ASI sets the global benchmark for beginner bodyboarding instruction.
ASI Beginner Bodyboarding Instructor Standards define safe operational limits, mandatory equipment, and supervision ratios required for conducting introductory bodyboarding lessons in white water and waves under 1.5 feet.
Below are the key operational standards for conducting safe, high-quality introductory bodyboarding lessons and coaching sessions.
1. Approved Location Conditions
Beginner bodyboarding activities take place in controlled, low-risk aquatic environments. Approved locations require:
- Wave Height: Gentle, breaking white water or peeling waves under 1.5 feet (0.5 metres).
- Seabed & Gradient: Sandy beach with an even, gradual slope (no rocks or reef).
- Water Depth: Standing chest-deep.
- Currents & Waves: Zero rocks, zero rip currents, minimal lateral drift, and no dumping shore break.
- Wind Speed: Winds under 20 km/h (approx. 12 mph).
2. Equipment
- Bodyboard
- Bicep, coil leash
- Fins
- Fin socks
- Fin savers
3. Instructor Qualifications requirements
Every instructor leading a beginner lesson must hold active, up-to-date certifications:
- Instructor Certification: ASI Level 1 Bodyboarding Instructor.
- Water Safety: Current Surf Rescue Certificate.
- First Aid: Current Senior First Aid Certificate.
- Background Check: Official Working with Children Check (as applicable to the country).
4. Student Entry Requirements
- Minimum Age: No minimum age requirement (subject to individual risk management assessments).
- Swimming Ability: Must be able to swim 50 meters (165 feet) continuously and tread water unassisted for at least 5 minutes.
5. Student Management & Supervision Ratios
- Maximum Instructor Ratio: 1 fully accredited instructor per 8 students (1:8).
- Standard Group Density: Maximum 16 students in one water zone at a time. Groups larger than 16 must separate along the beach with at least 50 metres of distance between each group.
- High-Traffic Water Conditions: Maximum 8 students per water zone. Groups must maintain a minimum distance of 50 metres from other bodyboarding groups.
6. Water Safety & Risk Management
- Leash Protocol: Students wear their bicep leash at all times while in the water.
- Instructor Positioning: Instructors must remain in the water, close to students throughout the session.
- Crowd Mitigation: Instructors must avoid high-density surf zones to minimise collision risks with other water users.
- Hazard Assessment: The operational area must be free from other water hazards prior to and during the session.
Operational Safety & Risk Management
The ASI Surfing Instructor Standards provide international benchmark guidelines for safe surf instruction. Instructors must conduct a comprehensive, real-time risk assessment before and during every session—evaluating student physical ability, ocean conditions, and potential environmental hazards. Standards, group sizes, or ratios must be adjusted, scaled down, or activity cancelled accordingly to prioritise safety.
