Wonderful! Emily is kind, patient, encouraging, and understanding. The price is right, she showed up when and where she said she would, and she's a good teacher.
My twin brother and I are from Denver. We got surfing lessons as a gift. Twin Bro is eager, athletic, and pretty much fearless. I am indoorsy and scared of the ocean. Emily taught to both of us, perfectly! The first thing she did was give us safety tips: Shuffle your feet to avoid stingrays, how to bail, what could hurt us, and how to avoid it. She gave us plenty of tips and time to practice the movements of paddling and getting up while we were still on dry land.
She took us in the water one at a time. Twin Bro went first. I volunteered him. She turned him around, watched for a good wave, then told him when to paddle and when to attempt to stand. It didn't work, but he bailed exactly how she told him to.
Next it was my turn. She gave me plenty of encouragement, made sure I was okay a few times since it was my first time in the ocean in more than a decade, helped me spot a wave, and told me what to do. I flopped down on to my belly. I was too scared to stand up.
After a few more attempts, a total of about 30 minutes in the water, I decided I just wasn't having it. I didn't want to be in the water, I was scared to get it wrong, I was scared to get it right, I was just all-around terrified. Rather than trying to cajole me back into the water, she told me how glad she was that I'd faced my fear.
Then she went back in to the water to help Twin Bro, who was standing up at that point. He said she was very encouraging, her instructions were clear, and he had an absolute blast. read more
