Introduction
In 2028 a National Coach Register will come into force, requiring every sports coach in the country to be publicly listed on the register. Led by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) the register will help strengthen safeguarding and coaching practice and standards across the sector.
Registration will be through each sport’s National Governing Body, who will be responsible for verifying each coach’s qualifications and suitability to be working in their sport.
Surf coaches with a Surfing England qualification and current membership will be automatically included in the National Coach Register.
For surf coaches that aren’t Surfing England members and/or hold a different qualification there is a clear and cost effective process to getting their skills and qualifications recognised.
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)
How to get your surf coaching award recognised in England
If you already hold a surf coaching award such as ISA Level 1, ASI Level 1, or Surfing Australia Level 1, you can apply for the equivalent Surfing England award; the Surf Instructor-Recreation award (SE1).
Surfing England use a Recognised Prior Learning process to provide a simple, affordable route to be recognised by the National Governing Body.
Getting your awards and experienced recognised
Step 1
Become a Surfing England coach member. Use code coachonboard2026 and your first year of membership will be just £1.
To become a coach member you need an in-date surf lifesaving certificate, a surf coach certificate and to have completed an online introduction to safeguarding course.
Step 2
Review the Surf Instructor-Recreation Award theory materials * Available for download here soon.
During your assessment you will be asked a small number of questions to check and explore your knowledge of surf instructing.
Step 3
Book your RPL assessment
If you work for a Surfing England accredited surf school you can arrange this directly with your school manager, if not you can contact a Surfing England Trainer Assessor to arrange a date and location
Step 4
Complete Your Assessment
For surf instructors and coaches with less then 1 years experience your assessment will be to deliver a complete lesson, which will be assessed by a Surfing England Trainer Assessor.
For surf instructors and coaches with more than 1 years experience you will have a shorter, more conversational assessment with requirement to deliver part of a lesson.
To complete the process, email a copy of your signed lesson assessment form to courses@surfingengland.org
Help and Support
If you’re unsure which route applies to you, need help booking or have any other coaching queries please drop Nick Moffatt, Coaching & Qualifications Lead a line on 07825 639557 or email nick@surfingengland.org and please include a number to call back on.
Questions and Answers
We understand people will have lots of questions about the new National Coach Register and the Surfing England process to get our coaches registered. The below Q&As cover the main points, but do get in touch if you have other queries.
Timings and Costs
The coach register will go live at the start of 2028. Surfing England have put in place a timetable to enable coaches to transfer their awards / qualifications with minimum cost.
In 2026, it will be free for any coach working at a Surfing England accredited school to transfer.
For coaches who don’t work at a Surfing England accredited school, there is a small fee. They will need to book with a Surfing England Trainer Assessor to arrange their assessment for £50. Alternatively, non-accredited schools can join the scheme, and all their associated coaches can transfer free of charge – a Surfing England representative will arrange to visit and assess instructors in their lessons for certification.
In 2027 the cost will increase to £50 for coaches at accredited schools and £100 at non accredited schools.
For all coaches, an annual Surfing England coach membership must be maintained. The cost is £1 for your first year and £38pa thereafter. There is no requirement to hold any other type of coach membership to work at a surf school in England.
Why do coaches need to have Surfing England recognition?
UK Government has determined the National Governing Body of each sport will be responsible for ensuring their coaches hold the appropriate qualification or award for their sport. The Surfing England awards have been designed to meet the quality control and safeguarding standards required by the register.
What happens next?
Once a coach has Surfing England membership and completed their RPL to gain the Surfing England certificate, they don’t need to do anything else. Surfing England will automatically register all their coach members on the national coach register, unless their lifeguard qualification/award has expired, in which case they’ll get a reminder and once refreshed, they will be automatically registered.
Higher Level Coaching Awards
Surfing England will continue to recognise coaches with existing higher level coaching awards, such as the ISA L2. For coaches looking to further their skills and knowledge, the recommended option is the Surfing England Surf Coach Progression award (SE2).
A higher level Surf Coach Performance Award (SE3) will be launched in 2027.
