Our team of surf instructors are all great people who are passionate about surfing. They’ve been handpicked because they’re great teachers with a good technical surfing knowledge. They’ll make sure you’re having a fun, safe, friendly time whilst making sure you’re progressing your skills as quickly as possible.
Aaron Lock aka Lockie
Aaron Lock is lifelong surfer and bodyboarder. He started teaching others in 1995 and the surf school has grown from there. He loves nothing more than passing on his passion of surfing to others.
Aaron is one of New Zealand’s top competitive Bodyboarders and has many competition titles to his name. He is also a successful surfing competitor. He splits his surfing time between Shortboarding, Longboarding and Bodyboarding. Aaron also loves snowboarding, whitebaiting and has a degree in Microbiology.
Minnie Robberds
Minnie is a very skilful individual, she is one of our most experienced coaches and is a very talented Longboarder surfer. She finds herself competing in various longboarding events and is a talented Surf lifesaver. Minnie is also extremely gifted when it comes to music, she is a part of a band called “There’s A Tuesday”, who are enjoying great success, check them out at a festival over the summer. She has a bachelor’s in Music and English and is currently doing her teaching diploma.
Brittany Andrews
Brittany was our head coach in 2020 and leader of our Surfing for Farmers programme. She’s a stylish longboard surfer and this has placed her amongst the very top in the South Island. She’s a dedicated coach with a kind and fun nature. Her creative endeavours are not just in surfing. Brittany is an artist, a star plant owner, a surf lifesaver, an environmentalist. With all this important information in her brain she remains a top coach with a huge wealth of knowledge to help you succeed in all areas of surfing. She holds a B.A maj Sociology, min Human Services.
Charlie Wise
Charlie has been with the surf coach crew since he was a grom! Charlie has moved up through the ranks starting out as a Surf Kid in our Sunday Kids group. Now Charlie is a very fun and enthusiastic Surf Coach and one of our Senior coaches. Charlie is a very talented longboard surfer, one to watch this summer! He is currently studying at UC
Mary Rocha
Mary is our operations manager, originally from Brazil and has chosen NZ to be her home since 2006. Despite doing bodyboarding in Brazil as a teenager, she took her first surf lesson with Learn to Surf when she celebrated her 42th birthday! Mary believes that you are never too old to start something new. Since then she has surfed in Australia, Morocco, Ecuador, Bali, Japan and Brazil and is super keen to pass on her enthusiasm for the sport and her love for the sea to others. Mary is a business owner, writer, traveller and pianist. She holds a degree in Marketing (Brazil) and Degree in Music Arts from Ara in Christchurch.
Jak De Kort- Martin
Jak is a travel enthusiast, a keen surfer and has spent time coaching overseas, providing him with a wide variety of experience in the surf instructing field. Jak has also spent the 2020 winter as a Ski instructor in Queenstown. Jak enjoys testing his limits in surfing by alternating between a large range of different boards. His approach to surfing has allowed him to become a brilliant all-round surfing guru. Additionally, Jak enjoys ripping the bowl on his skateboard in his free time and can be spotted shredding at any local half-pipe. He’s in the final stretch of completing his law degree.
Adam Brasell
Adam is an outdoor enthusiast and co-leader of our Surfing for Farmer’s programme. He has a wealth of knowledge for the outdoors & Surf coaching. He’s a multitalented individual in surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, snowboarding, travelling and he even makes his own surfboards! Adam works at ARA as a lecturer in the Sustainability and Outdoor Education Programs, with Bachelor in Sustainability and Outdoor Education (BSOE) and is a highly skilled and qualified outdoor education instructor.
Angus Murray
Gus has just started his second season at Learn to Surf. He has a relaxed but technical approach to coaching, making a lesson with him a blast. He is studying toward a Bachelor of Communications and plays drums alongside Minnie in There’s a Tuesday.
Amelie Wink
Amelie is a passionate surf instructor, competitive surfer, and proud golden retriever mum to Roma. Her goal is to help every surfer feel confident and have fun in the water. She was named Rookie Surf Instructor of the Year for the 2023/24 season and holds a diploma in personal training, it is a pilates instructor and keen PADI open water diver. Amelie has represented New Zealand in El Salvador as part of NZ SUP Team (Isa World Champs 2023) and it is Sumner Longboarders Captain.
Archie Whithear
Archie, a local Sumner resident, started surfing at age 3 and has since won two national titles. He’s also passionate about Rugby, recently returning from a tournament in Japan. Archie enjoys playing guitar and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a minor in Marketing at the University of Canterbury.
Lana Lock
Lana has been involved with surfing for over 20 years. As Aarons wife she has been traveling to surfing comp’s and beaches for the last 30 years.
Lana loves the ocean with fishing one of her passions.
Whilst Lana is not a top surfer her love of the ocean and people skills make her a great coach. She is especially good with young children and also adult clients who are having difficulty mastering the sport.
These days Lana is our beach manager, chances are she’ll greet you when you arrive for your lesson or come to hire a board.
