Why does video analysis speed up progress?
Most surfers have a gap between what they feel on a wave and what their body is actually doing. You might be sure you’re standing low when your legs are straight, or certain you were looking down the line when your head was pointed at the nose of the board. A coach shouting feedback from the channel helps, but you’ve usually forgotten it by the time the next set arrives.
Footage closes that gap. You see the mistake, the coach names it, and you watch it again until it clicks. One clip of a late pop-up often does more than a dozen spoken corrections, because once you’ve seen it there’s nothing to argue with and you can just work on it.
It also helps you focus. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, a good review narrows things down to one or two changes for your next surf.
What do surf coaches look for in the footage?
Coaches usually work from the ground up, starting with the habits that hold back everything else.
| What they check | What it often reveals | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Paddling and positioning | Sitting too wide or too deep, catching waves late | Change where you wait and when you start paddling |
| Pop-up | Knee coming down first, hands too far back, slow to stand | Dry-land repetitions with hands under the chest |
| Stance | Feet too close together or too far back, straight legs | Wider base, bent knees, weight further forward |
| Head and eyes | Looking at the board instead of the wave | Turn your head and shoulders towards where you want to go |
| Bottom turn | Turning flat, no compression, not using the rail | Lower centre of gravity, commit to the rail |
| Wave selection | Going for closeouts, missing better waves | Read the sets and the shape of the wave before paddling |
With newer surfers, coaches spend most of the time on the first three rows. With intermediate surfers, the focus is usually the bottom turn, rail work and wave choice, which are almost impossible to judge while you’re riding.
Magic Bay is a good wave to film. It’s a right-hand point break of roughly 800 metres that peels over sand for much of its length, so one ride can show several turns, not just a single drop.
How do I use the footage afterwards?
A review only pays off if it changes what you do in your next session. A simple routine works well:
- Watch at normal speed first, then slow down the moments that matter, like the pop-up or the first turn.
- Pick one or two fixes, not five, and write them down.
- Practise on land. Pop-ups on the floor and turns on a surf-skate carry over to the water surprisingly well.
- Watch it again before you paddle out so it’s still fresh.
- Compare early and late clips. The difference between your first and last day is the clearest sign of progress, and it keeps you motivated once you’re home.
In Imsouane, conditions are usually cleanest in the morning, and onshore wind builds after midday. That makes the morning the natural time to film and leaves the rest of the day for review.
Which video coaching option is right for me?
Here are the main ways to get video feedback, including some we don’t offer, so you can see where we fit and where we don’t.
| Option | Video analysis | Group size | Best for | Relative cost | Not ideal if |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private coaching (Tafukt Surf) | Yes, within a 2-hour one-to-one session | 1 | Any level wanting focused, personal feedback | Highest per session | You’d rather surf with friends |
| Surf Development Week (Tafukt Surf) | Daily, over 7 nights | Capped at five | Intermediate and up wanting steady progress | Highest overall, as a full week | You’re still learning to stand up |
| Group lesson (Tafukt Surf) | Not part of the listed format | Up to five | Beginners building the basics | Lower than private coaching | You specifically want your footage reviewed |
| A friend filming on a phone | Footage, but no expert review | n/a | Seeing yourself surf for the first time | Lowest | You need someone to explain what’s going wrong |
| Remote video coaching service | Expert review of clips you send in | 1 | Surfers who can film regularly at home | Varies by service | Nobody can film you |
We’re not the right choice for everyone. If you’ve never surfed, video review matters less than time in the water, and a group lesson or the Surf Camp Week will probably serve you better. If you want feedback every week for months at your home break, a remote service you can use from home makes more sense than a trip.
What does the Surf Development Week include?
The Surf Development Week is for intermediate surfers and up. You get 7 nights in the surf house, about five minutes from the line-up, and small-group coaching capped at five. Each day includes video analysis, and there are sessions on tides, theory and reading the line-up.
The week also includes spot-chasing up the coast by 4x4. There are more than fifteen surf spots between Imsouane and Agadir, including Anchor Point at Taghazout, so you can put what you’ve seen on screen into practice on different waves. Our coaches are ISA-certified and compete at home and abroad, and they coach in English, French, German and Arabic. Boards and wetsuits are included.
We confirm details not listed here when you book, such as how the footage is shared, by WhatsApp or email through our contact page.
Where to go next
For one-to-one coaching with video analysis, see our lessons. To compare the Surf Development Week with our other weeks, go to surf weeks. You can hire a surf-skate for practising on land from rental, and the rest of what we do is on activities.