Local Knowledge – Fulcrum Surf School Fulcrum Surf's Weblog

Del Mar’s finest surf camp will be under way next month on June 10th! This means our coaches will go through a week long training that makes Fulcrum Surf’s Del Mar surf camp and surf school number one for years. We know that in order to stay on top, Fulcrum Surf training covers the spectrum of surfing and the impact we have on the kids, the community, and the world.

Training is broken down in 3 ways

1) Safety: This is a general term but our goal is to keep kids from having a great and fun water experience.

Traumatic Experience- In the ocean, our coaches are aware of the fact that many of the surf campers are young and inexperienced in the ocean. If instructors are not aware or even looking out for kids that fall under water, the camper can immediately swallow water in seconds and may never want to surf or even go in the ocean for a long time. Our prevention plan is to staff 2 instructors on the inside waiting to catch them coming in. If the currents or the waves are too big, we rotate the kids for more personal attention and keep them safe.

Learning About Safety- Our campers will learn and memorize the safety points and will be rewarded with little gifts to motivate. We will go over ocean currents, avoiding collisions, breathing, and surf etiquette.

2) Community Impact: In order to run a smooth operation, Fulcrum Surf coaches will work hand in hand to keep the peace in the neighborhood.

We know there is not enough room for everyone to park their cars, so we ask our parents to make drop off quick and easy. We will have  few coaches guiding traffic and keeping the flow. Our tent on the beach will be tight and keep a good representation of Del Mar. This will allow space for all the beach goers to relax and not seeing boards laying around and kids running through their towels on the beach.

3) Surf Instruction: Keep the highest level of instruction.

Hearing that many of the other surf camps in San Diego are more like a babysitting clinic instead of real surf instruction, Fulcrum Surf focuses on teaching the proper way and having a good foundation for future surfing. Of course our number one goal is making sure they get up and have fun, but from there, we will correct and coach the campers to develop their basics as if they want to become a pro surfer in the near future.

“The Mauli Ola Foundation began as a group of surfers who banded together to introduce surfing as a natural treatment to people with cystic fibrosis. Since 2007, Mauli Ola has taken nearly 1,000 CF patients surfing at nearly 100 Surf Experience Days and has now expanded its reach with hospital visits and other activities that touch the lives of kids with cancer and a variety of other health challenges. In 2010, MOF was awarded The Agent of Change Award by SURFER Magazine for its positive contributions and example to the surfing community.”   –Mauli Ola Foundation

Fulcrum Surf School was honored to get  the opportunity to be a proud sponsor of the Mauli Ola Del Mar event on Saturday, July 7^th.  Fulcrum provided instruction in the water, 15 wetsuits, and 20 surfboards.  Owner Dan Mori was interested in learning more about the disease and being able to take part in improving the participants’ health conditions. It was so inspiring to see how amped everyone was, the kids were giving it their all without giving up, living life to the fullest, said Mori.

We all learned a little bit more about the benefits of being out in the ocean. Surfing is the perfect therapy for those who are affected by CF. Surfing not only provides the opportunity to make new friends out in the water, but it literally has physical and biological benefits in terms of minimizing the direct effects of the disease. With CF, the body’s natural ability to break down and control the buildup of fiber in the lungs is limited, calling for heavy medications and medical procedures to compensate. The saline in the water and air that comes in contact with the body while surfing breaks down the buildup in the lungs, resulting in fewer hospital visits. So the rumors are not just rumors, they are scientific facts: surfing really does cure!

The next stop on the tour is nearby in Laguna Beach. To learn more about the Mauli Ola Foundation, go to www.mauliola.org