How do you guys feel about surf lessons? It's something that happens a lot these days, but I think it's a little scam to be honest. What's there to learn, you just get on the board like we used to do, or do you think there is an effective need for a surf teacher?
I think it really pays to have a teacher. To learn any sport, you must do it yourself. What the coaches do is that they tell what's right and what's wrong with what you do, which you yourself will not be able to spot it, because for a sheer reason that you are doing it. Because you are doing it, you can't see yourself. When I had my surfing lessons, the coach told me, commented and corrected my form and some techniques. He even gave me notes on timing. Sure, even without a coach, one can still be able to learn anything, but with more time. What teachers and coaches do is that they make learning faster. And because life is short, we want to make most with the limited time we have.
I never surfed, but I've done body-board for a couple of months and I never got good at it, so maybe what you are saying makes sense because I really never got to understand how I could dive my board under the waves lol, it seems that I always ended up having slammed against my face...