Surfkin: Surf Schools & Coaches – Booking, Tools, Compliance

Surf Schools on Surfkin

The Booking Platform Built for Australian Surf Schools.

Surfkin supports a range of surf community providers. However, this page is dedicated to information that relates directly to surf schools – including setup, compliance, tools, and pricing.

Surfkin is Australia’s surf-specific booking platform – designed for both seasonal and year-round surf schools. Whether you’re a solo operator or a large coastal business, we help you manage bookings, reduce admin, and grow your reach with local and international surfers.

What Is a Surf School?

A registered business offering structured group or private surf instruction.
May employ or subcontract multiple coaches under their administration.
Responsible for ensuring all coaches are credentialed, insured, and compliant

Why Join Surfkin?

Grow your customer base – reach both locals and traveling surfers.
Accept bookings 24/7 – capture opportunities even when you’re in the water.
Streamline payments – secure, automated, and easy to manage.
Manage scheduling with ease – accessible on desktop and mobile.
Built for flexibility – perfect for seasonal operators.
Packed with tools – simplify day-to-day operations.

Surf School Management Tools

Calendar Control – Add, edit, or block off lessons at any time.
Mobile Dashboard – Manage bookings, customer details & scheduling on your phone.
Instructor Assigning – Match surf coaches to classes instantly.
Digital Waivers – Collect legal forms before lessons begin.
Auto Messages – Send reminders, thank-you notes, and updates automatically.
Booking Reports – Track performance and see your busiest times.
Weather Control – Reschedule or cancel sessions instantly based on conditions.

What You’ll Need to Sign Up

Surf School Info – Name, ABN, location, and key contact.
Location Permit – Valid council permit to operate at the beach/es you list.
Insurance – Public liability insurance (proof required).
Governing Body – Affiliation with a recognized governing body (e.g., Surfing Australia).
Coaching Qualifications

Nice to have ready

Activities Offered – Lesson types, levels, and age suitability.
Pricing & Duration – Per lesson/person, with optional add-ons.
Season Dates – Start/end months, holidays, and blackout days.
Images – Highlight your instructors, beach, and vibe.
Policies – Cancellation, refund, and reschedule terms.
Emergency Contact – For weather-related or urgent student issues.

Surf School Pricing & Payout Model

Extremely low commission – designed to keep more revenue in your business.
Only pay when you earn – seasonal-operator friendly.
No setup or monthly fees – get started with zero upfront cost.
Weekly payouts – directly to your nominated Australian bank account.
Refund handling built-in – makes customer service simple.
Access to customer data – build long-term relationships and repeat bookings.

Integrations

Website Booking Widget – Embed a live booking calendar – no developer needed.
Google Calendar Sync – Sync lesson schedules with Google Calendar in real time.
Instagram & Facebook – Add a “Book Now” button to social media pages and bios.
TripAdvisor & Google Biz – Link your Surfkin profile to collect reviews and attract new students.
Email Marketing Tools (coming soon) – Export lists for rebooking and follow-ups.
Zapier – Automate tasks with tools like Slack, Sheets, or CRMs.

Need help with integrations? Our team can assist you step by step.

Insurance & Compliance for Surf Schools

To list your surf school on Surfkin, you’ll need to maintain the following:

Location permit – valid council approval for the beach/es where you operate.
Public liability insurance – cover appropriate to your activities and group size.
Governing body affiliation – recognized accreditation (e.g., Surfing Australia).
Surf coaching qualifications – all instructors must hold current accreditation (minimum Level 1), First Aid/CPR, and Working With Children Check (WWCC).
Emergency protocols – first aid kits, procedures, and qualified staff on-site.
Local compliance – adherence to all council and beach authority regulations.
Digital waivers – Surfkin provides built-in disclaimers to streamline risk management.

Becoming a Surf Coach in Australia

To become an accredited surf coach in Australia, you must complete the following:

Coaching Award – Surfing Australia Foundation Surf Coach Award or International Surfing Association (ISA) Level 1 course.
First Aid, CPR & Ocean Safety – current qualifications are required.
Safeguarding Children – complete the Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport induction.
Working With Children Check (WWCC) – clearance is mandatory in your state or territory.
Competent Surfer – demonstrate ability as a competent surfer.
State Membership – hold current membership with your state surfing body.

Next Steps:

Complete the online course.
Submit required documents through your state’s Surfing Australia portal.
Complete a logbook or practical training hours to finalise accreditation.

Becoming a Surfing Australia Accredited Surf School

To be recognised as an accredited surf school by Surfing Australia, you must meet the following requirements:

Register with Surfing Australia as an official surf school.
Employ accredited instructors – all must hold a Foundation Surf Coach accreditation.
Maintain safety qualifications – instructors require current Ocean Safety, First Aid, and CPR.
Working With Children Check (WWCC) – all staff working with minors must hold a valid clearance.
Adequate insurance – maintain appropriate public liability insurance.
State affiliation – affiliate with your state Surfing association.
Program eligibility – accredited schools can qualify to deliver programs such as Woolworths SurfGroms.

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete Surfing Australia Foundation Coaching Course – via the Surfing Australia Learning Centre.
Obtain Safety Qualifications – Ocean Safety (Surf Rescue Certificate or Bronze Medallion), First Aid (HLTAID011), and CPR (HLTAID009).
Get a Working With Children Check (WWCC) – apply in your state or territory.
Complete Safeguarding Training – Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport induction.
Secure State Membership – purchase membership through your state surfing association portal.
Register Your School – apply via the Surfing Australia Accreditation Portal and pay annual licensing fees.
Ensure Adequate Insurance – maintain liability insurance suitable for your operations.
Affiliate with Surfing Australia – become a licensed school under the national framework.
Consider Programs – become a provider for national programs such as Woolworths SurfGroms.

