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Raise Your Game: What prompted you into setting up the Surfing Academy?

Dan Hart: We started up Progress last April. My now business partner and I met in the water, we became friends and suggested starting a school, planned it and the surf school was born! We set it up because we have a love for the sport and the business; it combines our hobby with our day to day earnings which means it's a great job for us.

RYG: Can you take me through what a person would learn on an initial lesson?

DH: We use something called the ABC structure; it's basically broken down surfing. We teach the kids how to surf by spending 10-20 minutes on:

• Listing parts of board, talking through nose, tail etc...
• Showing them how to turn the board safely
• Showing how to dive on board and catch that wave
• Show the 'prone' position lying
• Show them how to turn and stop board safely
• And show how to cover head and directions- hand signals

For actually standing up we again break it down into 3-4 easy steps and get them straight into the water this includes:

• Paddling for the wave
• Standing up
• Board Safety
• Position on the board

Surfing is an extreme sport so we teach them a lot about safety in the water. I'd say about 80% of our kids stand on their first lesson and it's a great feeling for them.

RYG: What lessons in life can kids learn from surfing?

DH: You can apply surfing to so many other things in life. It gets you thinking about your surroundings, being aware and safe. It teaches the kids to keep their gear clean and tidy. It teaches life skills such as communicating, being a team player and relating to other kids in your squad and other surfers in the water. All the skills that they learn are transferable to work and later on in life. We educate so it's an added incentive and continues the kids learning after school hours, which the parents love.

RYG: Have you had any success stories that really stand out?

DH: The children are improving all the time, and it's so worthwhile seeing these youngsters develop, that to me is a massive success in itself. To see them not being able to stand up and then being able to ride free waves shows what we do is really working. It brings out the kid's confidence and character. A lot of them have gone from quiet kids who are shy to being more out going and sharing their feelings.

It is hard work, the first time you do it you will leave with your legs feeling like jelly but next time it will be better. You have to get in and out of the water, getting back on and off your board so it makes you stronger and fitter both physically and mentally. It brings people together and sets kids to shine, much better than kids playing on their play-stations.

RYG: What have you learnt from surfing?

DH: For me personally, surfing has taught me to distance myself from bad situations and learn how to deal with them. I also think it helps an individual to put things into perspective. I appreciate the environment so much more.

People take it for granted and don't recognise the beauty in the world and what we have on our doorstep in Gower. Surfing has kept me motivated I'm so happy to go to work and teach and I take a real pride in my job.

Every wave is different, every day is different the adrenalin rush from a big wave, well there is just no feeling like it! I like to progress myself and that is what we as a company are about, I'm learning and experiencing new things and developing all the time.

RYG: Any advice for anyone who is thinking about taking up surfing?

DH: Go to a surf school. We see a lot of people going into the water on a weekend who have no experience, and we call these guys weekend warriors. They tend to be the people who buy a board, get out and try it alone.

They don't know about safety and end up injuring themselves or someone else. Learn about safety and awareness of surroundings at the very least for one lesson. The sea is a dangerous place; not a playground like everyone thinks it is.