About
Surfing is difficult - we make it easy!
Surfbetter100 is the result of 30 years of experience coaching surfers of all abilities in surf breaks all over the world. Today you can benefit from all of this accumulated knowledge.
In this read you’re going to learn about how and why the surfbetter100 Matrix came about. Our hope is that the more you understand it, the more you’ll trust and apply it in order to experience greater fun, success and confidence.
Discover your roadmap to a lifetime of progress!
LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Surfing could be the hardest sport in the world. It's fun, but also incredibly complex, because of the range of variables all fighting for your attention. But strangely it’s this challenge that attracts us.
Think about it – if surfing was easy, would you really be all that interested? Most of us seem drawn to this enthralling, lifelong process of learning. Knowledge can become your gateway to exotic breaks, thrilling new positions and some of the best moments of your life.
So when it comes to learning complex things, the aim is to break them down into their smallest, simplest parts. That’s why we designed a simple matrix of 100 hundred skills. It’s easy to understand and also achievable.
We’re not saying it’s the only way, but it is based on our 30 years teaching thousands of surfers all over the world. It’s not just a theory. We’re out there testing this at the coal face every day of the year. The experience and feedback from our customers and coaches confirms this works.
IS THIS FOR ME?
YES – these videos are perfectly tailored to YOU! Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced – from the calm water beginner learning board control, right through to the advanced rider threading huge barrels.
We’ve mapped out your every step along this journey. No matter what your current ability, we’ll help you discover the secret ingredients to becoming a better surfer – starting today!
UNDERSTANDING SKILL PROGRESSION
Surfbetter100 is a skill progression – which is a step-by-step approach focused on technique.
If you wanted to climb a ladder, you wouldn’t jump right? No… instead you’d walk up one step at a time… and eventually you’d reach the top.
Likewise, surfbetter100 guides you through small incremental steps. You do them one at a time. You keep them in sequence. You add practice and then you’ll be progressing towards that level of competency and beautiful style you’ve always aspired to.
MATRIX OF 100 SKILLS
To design this, we looked at the world’s best surfers and the techniques that make them so proficient.
We classified these areas into 10 Concepts which form the basis of what you’ll learn. We then reverse-engineered those concepts, backwards across 10 Levels, breaking them right down to their basic building blocks.
We strongly believe that even a complete beginner should start out by learning the correct fundamental concepts that a Kelly Slater, John Florence, Steph Gilmore or Carissa Moore might employ to make it look so easy.
You see, the problem for many average surfers is that they’ve plateaued because they’re habitually making the same old fundamental errors that will always hold them back from becoming that great surfer they would love to be.
But the opposite is also true, and once you grasp our 10 Concepts, those blockages will start to fall away and you’ll be on the pathway to easier surfing.
10 CONCEPTS
The brilliant simplicity of surfbetter100 is that you’ll only ever need to understand 10 Concepts.
The 10 Concepts are - Control, Wavesense, Judgement, Takeoff, Trim, Weight, Rails, Rotation, Extension and Criteria. Make sure you watch the 10 Concepts videos in your Toolkit to learn more about them.
Our aim with this concept-based learning is that you follow a consistent thread for your entire surfing life. Imagine – just 10 simple concepts that could progress you from wherever you are currently with your surfing, to as far as you want to take this, over the rest of your life’s journey.
For example; a novice could learn about rail-work in their first-ever lesson in calm water. Imbedding the correct pattern into their muscle memory from day one will accelerate them through the intermediate stages of steering and maneuvering… and… (with years of practice) eventually this same thread could help them master those radical, high-level moves that demand flawless rail-work.
So beginner, intermediate or pro – it’s the same concepts for everyone – just ratcheted up at different levels.
10 LEVELS
The beauty of the surfbetter100 matrix is, you’ll advance your skills using not one, but two useful pathways – those being: Concept-based learning and also Competency-based progress. No two individuals are the same, so our matrix allows the flexibility for you to learn at your own pace, anytime you want and illuminate your own personal roadmap.
You’ll discover a personalised methodology perfectly suited to the unique you.
