Sinesipho Ngungu received his official Surf Instructor’s Qualification in June 2019 after attending a Surfing South Africa Surf Instructor’s Course at the end of 2017 and finalizing the necessary supplementary qualifications in early 2018.
Sinesipho started working for The Surfer Kids Non-Profit in July 2017 and he has had a very eventful first year in his new position as Surf Coach & Community Coordinator.
While on duty at The Surfer Kids’ Headquarters at Diaz Beach, Sinesipho spotted an elderly man caught in one of the notoriously dangerous currents at Diaz Beach. Sinesipho immediately jumped into action, but by the time he dragged the man onto the beach, the man had no pulse and was not breathing. Sinesipho then performed CPR for 20 minutes and successfully resuscitated the man.
Now, half a year later, Sinesipho has again shown himself to be an incredibly valuable asset to the youth empowerment organisation by satisfying Surfing South Africa’s standards and successfully completing their Surf Coaching Course.
Surf Coaching Courses are presented by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the recognised governing body for the sport of surfing in South Africa and a member of the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA). The Coaching Courses are presented by SSA under licence to the International Surfing Association (ISA), which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the world governing authority for the sport of surfing. The ISA Surf Coaching Program is the only international standard for accreditation of Surf Coaches.
The ISA Coaching Program is designed to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities of those individuals who wish to obtain a scientific approach to the Coaching of surfing, with the objective to establish an international system of Coaching, improving the safety and efficacy of surf instruction around the world and to advance Surf Coaching as a globally standardized and highly professional activity, with stringent requirements.
The Coaching Courses are presented for Surfing South Africa by Tasha Mentasti. the 2013 Pro Surf Tour Champion and multiple SA Masters Women’s Champion. She was also the first woman to represent South Africa as a coach, for the SA Junior Surfing Team (2005-2007 and 2014), amongst many other surfing related achievements.
In Sinesipho’s own words, earning this Surf Coach qualification has been “one of his biggest achievements ever” and, he says, he could not have done it without his mentor, Andries Matthysen, who is also a Program Supervisor for The Surfer Kids and a member of its Board of Trustees.
The Surfer Kids is a youth empowerment and social development organisation, established in 2010 and based permanently at Diaz Beach in Mossel Bay. The organisation’s objective is: “The empowerment of marginalised youth through surfing.” Surfing is used a medium through which the organisation aims to empower youth from Mossel Bay’s poorest communities by teaching commitment and dedication.
For more information on The Surfer Kids visit their website at www.thesurferkids.com or get in touch by emailing thesurferkids@unravelsurftravel.com or calling 084 893 1543.
The Surfer Kids is a registered non-profit organisation, registered with the South African Department of Social Development’s Non-Profit Directorate, with registration number 136-987 NPO.