Agency | Good Hope Volunteers
About Surfing Smiles
The Surfing with Kids project was founded in 2010 in Mossel Bay, South Africa. The project's mission statement is: "The empowerment and social development of youths living in rural and marginalised communities through surfing."
Empowerment comes as a result of commitment, dedication and learning new skills. Through the medium of surfing, the project’s team teaches the value of learning to do difficult things and enjoying the results of commitment and dedication. Social development comes as a result of developing self-awareness. Surfing is not ordinarily practised in marginalised communities around South Africa. By learning to do something they've never done before in an environment they've never encountered before, children develop a new awareness, forming new ideas about themselves, their abilities and their lives.
Volunteering & Impact
You DO NOT need any previous surfing and/or ocean experience, but you MUST be comfortable in water and be able to swim.
You work directly with the children participating in the surfing programme and you assist the youngest children first. You help them to surf. You help them to handle the surfboards and to catch and ride small waves in the shallows. You also play beach games with children and are responsible for general supervision on the beach and packing and unpacking surfing equipment.
You are always thoroughly instructed and briefed by professional surf instructors, who work full time at the surfing programme, before helping any child in the ocean. You only work with the children under surfing instructors’ supervision.
You also have the opportunity to learn surfing yourselves, under the supervision of the surfing instructors! You will be given a series of introductory surfing lessons with a professional surf instructor, and you can continue your own surfing practice before and after assisting the children’s surfing programme.
This project also incorporates a variety of other ocean-related activities, besides surfing, aimed at empowering marginalised children. They encourage healthy interaction between volunteers and children through a variety of fun activities, like swimming and doing fitness exercises. If the weather and/or oceanic conditions aren’t favourable for surfing, volunteers will engage with the children in surfing, oceanic and/or environmental educational workshops.
Highlights
- Surf and/or learn how to surf in a surfers’ paradise.
- Change the lives of kids from poor communities by teaching them how to surf.
- Experience several different South African communities and cultures.
- Meet travellers from around the world and share your experience with other volunteers.
- Explore sights and adventures of the world-famous Garden Route.
Typical day
Regular Days
You teach basic ocean skills and introduce young children to surfing.
During daily surfing sessions, you assist the surf instructors by helping the youngest and most vulnerable children to become familiar and comfortable with the ocean. These young children are generally terrified of water and most join the programme without being able to swim. They therefore need constant supervision and one-on-one attention in the ocean. You provide that support and assist these young children with surfing.
Volunteer Surfing: You will have the opportunity to learn surfing yourself, under the supervision of the programme’s surfing instructors. Included in the programme is a series of introductory surf lessons.
Kids’ Surfing Programme: You will work directly with those children participating in the kids’ surfing programme. You assist the younger children in the ocean, teaching them swimming skills and helping them to surf small waves in the shallows. You also play beach games with children and are responsible for general supervision on the beach and packing and unpacking surfing equipment.
Equipment Repairs: Optional extra tasks include equipment maintenance, in the form of surfboard and wetsuit repairs.
Educational Workshops: These workshops vary, depending on the specific interests/skills of volunteers, but can include other physical activities such as soccer, yoga, general sports. Further educational workshops are related to the ocean and/or the environment. These workshops are conducted ONLY if the ocean and/or the weather are not favorable for children’s surfing.
Extra Excursions: One day per week is reserved for excursions, sightseeing and/or shopping. You can explore the beautiful surrounding coastline of the Garden Route area, visit nearby towns, do some shopping or simply spend the whole day surfing and/or doing other adventure activities. Options include snorkeling, sand-boarding, paragliding, skydiving, bungee-jumping, canoeing, kayaking, zip-sliding, exploring ravines and waterfalls, tubing, and various wild-life experiences such as game-drives and whale watching! Plus many, many more!
It is important to note that this description serves as an example only. The daily tasks and challenges depend on the volunteer and the work that needs to be done. The final job description can therefore vary substantially from the above.
