To be precise, in Corralejo, just a short drive from our surf house and surf school in beautiful El Cotillo.

The practical part of the course is divided into two sections, one is swimming and the other surfing. To obtain the swimming requirement, you have to first do a 200m circuit: 50m of running on the beach, 50m swimming to a buoy in the ocean and back. For the surfing requirement, you have 12 minutes in the waves to reach the peak, catch a minimum of 2 waves and come back to the beach again. Within these 12 minutes, you have to prove you have a good and stable paddling technique, make at least two duck dives or Eskimo rolls (in case of longboards or SUP) and demonstrate your control over your surfboard with at least one basic maneuver per wave.

The theoretical part consists of 296 hours of theoretical preparation which covers everything from sport behavior and first aid to the teaching techniques of surfing, safety during the teaching process and knowledge of surfing equipment, material and competitions. Once the course is finished (approximately after 2 months), the exam period begins. If you pass the exams, there are another 150 hours of practice required before you actually get your certificate.

You didn’t think it was that difficult and such a long process? Well, becoming a surf instructor on Fuerteventura really is! So, being a surf instructor might be a dream job in terms of living by the ocean, surfing every day and spending your time doing what you love, but it’s definitely also a lot of hard work and a lot of responsibility!

But on the bright side, this means that everybody who is coming to Star Surf Camps for their surfing holidays in our surf house or surf apartments on Fuerteventura can rest assured that they are in very good hands with our qualified team of surf instructors!

See you soon in Fuerteventura’s amazing waves!

Your Star Surf Camps Team