Why We Added Bodysurfing to Our Programme

Image: 29479470 © Phillip Gray | Dreamstime.com

By Elemental Surf Lodge Team

Cornwall's Water Sports Experts

"No board. No equipment. Just you, the wave and the ocean. Bodysurfing is the most pure form of wave riding there is and in 2025 we finally brought it to our school programme."

It started with an after-work session on the beach. A few of our instructors were bodysurfing in the evening waves, something we all do naturally as surfers, when someone asked the obvious question: why aren't we doing this with the schools?

It was one of those moments that seems obvious in hindsight. Bodysurfing is something our team has always done for the pure joy of it. It strips everything back. No boards to carry, no equipment to fit, just a feel for the water and the thrill of letting a wave do the work.

Why It Works So Well for Schools

What surprised us, though perhaps it shouldn't have, was just how well it landed with every single school that tried it in 2025. Every age group, every ability level, every school from Year 6 to Year 11. They all loved it.

Accessible to Everyone

You don't need to be a strong swimmer or a confident surfer to bodysurf. If you can get into the water, you can do it. That makes it one of the most inclusive activities we offer and every student gets a win.

Builds Water Confidence

Bodysurfing teaches students to read waves, time their movement and trust the ocean. That understanding of how waves work is invaluable and feeds directly into surfing and bodyboarding skills, building genuine confidence in the water.

Pure Wave Understanding

Without a board between you and the water, you develop a feel for how waves move that you simply can't get any other way. Students come out of a bodysurfing session with a completely different relationship with the ocean.

Instantly Fun

There is no learning curve that gets in the way of the fun. Within minutes of getting in the water, students are laughing, competing and absolutely loving it. The energy it creates in a group is something special.

Now a Standard Part of Our 2026 Programme

The response from schools in 2025 was so overwhelming that bodysurfing is now a standard part of our programme for every school visit in 2026. It sits alongside surfing, bodyboarding, SwimSafe training and beach games as one of the core activities we deliver at Fistral Beach.

Sometimes the best ideas come from the simplest places. An after-work session, a question nobody had thought to ask, and suddenly your programme has something genuinely new and brilliant in it. We can't wait to share it with even more schools in 2026.