Te Ringa Awhina students learn to surf

Te Ringa Awhina surfing group students, from left, Joshua Lamont, Samir Gurung, Alex Swan-Kingham and Nate Te Purei-Payne.

A group of students from Te Puke High School's Te Ringa Awhina special education unit have just finished a seven-week surfing programme.

They have been taught at Mount Maunganui's South Pacific Surf School.
It was the first time students from the unit have been involved in learning how to catch waves on a surfboard.

"We had such a great time there and owner Travis McCoy and his team were just amazing with our budding surfers,'' says Te Ringa Awhina teacher David Valentine.

Te Puke high School's Te Ringa Awhina students out on the water

"Teaching them water safety and techniques to help them improve on a surfboard and most importantly to have fun. Just the looks on the students' faces were enough to know how they were feeling.

"In surfing terms, they were all 'stoked'."

Travis was thrilled with the programme.

"Thanks for an amazing seven weeks with the students, it was one of the highlights of the summer for us," he says.

Once the weather and the water warms up again, the school hopes to run the programme in term 4.

The students all completed a huge thank-you card that was delivered to Travis and his team.

Teaching a group of special needs students was a first for the surf school.