Common Intermediate Surf Coaching Mistakes in Morocco

‍Avoid Plateauing on Morocco’s Best Winter Waves

Intermediate surf coaching can make or break your progress on a Morocco surf trip. When the winter swells start lining up, the waves around Tamraght and Taghazout Bay are perfect for stepping up your surfing, but only if the coaching matches your level and your goals. If it does not, you end up stuck, repeating the same habits and going home frustrated.

When we say “intermediate surfer,” we mean someone who can paddle into green waves, ride along the face, and sometimes try basic turns, but not in a consistent way yet. Some sessions feel great, others feel messy, and you are not always sure why. That is exactly the stage where smart, focused coaching matters the most.

The problem is that common coaching mistakes in Morocco can cause you to plateau right when the waves are giving you a chance to grow. At our Moroccan-owned camp in Tamraght, we build our surf, yoga, and skate weeks around small groups, pro-level coaching, surfskate, and video analysis so those mistakes do not hold you back. Let us walk through what tends to go wrong for intermediates here, how to spot it in a surf camp, and what good intermediate surf coaching should look like on our coastline.

Misreading Moroccan Conditions for Intermediates

One big mistake is treating intermediate surfers like they are still in the whitewater. Some coaches keep everyone in crowded foam or on random closing-out beach breaks, just because it feels “safer” or easier to manage a group. You might catch lots of waves there, but you do not really learn to read a clean face or set a line on longer rides.

On the other side, some coaches push too hard, too fast. They send intermediates straight into powerful winter point-break days or heavy shorebreaks with no step-by-step plan. That can feel scary and confusing, and it often builds bad habits like late takeoffs, stiff posture, or a survival stance.

Morocco’s winter season, especially around February, needs more care than that. A good coach does not just check the swell size. They think about things like:

• Which sandbanks are working for your level  

• How swell direction is hitting each bay or point  

• What tide stage creates friendlier shoulders instead of fast closeouts  

• How wind and crowd levels change through the day  

For intermediates, the “right” spot is usually one that gives you:

• A clear takeoff zone  

• A shoulder you can trim along without racing straight to the flats  

• Enough power to practice turns, but not so much that every set feels like a wipeout risk  

True surf guiding plus coaching means your coach shares the why, not just the where. They explain why this particular right-hander or inside section suits your level that day, and what skill each session will focus on, like earlier paddling, cleaner bottom turns, or better positioning in the lineup.

One Size Fits All Coaching That Ignores Your Goals

Another common mistake is one-size-fits-all coaching. Some camps mix beginners and intermediates and give the same talk to everyone. Others treat all intermediates as if they want the same thing, with the same struggles and the same confidence level.

Real growth starts when your goals are clear. As an intermediate, your goals might be:

• Linking flowing cutbacks, not just single turns  

• Better takeoff positioning at point breaks  

• More confidence when sets hit shoulder-high and above  

• Cleaner stance and weight shift when you go rail to rail  

Good coaching asks about these goals on day one, then builds sessions and feedback around them. Instead of vague tips like “bend your knees more,” you should hear things like “shift your front shoulder toward the open face,” or “start paddling two strokes earlier so you are not dropping in late.”

Coach-to-surfer ratio is also a big factor, especially in Moroccan lineups with constant sets rolling through. In a small group, your coach can:

• Sit roughly where you should sit in the lineup  

• Call out which waves to go for  

• Watch each takeoff and each turn  

• Give quick, specific feedback after every ride  

A strong intermediate program does not run the same drill every day, no matter what. It reacts. If the swell jumps, you might work on positioning and mindset. If it drops and gets clean, that might become a turn and trimming day. As you progress, a good camp will keep adjusting the plan to match your new level, not the level you had on day one.

Skipping Video Analysis and Surfskate Progression

Many camps still rely only on in-water shouts and quick beach demos. That can help beginners, but for intermediates, the differences between a good turn and a bad one are often small and hard to feel in the moment. This is where missing video analysis becomes a big coaching gap.

With structured video sessions, a coach can film your waves, then review them with you later. On Morocco’s long right-hand walls, this is gold. You get to see:

• Exactly where you are taking off on the peak  

• How your body lines up on the bottom turn  

• Whether your eyes and shoulders are leading the board  

• How high or low you are drawing your lines along the face  

Even a short clip can show you habits you never noticed, like always looking down at your nose, or standing too tall after the drop. Once you see it, you can change it.

Surfskate is the other big piece many intermediate programs skip. On smooth Moroccan streets or in skate-friendly areas, surfskate drills let you:

• Practice compression and extension without worrying about wipeouts  

• Feel rail-to-rail transitions in a slow, controlled way  

• Train your upper body rotation so your board follows smoothly  

The real magic comes when video and surfskate connect to your ocean sessions. You watch your clip from Banana Point, spot a stiff bottom turn, then work that same movement on land. The next morning, you paddle out with a fresh pattern already in your body. By the time the winter swells hit their stride, this mix of visual feedback and land practice can speed up your progress in a big way.

Focusing Only on Waves, Not on Mindset and Safety

Some coaching programs chase only one thing: bigger waves. They measure “progress” by how far outside you sit, not by how well you handle the waves you are actually catching. This skips key parts of intermediate growth, like mindset, safety, and calm decision-making in a foreign lineup.

Good intermediate surf coaching in Morocco includes ocean awareness, not just performance. That means teaching you how to:

• Spot and use rip currents safely instead of fighting them  

• Read where sets are breaking and where to wait between them  

• Understand local lineup etiquette so you are respectful and confident  

• Decide when to sit inside, move wider, or wait for your turn  

The mental side is huge here. When winter swells pulse through, your brain can trigger fear even when the waves are within your skill range. A thoughtful coach helps you build confidence step by step, instead of yelling you into waves you clearly do not want.

When the coaching culture is safe and supportive, you feel able to ask questions, admit nerves, and back off when needed. That usually leads to more waves, fewer scary wipeouts, and steady improvement across your whole trip, not just one hero session you barely remember.

How to Choose Coaching That Unlocks Your Next Level

If you are planning a winter surf trip to Morocco and want real progress, it helps to ask clear questions before you book any camp. For intermediate surf coaching, you can ask things like:

• Do you run separate coaching for intermediates and beginners?  

• How many surfers per coach do you take in the water?  

• How do you choose the daily surf spot and time for intermediates?  

• Do you include regular video analysis sessions?  

• Do you run surfskate training that links to what we do in the water?  

It also helps to look for Moroccan-owned operations and local guides who really know this coastline. Conditions here can change quickly throughout the day, and local experience often makes the difference between a frustrating session and a breakthrough one.

At Salt House Morocco, our all-inclusive surf, yoga, and skate weeks in Tamraght are built around small adult groups, pro-level coaching, surfskate, and video analysis, with a clear focus on helping intermediates move past their plateaus. 

When you think about your own surfing, ask yourself where you feel stuck: is it takeoff timing, fear of bigger sets, linking turns, or something else? Once you know that, you can choose a coaching style in Morocco that targets those exact blocks, so your next trip is not just another week of the same rides, but a real step into your next level.

Level Up Your Surf Skills With Expert Coaching

If you are ready to progress beyond the basics and surf more confidently, our intermediate surf coaching is designed for you. At Salt House Morocco, we focus on personalized feedback, smart wave selection, and safe skill progression so each session moves you closer to your goals. Tell us what you want to achieve in the water, and we will build your coaching around it. Have questions about dates, packages, or availability? Just contact us, and we will help you plan your next surf step.

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