Details on Arrival
You need to arrive at George Airport where you will be collected by the volunteer staff. Transport is provided on both your arrival and departure, and is included in the programme fee. Preferred transfer time is between 10:00 and 12:00.
Free-time activities
Mossel Bay is a very friendly and relatively small town, with a quaint town centre and beautiful views. The surrounding area, known as the Garden Route because it is always green, is world famous and boasts breathtaking scenery, pristine beaches, indigenous forests and spectacular wildlife.
There are great waves for learning to surf, with beginner-friendly waves at Diaz Beach, and there are also plenty more demanding waves for advanced surfing. Except during summer holiday periods (primarily Christmas and Easter), the area is relatively quiet and very relaxed.
One of the most famous surf spots in the world, Jeffrey's Bay, is only 300km east of Mossel Bay and many of the world's best surfers, including 11-times world champion, Kelly Slater, rate Jeffrey's Bay as having the best waves in the world.
The Garden Route is also renowned for its wide variety of adventure and nature-oriented activities, including snorkeling & diving, sand-boarding, paragliding, skydiving, bungee-jumping, canoeing, kayaking, zip-sliding, tubing, and various wild-life experiences such as game-drives and whale watching.
Weekly excursions to these activities are not included in the programme but can be easily arranged with the help of programme coordinators, who will book transport and arrange activities for volunteers upon request.
Program Requirements
Included Services
Before your journey
On-site services
- Project placement
- Airport transfer on arrival and
departure (George Airport)
- Accommodation (dorm-style rooms, breakfast,
lunch & dinner from Tuesday to Saturday)
- All surfing equipment
- Series of surf lessons with an
internationally qualified and professional surf instructor
- An orientation at the beginning
of your volunteering
- Electronic certificate (printed
copy on request)
- Local support including a
24-hour emergency number
- Constant Programme Supervision
Transport is provided on both your arrival and departure, and is included in the programme fee. Preferred transfer time is between 10:00 and 12:00.
You will stay in beachfront flats that are located very close to Diaz Beach, 2 – 5 min walking distance. The flats are modern, stylish, they com equipped with all the necessary utilities for a comfortable stay and are located inside secure complexes with security guards on duty around the clock. All flats are 2 – 3 bedroom flats, with a maximum of 3-4 volunteers per room. Men and woman may share a flat, but do not share rooms. Each flat has its own bathroom, living room and kitchen.
The flats are fully furnished. The living rooms have comfortable couches, the beds are clean and comfortable, and there are televisions with a selection of channels. The kitchens are equipped with everything necessary for cooking meals, including an oven and a microwave. Laundry facilities are available within easy walking distance. The flats are cleaned on a weekly basis and clean bedding is provided every week. Bedding is included, towels are not included. It is recommended to bring at least two towels. You do your own laundry (except for bedding) and you are expected to keep the flat clean and tidy.
The flats do not have Internet facilities, but there is free WiFi available at Diaz Beach, which is where volunteers work with the children. You can also easily purchase a South African SIM card from a local cell phone provider for accessing the Internet on a smartphone.
Three daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are provided from Tuesday to Saturday. Please note that meals are not included on a volunteer's day of arrival and departure. All meals are served at a local restaurant located at Diaz Beach, 2 minutes walk from the beach and 2 minutes walking distance from volunteers' accommodation.
A vegetarian option is available and it may be possible to cater for other special dietary requirements, but only if we are made aware of the situation in advance (at least 2 weeks before arrival).
On Mondays and Sundays, you must cater for yourself. Your accommodation is fully equipped for cooking and there are several food and grocery shops within easy walking distance of your accommodation and there is also a shopping mall nearby. Mossel Bay Town Centre is a short taxi ride away (5 min) and there are several more shops that sell large variety of items.
There are also many good restaurants in Mossel Bay that prepare good food at very reasonable prices and can be reached easily, either by walking or with a short taxi ride.
Program Fees
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