In week 2 of this term, the year 11 Outdoor Ed class, along with a few extras headed to Port Noarlunga for 3 days of surfing. With beautiful weather, we arrived by lunch on the Tuesday, with just enough suitable waves for students to enjoy their first session in the water, after collecting our wetsuit gear.  This year we had some students who had previously surfed, so we were able to skip some of the basics and head straight out to catch a few waves. We had students standing up straight away and enjoying themselves.

After a few hours in the water, we headed back to Moana Caravan Park to set up our tents and organise tea. The class was split into two cooking groups, and we had some decent nutritious food prepared by the students, exhibiting their organisational skills. After a walk along and games on the beach, students settled in for some bonding time of card and board games, before retreating to their tents ready for a big next day.

Wednesday morning was cold and the surf was flat, so our instructors organized for us to snorkel on the reef just off the jetty. Here they gave a great talk regarding the environment, perfect for the students environmental study. We snorkeled for approximately 1-1  ½ hours, and whilst it was cold, students (and staff!) loved swimming amongst the fish and coral.

Luckily, whilst we snorkeled, the waves lifted just enough for us to have a fun afternoon in the surf. After heading back to camp to shower and cook tea, we travelled back to Port Noarlunga for some ice cream, a walk along the jetty and some beach volleyball.

On Thursday morning, our final day, students hit the surf again for their last session. After stopping for an early lunch on the way home, the bus was very quiet after 3 days in the water.  We were impressed with the students’ persistence, organisation and behavior over the three days. Thanks to Mr Thiele for all his hard work organising the camp and also to students in their food prep, group work and behavior on the trip.