In 2019, Surfing Australia and its state associations commenced a major update to align our coaching pathway with the Australian Sports Commission’s National Coaching Accreditation Scheme. 

The coaching pathway now has three levels of accreditation: Foundation, Progression and Elite. These levels have replaced the previous Level 1 and Level 2 accreditations.

The Level 1 Surf Coaching course is now called Foundation Surf Coaching and the Level 2 Surf Coaching course is now called Progression Surf Coaching. The Elite Surf Coaching course is currently in development and will give a select group of Australian coaches the knowledge and skills required to work with athletes at the highest level of our sport.

Yes, the two day face to face components of both courses is now delivered online via Surfing Australia’s learning management system. This means that people can access coaching courses 24/7 and are no longer restricted by a limited number of courses in select locations.

All course materials have undergone an extensive review and include the latest coaching techniques used by Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Surfing Australia has also invested heavily in the development of engaging, interactive content to deliver an industry-leading online learning experience.

Both courses still include 20 hours of practical coaching experience to ensure the highest level of coaching competency and safety standards. These hours can be completed in our network of 40+ affiliated surf schools or with independent operators that hold a current Surfing Australia coaching accreditation.

This depends on the level of surfer you intend to work with.

The Foundation Surf Coaching course will teach you how to introduce beginner surfers to the sport in a safe, fun and supportive manner. You’ll learn how to identify and manage risks and provide a safe environment for surfers to develop their skills. This course is best suited to those seeking employment in a Surfing Australia affiliated surf school.

Once you have held your Foundation Surf Coach accreditation for a 12 month period, you will be eligible to enrol in the Progression Surf Coaching course.

The Progression Surf Coaching course will give you the skills and knowledge to support surfers both in and out of the water. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the technical, physical and psychological elements of competitive surfing to help athletes progress to more advanced levels of surfing. This course is best suited to those looking to run their own intermediate and advanced coaching programs.

Once you have completed a Surfing Australia coaching course, you are required to obtain several supporting qualifications before you can become an accredited coach. These qualifications include (but are not limited to) ocean safety, first aid and a Working with Children Check.

Below is a detailed list of these supporting qualifications and their associated costs. These are all administered by external training organisations and the prices listed below are those currently provided by the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association (APOLA) in 2021.

Ocean Safety (Surf Rescue Certificate, Bronze Medallion, Ocean Safety Surf Coach Award or equivalent)

• Currency for 1 year
• $77

First Aid (HLTAID003)

• Currency for 3 years
• $143

CPR (HLTAID001) – IMPORTANT NOTE: HLTAID001 is an included competency in all first aid courses

• Currency for 1 year
• $66

NSW Working with Children Check

• Currency for 5 years
• $80

NSW Coaching and Judging Membership

• Currency for 1 year
• $15

Based on the prices above, the all-inclusive cost to become a Surfing Australia accredited coach is $725.

Surfing Australia and Surfing NSW charge an annual renewal fee that totals $55 and the all-inclusive cost to maintain the accreditation (including all supporting qualifications) is $255 per year.

You will receive a certificate upon completion of your course, but the validity of your accreditation is determined by your credentials i.e. if your first aid was to expire, your accreditation would no longer be active.

If your employer requires a certificate in the interim, you can use the course completion certificate you received after finishing your online learning and practical coaching hours.

The Surfing Portal or Go Membership is a web based application for member management that is used by national and state sporting associations. Surfing New South Wales uses this application to manage all memberships, event entries and accreditations for its network of surfers, coaches, judges, and officials.

Coaches can access the Surfing Portal for free and use it as a central location for all accreditation documents, with automated reminders letting you know if something is coming up to expiry.

If you’re working in an affiliated surf school, it also allows your employer to view the status of your accreditation. The owner/operator or supervisor has a legal obligation to ensure your accreditation is active and meets all state-based requirements.

Detailed video tutorials for the Surfing Portal are available here or you can contact customer support on (02) 6671 0000 .

There are a few naming conventions in Go Membership that are different to the language we normally use for coaching accreditations. These names are configured at a system level and unfortunately cannot be changed from sport to sport.

• A “qualification” refers to your accreditation e.g. Foundation Surf Coach
• A “credential” refers to a supporting qualification that is required to keep your accreditation current or “active”
• “Active” is the status of your accreditation when it is current
• “In Progress” means there are still outstanding tasks that need to be completed before you accreditation becomes active