Meet Your Guide

Raphael Tutenuit

Salut! je m'appelle Raph.

I have been lucky enough to live and surf from a young age in some amazing places around the world from Gabon to Scotland. But I was always taught to study hard as well!

After university, I worked in the Basque Country as an engineer inventing and developing the original Sorky (now called seals) earplugs for surfers.

After 5 years of hard work, my passion for surfing took over and I took the plunge into a full-time ocean life as a surf instructor on the fantastic beaches of Hossegor.

I have taught thousands of people during my 6 years here. I enjoy it more and more every day and have developed a real passion for the psychology and adaptive teaching methods that work best in the ocean.

This is what inspired me to start my own unique surf school and guiding company.

Why I love teaching in the ocean:

The ocean is a beautiful and exhilarating place. Being so intensely immersed in the elements can really put us out of our comfort zone in a fun and exciting way. This is where I love to use my experience to guide my students. Whether it be one lesson standing up and feeling the glide of your first wave, or a number of sessions with difficult progression, I love using unique unique techniques to train the body and the mind.

My favourite part of surf is discovery; heading off the beaten track to find surprises and authenticity! When travelling, I love to meet amazing local people who can share with me their favourite surf spots, local knowledge and surf philosophies.

That is why I have added the option of full and half day guided trips to the Surf Guides options. So I can share my knowledge with you. And give you a taste of our local surf lifestyle, help you to discover new places, progress, and have fun in the place I have lived and loved for so long!

I am passionate about surf from head to toe. I spend most of my time in the water and I probably have a surf addiction problem!