Building a Dangerous Surf Conditions Protocol for Your School

Why Protocols Beat Judgement Calls

In the moment, judgement is compromised by: - Financial pressure ("12 people booked, we can't cancel") - Social pressure ("the other school is still running lessons") - Optimism bias ("it'll probably calm down") - Experience gaps (junior instructor says "it's fine")

A protocol removes the decision from the moment. If wind exceeds 25 knots onshore, the lesson moves or cancels. End of discussion.

Building Your Protocol

**Step 1: Define Danger Thresholds Per Beach** For each of your beaches, define absolute limits:

| Condition | Beginners | Intermediate | Advanced | |-----------|-----------|--------------|----------| | Max wave height | 1.0m | 1.5m | 2.5m | | Max wind speed | 20 knots | 25 knots | 30 knots | | Dangerous directions | Onshore NW-NE | Onshore NW-NE | — | | Min visibility | 200m | 100m | 50m |

**Step 2: Define Actions Per Severity**

**Level 1 — Marginal:** Conditions close to limits. → Action: Senior instructor assesses on-site. Lesson continues with extra caution or moves to sheltered area.

**Level 2 — Exceeded:** One or more parameters above limits. → Action: Switch to backup beach or reschedule. All participants notified.

**Level 3 — Dangerous:** Multiple parameters well above limits. → Action: Cancel lesson. Full notifications and refund processing. No exceptions.

**Step 3: Assign Authority** Who can make the call? Define it clearly: - Level 1: Lead instructor on-site - Level 2: School manager + lead instructor - Level 3: Automatic cancellation (no human override needed)

**Step 4: Communication Protocol** When a dangerous conditions alert triggers: 1. Flag lesson on dashboard 2. Notify school manager 3. Decision made within 30 minutes 4. All participants and instructors notified via SMS 5. Refund or reschedule processed

**Step 5: Document Everything** Log every conditions-related decision: - Date and time - Conditions data - Decision made - Who made it - Customer notifications sent

Automating the Protocol

The ideal setup: - Conditions checked automatically every 2 hours - Lessons flagged when they hit your thresholds - Alternative beaches suggested based on current data - One-click actions to cancel, move, or reschedule - Automatic SMS to all affected participants and instructors - Refund processing built into the cancellation flow

> SurfSlot monitors conditions every 2 hours and flags lessons against your safety thresholds — with one-click cancellation and automatic notifications. [See how →](https://surfslot.eu/solutions/safety)

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