KEY POINTS:
Name: Kane Rogers.
Age: 30.
Role: Surf coach/guide with NZ Surf Tours.
Working hours: Mainly eight-hour days but hours vary depending on weather and high tides. Some weekend work.
Salary range: Guides start on $30K, rising to $35K in their second year, $40K in the third.
Qualifications: Level 1 Surf Coaching Certificate, First Aid Certificate and National Lifeguard Award.
Describe what you do
We teach people to surf. We pick them up from the central city and take them to the beach, usually the west coast.
We suit them up and have a safety chat about the rips and currents and have a half-hour lesson on the sand first. It's all about safety. If people feel safe, then they have fun.
Your history?
I've been doing this for five years. Before that, I was teaching for a year at a children's adventure company.
Who do you teach to surf?
Mainly tourists but, every year, we get more Kiwis coming, moreso at weekends. We get all ages from about 10 to 60 but our core market is 15 to 35.
How long does it take to get the hang of surfing?
I've been surfing 20 years and I'm still learning. Some people take a long time to stand; others get there straight away - which is frustrating for someone like me who took a long time to pick it up. People who are really good at skateboarding, wakeboarding or snowboarding will find it easier. And I find people who do karate or dancing are really good at surfing.
What are the ideal conditions for beginners?
It helps having small and soft surf, and a flat sand bottom. Those are perfect conditions for beginners.
What does a beginners' lesson involve?
First we look at the equipment, what boards to buy, why they need fins and wax. We don't want to bore them, though - they are amping to get in the water. Starting on the sand, we show them how to lie on the board, paddle, catch waves and get onto their feet, where to stand on the board and where to put their weight. We have hand signals and whistles to indicate danger or to come back in.
Once they are in the water, most people forget everything we taught them on the sand. For beginners, we go out no further than waist deep. We're in the water with them, showing them how to catch waves and which waves are suitable to catch.
We hold the boards for them, steady them and push them on to a wave.
Your brochure talks about Tangaroa and Tawhirimatea, the gods of the ocean, wind and weather.
It's a spiritual thing, surfing. You sit out on the ocean and pray for the next wave to come your way. It's about energy; waves can travel from thousands of kilometres away. A wave might have come from the coast of Australia and you are the one who stands up on that line of energy.
Is it just a summer job?
We teach all year round.
This winter hasn't been so cold. In summer, we teach seven days a week.
Why is your job important?
Have you ever watched Piha Rescue? That's why it's important. People buy the wrong board, the wrong equipment and they go out in the wrong conditions. It all comes down to safety.
It's good to have a little bit of fear; it keeps you on your toes.
Plus, this job is important because people need to de-stress, they need to have a bit of fun. It would be a boring life if we weren't around.
What skills do you need?
You need to be a good surfer, competent in all conditions and have a good knowledge of surf conditions.
You need a level one surf coach certificate from Surfing New Zealand and that involves first aid and so forth.
You have to be able to do the paperwork; be super patient, have a good sense of humour - people want to laugh. Plus, you need to appreciate how difficult it is to learn to surf - remember what it was like when you first learnt.
Are there some people who cannot surf?
It's usually a physical thing. It's not about being too big.
I have taught guys almost 2.03 metres and 120kg, built like All Blacks and they can get up fine. It's usually the big people with hardly any muscle who struggle.
It takes muscle to stand up and surf.
What would you like to be doing in five years' time?
I think I'll still be doing this. I can't think of a better job, you meet people, travel and have fun.
Most rewarding part of the job?
People's faces. That's why I do this job - for that buzz. I remember how good it felt to catch that first wave.
They have their hands in the air, their eyes are bulging and they're screaming out: "I did it."
Advice to someone wanting to do same thing?
You need to have a good business head and do an appropriate business course. Get your coaching certificate and learn about local beaches. Then go for it. There's not enough of us.
