I recently completed a weekend surf camp with Michelle and really enjoyed it! You can book through…read moreemail. She allows up to 8 women, but be aware that her camps book up pretty quickly. I was able to squeeze in as the 8th when I booked 2 weeks in advance, but others were saying they booked months ahead. You are confirmed as booked when she receives your check in the mail. A few days before the camp, Michelle sends out an email with the details about what to bring and where to meet. She also starts a text chain so that you can communicate day-of.
Our camp met as Assateague State Park at 9:00 on Sat and 10:00 on Sun (due to surf conditions). Each lesson lasts for about 2 hours (ours went slightly over). A few things to note: Assateague State Park and Assateague National Park are on the same island, but are 2 different places. After going over the bridge, stay straight to get to the state park, or turn right to go to the national park. It does cost $ to get into the State Park ($6 for out of state and $4 for in-state) so bring some cash. ASP is apparently a popular surfing spot for locals as there were probably 20 surfers right when you enter from the parking lot, so we walked down the beach a bit.
On the first day, Michelle spent some time going over some safety basics, which I really appreciated! Things like coming out of the water with a hand over your head so the board doesn't hit you and making sure the board is perpendicular to the shoreline when going in and out of the water, again to prevent it from hitting you. It sounds simple, but I would not have figured those things out on my own. Then, she broke us into groups of four and had us take turns coming out to practice with her. At first, she has you get on the board and she pushes you towards the shore to ensure you are catching waves. By the second day though, she was more helping to direct when to get on your board and then you paddle to catch the wave yourself (rather than her grabbing the board and pushing you). On the second day, everyone was on their feet, standing on the board!
Another cool fact about day 2- Michelle has her photographer friend come take pictures of everyone and then she gives you the photos electronically as part of your package. LOVED THAT!
She also finished by giving us tips on how to pursue surfing further if interested. She told us where to rent boards, what size to get, and how to check a surf report. Also, she also said if we are ever back in the area, we can text her to ask if the weather is appropriate for surfing. I think it's awesome that she is willing to be an ongoing resource. She also started a facebook page where people who have taken lessons with her can connect to go surfing together again in the future. I honestly feel like I could rent a board in the future and catch some waves on my own- which was my whole goal of participating in the camp.
One more thing- surfing is one of the most physically exhausting exercises I have tried. It truly takes your entire body to carry the boards from the car, drag the board out in the water multiple times, core strength, shoulder/arm strength, and balance to stand up. I'm in pretty good shape and I'm fairly sore. I don't say that to scare anyone off. We had a variety of shapes, sizes, and ages in our group. Just something to be aware of, as experienced surfers can make it look so easy.