Kool Katz Surf School

Run by Terry 'Tezza' Hannon, who has surfed for more than 50 years and taught for 30, this budget-friendly school teaches beginners around Ballina and Lennox Head on the NSW Far North Coast. Group lessons take up to 20 people, with smaller private options for three to five surfers. The team rates the Missingham bridge flats among the best entry-level spots going, and bookings run through an online system.