In 2013, there no organized and available river surfing instruction courses. Surf Anywhere worked with river surf lessons provider, Rocky Mountain River Surfing to develop their lessons curriculum. Together they developed methods that made it easier for beginners to stand on the board in a river wave. They also developed safety standards for teaching surfing in a river. Since 2013, Surf Anywhere has worked with other river surf instruction providers and acted as a communications bridge between businesses, municipalities and the local river surf associations.
River surf instruction requires coaching and technique as well as a critical safety component. As the first point of contact to river surfing, a river surf instructor needs to be an ambassador for the local community and properly introduce students to the river, all of its dangers and best practices.
Surf Anywhere has created a list of the most common river surfing risks and dangers based on their findings after starting the River Surf Accident Database. Contact Surf Anywhere if you wish to receive a copy of this list and some coaching in this area.
River surfers spend as much time in the lineup as they do on the wave. How instructors teach surfers and how existing surfers welcome new surfers define the culture on the river. In its roots, river surfing is very welcoming and positive. River surfers introduce themselves to newcomers, they cheer for others when they challenge their abilities on the wave and they look out for one another. Keep these positive values in river surfing is best achieved by conscious effort from the veteran river surfers. It is easy to get in your own head and just be there for the wave but keep in mind when you treat people with respect and positivity that will come back to you every time you go surfing.
