G'day future surfers,

Thanks for dropping in. Have you always thought that you'd like to give surfing a go? Join those 'cool dudes' out there in the waves. It sure looks like fantastic fun. It's healthy, you can really experience the great outdoors on our fabulous coast, and you might even get a bit fitter! All good reasons.

So why did I wait till 55 (that's years, not 1955) to try it? Well I have a long list of excuses... first I ran my own business which used up 60+ hours a week looking after staff and clients, then there were family responsibilities, seeing friends, maintaining the cars and a boat, helping with community issues... yep! too much of everything, so life ran me instead of the other way around.

Then there was the inspiration of my two sons... who'd been surfing for over 25 years each. I couldn't let them continue to have all the fun, so off I went as a 55th birthday present and had a lesson along with lots of 7 year olds and fitter teenagers a third my age. Despite the competition I got up on the board in my first lesson. I was hooked. This was a real challenge. And oh my God I'd lost 8 kgs before summer had even finished. I was now out of bed as dawn approached and down the beach for a quick paddle and still getting to work before the crowd but fully charged, and feeling in touch with the environment. I soon knew what time the sun went down, when the wind was coming, how much swell there would be each day, the state of the tide... amazing how much stuff is available on the internet these days.

A year later I decided that I would form ECO Surfing... a new kind of learn-to-surf organisation, having experienced first-hand what surf schools did and didn't do, the frustrations of finding out about the right equipment and the things 'real surfers' just didn't speak about or tell novices so their culture was kept a mystery.

ECO Surfing is here to be your surf buddy. Someone you can trust to help and also someone you ask those questions you feel embarrassed about because it might not be 'cool'. Learning to surf is an exciting journey. If you decide you would like to explore this fantastic sport (it becomes a lifestyle for some) then we'd like to share our knowledge.

ECO Surfing is still being built to become Australia's most professional surf school network. We expect to offer a range of programs to suit first time surfers from 5 to 75 this summer. We have great people, the best gear, and a fresh approach, so that we find the best conditions each day... and oh yes, Number 1 son John is now our Surfing Director.

Spend five minutes on our register page to tell us why you'd like to learn to surf and you could be the lucky winner of 5-free lessons to get you started on your journey.

See you out there in the waves

P.S. Why ECO? Yes we are green and active... that is our catch cry but we've taken practical action too by setting up the ECO Foundation, a trust that invests in research to find ways to resist the climate change we are all experiencing on our planet. Every person who takes an ECO lesson has part of their fees contributed to this important research to find ways to harness new energy systems that reduce the impact of greenhouse warming. You are making a difference. That's what ECO stands for. Join the ECO Surfers and tread lightly on our planet.

Bruce Druery
Surfing & life-living convert

email: waves@ecoleisure.com.au
mobile 0412 71 71 77

Other useful stuff

Understand and check
the coming weather,
tides, wind and more at
seabreeze.com.au

Check out the surf
reports and cameras at
coastalwatch.com.au
and
swellnet.com.au

Lust after the most beautiful handmade boards at www.mctavish.com.au.

ECO Surfing is a McTavish distributor and can advise on the right board for individual novice surfers.




We are members of Surfing Australia