Surfing Australia Programs

As the national governing body, Surfing Australia delivers a wide range of programs through its network of affiliated surf schools, state associations, and the High Performance Centre.

For Schools & Kids

Sporting Schools & SchoolGroms – fun, safe, and educational programs for primary and secondary students.
Surfing Australia Academy – a 12-month program for Years 7–12 combining education and high-performance coaching.
HPC School Camps – immersive training for Years 9–12 at the Olympic-level High Performance Centre in northern NSW.

For Athletes

National High Performance Program (SA HPP) – world-class coaching, performance services, and camps for elite surfers.
Podium & Pathway Programs – prepares U21 surfers for the Championship Tour and Olympic pathway.

For Coaches & the Public

Coaching Courses – Foundation and Progression coaching courses for beginners to advanced surfers.
Hurley Surfing Australia High Performance Centre (HPC) – elite training and tuition for surfers, coaches, and the general public.

Support for Surf Schools

Aussie-based team who understands seasonal and coastal business needs.
Free onboarding and continuous support.
No off-season overheads – Surfkin only earns when you do.
Extra exposure through Surfkin’s campaigns, promotions, and blog features.

Marketplace Advertising & Promotions

Surfkin doesn’t just help you manage bookings – we also help you grow your reach.

Social Media Features – get your surf school promoted on Surfkin’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Platform Campaigns – take part in seasonal promotions, holiday campaigns, and surf event tie-ins.
PG & User-Friendly – all advertising must be family-friendly, positive, and aligned with surf community values.
Highlight Opportunities – selected surf schools may be featured in Surfkin’s blog, newsletters, and “Top Picks” spotlights.

Extra Features for Surf Schools

Embeddable booking widget – integrate directly with your website.
Insurance upsell widget – add Sportscover insurance at checkout.

Technology & Data Security

Surfkin is built to keep your business and your customers secure.

Secure payments – all transactions processed through trusted, PCI-compliant gateways.
Data ownership – you retain full access and ownership of your customer data.
Privacy compliance – aligned with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and GDPR.
Reliability – cloud platform with mobile access so you can manage lessons anywhere.

Marketing & Growth Tips

Practical ways to boost visibility alongside Surfkin’s marketplace promotions:

Optimise your profile – great photos of your beach, instructors, and lessons.
Collect reviews – encourage TripAdvisor and Google reviews after sessions.
Showcase instructors – bios and qualifications build trust with parents and adults.
Seasonal specials – school-holiday offers, locals’ discounts, referral rewards.
Stay active on socials – link your Surfkin booking widget to Instagram and Facebook.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) I use Square on my website – can Surfkin integrate with Square?
Surfkin processes payments via Stripe Connect – you don’t need to set up a separate Stripe dashboard; onboarding is a quick Stripe verification and payouts go directly to your bank account. There’s no direct Square integration right now, but you can keep using Square for other parts of your business alongside Surfkin. It’s a good idea to track how many transactions run through each method for reporting.

2) Can I invoice with Surfkin?
Surfkin is built for card payments at the time of booking (with refunds handled in-platform). If you need traditional invoices, you can:

export booking data to your accounting tool, or
issue invoices manually from your accounting software (e.g., Xero/QuickBooks).
Planned: lightweight invoicing via integrations.

3) I already have a booking widget on my website and don’t want to change it. How can I still be seen on Surfkin?
Easy – keep your current setup and list a recurring slot on Surfkin (e.g., block out one time per week and offer a “Beginner Group Lesson” in that slot). You’ll stay visible to people searching in your area without changing your main website flow. Use Surfkin’s calendar blocks to prevent double-booking.
Note: the marketplace has filters – if a customer filters for private lessons, a group-only listing won’t appear. You can list as many or as few sessions as you like, free.

4) If I add the Surfkin “Book Now” widget on my socials or website, will my customers see other providers’ sessions?
No – your link shows only your availability and services. Customers who click your “Book Now” stay in your view; they won’t see other providers from that link.

Seasonal Operations Guide

Surfkin is designed to support both year-round and seasonal surf schools.

No off-season costs – you only pay commission when you run lessons.
Easy re-activation – update your season dates to go live again.
Holiday flexibility – block out days (e.g., Christmas, public holidays) in your Surfkin calendar.
Weather management – cancel or reschedule sessions instantly with the weather control tool.

Contact & Support Options

We’re here to help you succeed on Surfkin.

Email support – support@surfkin.com
Onboarding help – free setup call for all new schools
Knowledge base – guides, tips, and troubleshooting (coming soon)
Community updates – follow Surfkin on Facebook & Instagram for promotions and announcements

Resources for Surf Schools

Governing & Affiliation

Surfing Australia – national governing body for surfing.
Surfing Australia Accreditation Portal – register as a surf school and manage licensing.
State Surfing Associations – affiliation is required for accreditation:

Council Permits

Australian Local Council Directory – apply for open space/beach permits in your area.

Insurance & Compliance

Surf schools must maintain public liability insurance and comply with council/beach regulations.

Resources for Surf Coaches

Accreditation & Training

Surfing Australia – Surf Coach Accreditation – register as a coach and submit training requirements.
Surfers Rescue 24/7 – free board rescue and CPR training.
Surf Coach Essentials – core training for safety, technique, and coaching.

Working With Children Checks (WWCC)

NSW | Victoria | Queensland | WA | SA | Tasmania | NT | ACT

Safe Sport & Compliance

Play by the Rules – resources for safe, fair, and inclusive sport.

Ready to Join?

With Surfkin, you’ll streamline your surf school, fill your lessons, and focus on what matters most – getting people stoked on surfing.