Hallbergmoos/Munich, February 2026 – A new surf infrastructure is emerging internationally: wave pools are increasingly establishing themselves as training centers, youth development platforms, and event locations with year-round, predictable conditions. This development is also gaining importance in high-performance sport - since surfing’s Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, wave pools have been offering controllable training environments for athletes. Alongside this growth comes rising demand for qualified coaches who can teach not only in the ocean but also in technologically controlled wave systems, adapted to different facilities, settings, and performance levels.
With the world’s first Pool Surf Instructor training program, a structured foundation and new educational standard for the industry is now being created.
Together with the German Surfing Federation, the course “DWV Pool Surf Instructor Level 1 – DOSB Trainer C” is launching. A specialization designed to prepare instructors specifically for coaching in artificial wave facilities.
The training program was developed by SURFTOWN Head Coach Michael Baldauf in collaboration with Tilman Heisig (Wave Ops & Safety) and Gabriel Gehlert (Senior Surf Coach), as well as the German Surfing Federation education committee including Grischa Görner and Matthias Thelen.
During the two-week course, participants complete a combination of methodological foundation work and intensive practical training: they independently plan and lead surf lessons for beginners in the pool, implement coaching concepts directly in the wave, learn site-specific safety and operational procedures, and receive structured feedback on didactics, technique instruction, and training design.
After successfully completing the program, graduates receive the DOSB Trainer C Grassroots Sport certification with specialization in wave pool coaching, qualifying them to train and guide surfers in artificial wave facilities internationally.
“With the new Pool Surf Coach training program, we are creating the foundation for the highest quality and safety standards in teaching surfing in wave pools. In a technologically controlled environment, professional coaching is essential — both for athletic development and for a safe, positive experience. Our goal is to educate coaches who inspire people, support them individually, and follow our core principle: Safety, Fun and Progress.”
Michael Baldauf, Surf Academy Manager O₂ SURFTOWN MUC
"After jointly organizing the world's first inclusive national championship in Surftown MUC in Munich in 2024,
we are setting the next decisive milestone on the path to greater professionalism in surfing with the new DOSB-standard training program."
Michael Zirlewagen, DWV President
The new training program marks an important step in the professionalization of surf coaching and supports the growing global surf park infrastructure. From grassroots participation to performance-oriented youth and elite sport.
Further information on the training program and application
About O₂ SURFTOWN MUC
Germany's first surf park brings the perfect wave to Munich. With a 180-meter-long, technologically unique lagoon, SURFTOWN offers year-round surfing fun, coaching, and international contests.
Press contact O2 SURFTOWN MUC
Jonathan Hendess
pr@surftown.de
