It was our very first time surfing (or trying to surf, at least). The surfing lesson was very easy to arrange - I called the 24hour hotline on the brochure that I picked up from the airport. I just had to tell them my hotel, and they picked us up the next morning (I found out later that they actually called the hotel to find out the exact location).

When we arrived we were given a locker (which was good) and a rash shirt (which was not good, because it was still wet and cold). Our instructor first showed us some theory and had us practice first before going into the sea. Of course, once in the sea, all theory went to s**t. However, the instructor was always there to show us what to do, to steady the board, to generally ensure that we were okay. The instructor even brought us mineral water during breaks. The one down side was that that stretch of beach was too full of beginners like ourselves, and we found ourselves crashing into other learners (or jumping off, trying NOT to crash into them) a little too frequently.

The whole lesson was 2.5 hours, which was more than enough, as we were completely exhausted by the 2nd hour. There are basic cold water showers at the back of the building, where we could wash off the saltwater. They also had a potographer sitting on the beach, taking pretty good photos of you trying to surf.