Surfing on Australia's Gold Coast: Prices, terms and what beginners need to know

Surfing on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Petra Bensted via Wikimedia Commons 2.0)

It could well be because of an Old Spice commercial I saw as a kid that I first tried riding a wave. I didn’t succeed then. Eight years later, I was back at the very same spot to give it another go.

To be sure, India offers some great places to surf now—I live close to one of the country’s most vibrant surfing hubs, Kovalam, near Chennai—but somehow, I never got around to bettering that failed attempt in 2015 in Australia.

Now, I was back in Broadbeach, a hipster magnet along Queensland’s famous Gold Coast, for another shot.

A surfing lesson on Broadbeach, a good option for beginners. (Photo courtesy Ashwin Rajagopalan)

This is one of the world’s surfing hubs and a great advert for Australia’s surfing culture. The Old Spice commercial might have used the ‘Mark of a Man’ tagline, but it wasn’t a dashing gentleman who sparked Australia’s love affair with surfing.

Duke Kahanamoku was a swimming (five-time Olympic medallist) and surfing legend from Hawaii who can take a lot of credit for popularizing the sport of surfing. In 1915, he was invited to perform a surfing demonstration on Sydney’s northern beaches, and his first star pupil was a 16-year-old girl.

Isabelle Latham is widely regarded as Australia’s first surfer, even though women remained outliers for decades on Australia’s surf scene. There are many contenders for Australia’s surfing capital—from Gold Coast to Torquay near Melbourne and Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach. That’s a debate for another day.

Surf boards—up close

Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, a world champion surfer and one of the finest advocates for the sport, is an ambassador for S.Lab, where you can craft your own surfboard.

There are two ways to ‘plunge’ into the experience. You can opt for a one-hour factory tour (Rs 13,750 approximately) that gives you a first-hand view of how surfboards are made, the time, materials and processes that go into building the craft.

Or, you can make your own board.

I tried crafting my own board as part of S.Lab’s Cruiser experience (Costs around Rs 99,000) with one of their expert ‘shapers’. Dave Verrall, who is a seasoned shaper, is no stranger to India—he has helped share his skills with surfboard shapers in and around Chennai. This three-hour experience starts with designing your shape with a 3D Software before you move into their lab for the hand finishing process. It’s also a great opportunity to pick up on some surfer lingo and technical terms before you head to greet the waves.

For Rs 99,000, you can craft your own surfboard at S.Lab in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo courtesy Ashwin Rajagopalan)

What beginners need to know

It all starts with the top of the board—or the nose. The nose can be rounded or pointed, depending on whether you want to catch the waves or if you’re keen on performance surfing. The edges or the sides are called rails and determine how the board flows in the water. The deck is where we’d all like to be—the side where you stand while surfing. The downside or the side of the board on the water is generally called the bottom of the board.

One of the key elements that I learned about surfing even before I went into the ocean is the leash plug. A safety measure that ensures the board doesn’t get away from you—it tends happen a lot when you’re a newbie. You attach the leash or leg rope around your ankle and into the leash plug on the board.

And then there are the fins that steer the board. There are multiple fin set-ups but you’re most likely to find the popular thruster or a three-fin set up on your board like I did when I reached Broadbeach.

The nose of your board may be pointed or rounded, depending on whether you want to catch the waves or do performance surfing. (Photo courtesy Tourism Queensland and Events—Australia)

Let the action begin

I was guilty of not paying attention a few times when the team at ‘Go Ride a Wave’ ran me and my surfing mates through the basics. I was relieved to find that it’s quite a common trait among beginners who are keen to ride the waves. I’d recommend signing up for a three-session course (Rs 11,900) that packs three two-hour lessons. You could also opt for one of their Surf Experiences (Rs 3,800/hour) if you’re short on time. It’s important to pick a beach like Broadbeach if you’re an absolute beginner. This is not just an iconic surfing destination but has warm water most of the year and is safe (you can surf in waist-deep water) even if you’re not an expert swimmer. It’s also a patrolled beach for that extra layer of safety.

My second attempt at chasing the waves and a childhood dream was certainly more successful. Did I ride the wave like those guys in the commercial? No. But I certainly managed to stand up on the board. Enough to push me to pursue this enthralling sport. The adrenaline rush when you hit a wave is enough to help you keep going even if you keep falling off the board.