Our ‘Surf Coaches’

At Big Blue Surf School we employ both male and female coaches, all of whom are fully qualified British Surfing Association Surf Coaches and qualified and experienced Beach Lifeguards. All our coaches are also trained in advanced First Aid, Advanced Resuscitation, Child Protection and are Criminal Records Bureau checked – you, your family and your children couldn’t be in safer hands!

Jon Price – Head Coach / Proprietor
British Surfing Association Level 1, 2, 3, 4 Coach, British Surfing Association Trainer & Assessor, Royal Life Saving Society Beach Lifeguard, British & English National Team Coach, Safeguarding & Protecting Children Course Certificate, Health & Safety Executive First Aid at Work Certificate, Criminal Records Bureau checked. .

Consider one of the UK’s best and most experienced surf coaches, Big Blue’s Head Coach, Jon Price, is a British Surfing Association Level 4 Coach (highest level achievable) who is qualified to instruct any level of surfer from beginner to elite. Jon also coaches the British & English National Teams and trains and examines surf coaches for the British Surfing Association. He has studied and is qualified in many specialist areas of surfing including: sports nutrition, bio mechanics, movement analysis, injury prevention, competition training and techniques, competition tactics, specific surf fitness and training techniques, surf equipment needs and national team management. Jon has also lectured on sports psychology to other surf coaches and works with autistic and special needs children introducing them to the world of surfing.

Senior Coach Jon Price

Jon set up Big Blue Surf School in 1999. He had worked as a surf instructor for a number of other organizations, but felt he could provide a higher standard of coaching and superior levels of customer service by establishing his own school.

Jon started surfing in 1988 whilst on holiday in South West France. It didn’t take him long to become addicted and when surfing holidays no longer satisfied his needs he moved to the north coast of Devon, right on the Cornish boarder. Jon has now been surfing and exploring the south west for over 12 years. Under his expert supervision you will be guided to some of the best and most consistent surf spots in the country.

For the first ten years of his surfing career Jon only rode shortboards. However, in 1998, inspired by films like ‘Big Wednesday’ and ‘The Endless Summer’ he decided to buy a 9’3” longboard and hasn’t looked back since. He still likes to rip on shorter boards every now and then but “ever since my first wave on a longboard I was hooked. I can do so much more on a longboard than I ever could before, from radical manoeuvres like big re-entries to hanging ten on the nose.” British Team Head Coach and British Surfing Association National Director of Coaching Barrie Hall described Jon as a surfer with a ‘lovely style’.

As well as surfing most of the spots along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Jon has also surfed in New Zealand, Barbados, Portugal, France, Spain, The Canaries, Ireland, Wales and on the UK’s east coast.

John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson – Senior Coach
British Surfing Association Level 2 Coach, Royal Life Saving Society Beach Life Guard, Bachelor of Science - Outdoor Studies, Health & Safety Executive First Aid at Work Certificate, CRB Checked. .

Hutch started surfing ten years ago, at the age of fourteen, whilst on holiday in Bude. Since then he has surfed whenever and wherever he can on anything and everything – shortboards, longboards, retroboards, soft learners boards, bodyboards, he rides them all. Hutch has surfed extensively around the North Coasts of Cornwall and Devon and has been a qualified surf coach working in Bude since 2005.

Until going to University, Hutch’s main sport was the Pole Vault, at which he was county champion for five years running. He competed all over the UK and at the European Championships in Slovenia. One seriously fit guy, Hutch also kayaks, rock climbs, ice climbs, skis (and renovates houses in his spare time)!

Surf Coach John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson

Becky Price
British Surfing Association Level 1 Coach, Royal Life Saving Society Beach Lifeguard, British Sign Language Level 2 Signer, Safeguarding & Protecting Children Course Certificate, Health & Safety Executive First Aid at Work Certificate, CRB checked.

Described by her British Surfing Association Trainer assessor as offering “some of the best teaching I’ve ever seen” Becky is one of the few female surf coaches in the country. Not only is she a competent surfer who has surfed in the UK, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, the Canaries Islands and Barbados but she also has a deep general knowledge of any sports and of sports related training. As an all round sports women Becky played Basketball internationally for her university and is an ex member of the British Fencing Squad. She is also a keen snowboarder, tennis player and netball player. Oh, and she’s fluent in French, Italian and Sign Language.

Surf Coach Becky Ragland teaching a lesson

Mim Aicheler
BSA Level 1 Coach, Surf Life Saving Association Beach Lifeguard, BSC Psychology, Safeguarding & Protecting Children Course Certificate, Health * Safety Executive First Aid at Work Certificate, CRB checked.

With over 13 years surfing experience, Mim qualified as a Surf Coach and Beach Lifeguard in 1995. Since then she has gained a wealth of wisdom and experience, coaching a vast range of surfers of all ages and abilities. Although she specialises in working with children, Mim has knowledge of or qualifications in Fitness Programming, Goal Setting, Philosophy, Behavioural and Emotional Problems in Young People, Working with Young People and is has a Degree in Psychology.

Having surfed extensively around the north and south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Mim has also spent time surfing in South Africa and the Canary Islands. Not being content with the thrill and excitement of surfing Mim also abseils, kayaks, surf kayaks, mountain bikes and rides a motorbike. Although Mim works full-time at a School for Children with Emotional and Behavioural difficulties, she coaches for Big Blue during her spare-time for one simple reason, just like all our instructors she loves surf coaching.

Surf Coach Mim Aicheler in action

Adam Davies
British Surfing Association Level 1 Coach, National Rescue Standard (NARS) Beach Lifeguard, NARS First Aid Certificate, CRB checked.

Adam is back coaching for Big Blue in 2008 for his third season. He qualified with us toward the end of 2006, worked as a surf coach in Gran Canaria over the winter and was employed by us full-time in 2007. During this time he has become a competent, professional and well respected surf coach and a dam good surfer.

Having been brought up and learning to surf on the notoriously inconsistent Sussex cost Adam now surfs whenever and wherever there’s a wave. Currently studying for a degree in Media Studies at Falmouth University, Adam is getting to know the Cornish South Coast pretty well, but come the summer he’ll be back surfing the classic beach breaks and secret reefs spots of Bude.

Surf Coach Adam Davies in action