THINK BIG
We encourage you to look ahead at some higher levels and set some Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAG). Dreams that would get you fully psyched and energised. Use the Dream goal-setting / vision board exercise to steer you towards where you want to end up.
Then you should use our unique Strength-finder tool to help you pinpoint your current strengths and weaknesses. We will always encourage you to surf to your strengths. But the Strength-finder tool will also help you to identify and target your weakest links, which is what will give you maximum break-through. Once you fix the root cause of a problem, then advancing becomes so much easier and those big dreams will start getting so much closer.
The genius of our 10 Concepts is, they are purposefully structured in a sequence of priority, allowing you to discover exactly what has been holding you back – and of course, how to fix it. For example; it’s pointless working on arm rotation if your board isn’t on rail. But then there’s no point focusing on rail-work if your weight is too heavy on your front foot. But there’s no point even going for the turn if you haven’t built a good speed base. Therefore our system of prioritisation becomes imperative to your success.
It’s over-whelming practicing too many things at once. Instead surfbetter100 will reveal your highest priorities and how to fix them. Then once you’ve nailed those, you move up the skill ladder to your next priorities...and so on it goes. You’ll love the clarity derived from this analytical approach.
Please – don’t worry if this all sounds a bit confusing. You don’t even need to know this. We’re just giving you some background information, so you trust and apply the process.
It's really very simple:
Choose your level
Get started
Learn the 10 concepts
Watch. Listen. Learn
Discover your strengths & weaknesses
Surf, Surf, Surf
The earlier levels are quicker and easier to advance through. But they get harder and take longer as you move up.
Author Malcolm Gladwell famously popularised that it requires 10,000 hours of quality practice to become really good at something. We don’t disagree. But given it takes that long, then doesn’t it makes sense for you to be certain that you’re practicing the right things?
HOW WAS IT PRODUCED?
Surfbetter100 was filmed with Tropicsurf in the beautiful Maldives, staying at the ridiculously gorgeous Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa. This is the ultimate location to enjoy long, workable faces that build mileage and improvement. As you’ll see, the waves can be stunning. But don’t worry when you’re faced with a mushy beach-break back at home. The principles are still the same.
We engaged legendary film-maker Sean Gilhooley and our amigo from Costa Rica, Noemar McGonagle. Noe is a former ISA open-division world champion. He totally rips and also did his best impersonations to surf like a beginner and intermediate, so you can observe the clear course from beginner to expert.
Our objective is that no matter where you are right now, you can identify with 1 of the 10 levels and get inspired with how far you could step up your performance once your clear pathway is revealed.
30 YEARS IN THE MAKING
You can trust the surfbetter100 matrix. It’s relatable and realistic due to hundreds of thousands of hours of combined experience with real surfers just like you. This is how we’ve been able to refine it.
Ross Phillips is the mastermind behind surfbetter100. Ross is a frothing, lifetime surf traveller with university qualifications in teaching and a 30+-year-long career in surf coaching. He’s trained all abilities from beginner right through to world champion, founded the luxury travel company Tropicsurf, pioneered e-learning surf courses back in the 90’s and trains instructors around the globe.
Ross currently leads a team of around 50 surf coaches across a dozen or so countries and their daily, combined experiences at the coal-face contribute to a phenomenal knowledge-bank of experience that you can become the beneficiary of right now.
“As a surfer, I love to get close to what’s been called ‘the zone of magnified power.’ And that’s what surfing is about for me. Paying attention, getting energised and feeling fully alive. We’re all searching for our perfect wave and ride. To surf that little bit faster, higher, longer or deeper.
I’ve spent 30 years figuring out the best methodology to help people have more fun in the ocean. I’ve made lifelong friends along the way and have found this to be even more rewarding than the surfing itself.
So thank you for learning with this program. If you enjoy more confidence, pleasure and accomplishment in the ocean, then I’ve achieved my mission.”
– Ross Phillips
THE MISSION (SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT?)
Surfbetter100 will fast-track your dreams if you trust and apply it. You’ll discover an ease, freedom and success you never thought possible. Just follow the roadmap and you’ll be ripping in no time.
Our mission is the best wave of your life! Will you accept the challenge?
Surfing is difficult. We make it easy.