18 November 2025, Desaru–Malaysia: The six-day ISA Surf Instructor Level 1 program presented by JomSurf wrapped up on 15 November after an intensive schedule that included the ILS Open Water Rescue course, the ISA Surf Instructor Level 1 curriculum, and three days of practical training at Tanjung Balau Beach.

Hosted at the newly opened JomSurf Surf Shop for classroom sessions and then at the JomSurf Surf School for in-water training, the program ran from 10–15 November and welcomed 16 participants from across Malaysia—including Johor, Pahang, Perak, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor—as well as Singapore and Indonesia.

Over the three practical days, participants trained in consistent 0.5 to 1.5-meter waves, ideal for applying the safety, technique, and coaching principles learned during the course. Despite a few rain showers, conditions remained favorable, allowing all practical hours to be completed on schedule.

Participants who successfully fulfilled all the ISA requirements will receive their certification and be officially registered on the International Surfing Association (ISA) website.

Program organizer Heloise Tan from JomSurf expressed her gratitude and satisfaction on the course’s success, saying:

“It’s been very rewarding to watch these instructors deepen their understanding of surfing fundamentals and apply them in the practical sessions. Thanks to the ISA for a great program and to Jonni as a great presenter!”

“This ISA program provides really comprehensive instruction, as well as internationally recognized accreditation, which really means a lot to these instructors on their professional growth.  We’ve received lots of great feedback from these instructors, as well as others who are keen to join future sessions, so we plan to keep offering these courses that support continuous development within our community,” she added.

ISA Presenter Jonni Morrison-Deaker, who led both the classroom and practical sessions, also shared his thoughts:

“It was awesome to be back in Desaru again. Malaysia has such a blossoming surf scene and the people here are amazing. This year’s participants were so passionate and enthusiastic to learn and improve themselves, and motivated to bring a higher level of surf instruction to the area. It’s always great to see that level of engagement, and Desaru is the perfect location for development programs like this. I’d love to see a board rider scene here to help motivate the community as well.”

Hannah, a participant from Sabah but now resides in Cherating (Pahang), explained her motivation for taking the course and her takeaway from the week:

“I wanted to know how to teach students who really want to learn surfing properly, and so I needed the opportunity to learn and demonstrate that under an international level program.” 

⁠⁠”What I got from the course is a greatly improved foundation of knowledge and ability to be a progressive coach.  Coming to a new place and learning at a different break, while hearing real life examples of how other instructors navigate their teaching was such a great learning experience for me,” she added.

The ISA Surf Instructor Level 1 Course was organized by JomSurf and supported by the Asian Surf Cooperative (ASC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).