OKIA Surfing Program
We took a martial arts approach to our program. It’s easier to understand the journey of a surfer’s progression in this way.
Proper surfing preparation resembles martial arts. Most surfing skills should be learned outside the water, like any martial art, the movements or punches practiced outside combat.
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Every surfer, pro or not, goes through this path in their development. Locating yourself on this path and understanding the skills necessary to get to the next level is essential in the progression of a surfer's journey. If you are missing any critical components of the stages below, that is a clear sign that you are not ready to achieve your true potential and advance to the next level.
Stage 1. Beginner: WHITE Journey starts to phase.
This is where the journey starts. Catching White water waves at the shore, having little to no knowledge of the sport and the ocean, is a critical element of this stage. That is where you first come across Popping up, paddling, and catching waves. This stage lasts until you start seeing unbroken waves on your own.
Stage 2. Novice: BLUE going left and right on the wave stage.
Catching unbroken waves is where this stage starts. It would be best if you had a fantastic pop-up to focus on taking off on green waves, which is one of the most amazing feelings on earth. In this stage, you start turning left and right. One of the things that Novice surfers talk about when they are having fun is how long their ride is. A novice surfer makes many mistakes on the takeoff; they cannot generate speed on the launch or when they travel across the wave.
Stage 3. Foundation: PURPLE Going up and down the wave stage.
This surfer has much experience in the ocean. They are confident taking off and start challenging themselves to take off deeper. The most distinctive trait of this surfer is that they go horizontally left or right and perform a top to bottom maneuvers. They can generate speed from taking off and maintain it across the ride. This surfer usually rides the wave to its total capacity to the beach. On this level, a surfer could get barreled. This surfer can perform advanced maneuvers but needs to gain knowledge consistency.
Stage. 4 Emerging surfer: BROWN EYE OPENING STAGE
Only 1% of the surfers in the world make it to the emerging stage. This is due to very few surfers have a strong foundation when trying the 6 basic manoeuvres. It would be best if you started experimenting with the six basic maneuvers at this stage. One of the clear signals of an emerging scene in surfing is a low landing ratio on the maneuvers attempted.
Stage 5. BLACK PROGRESSION STAGE
This surfer has near perfect landing ratio for maneuvers. They know the 6 Basic tricks + variations. They know how to win the heat and back themselves under competitive pressure if they compete. Making good decisions in the ocean is a crucial aspect of their performance.
Stage 6. Elite surfer. Coral.
These surfers have all components of performance under their control. They can surf all conditions and adjust to every wave of the day. When competing, they are fierce. These surfers have very long careers. They act professionally during free surfing sessions or while competing. That is a surfer that makes very few mistakes while competing. These careers can last for over 20 years.