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About Nalu Souls

Behind Nalu Souls

Hi, I'm Pauline

French, ex ballerina, industrial engineer, traveler and deeply in love with surfing …

Here is my story and the origin of Nalu Souls …

The story of Nalu Souls

Love at first sight with surfing

Daughter of a farmer and a mother dedicated to his career in social sciences, I grew up in the heart of southern France, in the Aveyron department. I love this region, with its varied landscapes, castles and typical gastronomy. At first glance, I admit, nothing predestined me to fall in love with surfing.

It is true that from a young age, I love sports with hard challenges, and anything that can give me thrills. For 15 years, I was dancing a lot, especially classical dance, up to a pre-professional level. But I was also a good student at school, which allowed me to get a coveted job as an Industrial Engineer in Madrid.

Since I was a child, I was drawn to surfing and skateboarding images without being able to explain it. In May 2015, at 24 years old, I finally got the chance to surf for the first time. It was love at first sight; such a powerful revelation. My life changed radically after that.

Starting to surf so late made me feel like I wasted a lot of time; I had a sensation of urgency about my progress. I had no idea what level I could reach, but I wanted to improve as much as possible and as quickly as possible. So, I started to train during the week, to prepare myself physically, to work on my technique in order to make the most of my surf sessions on the weekends. I was testing anything that could potentially help me.

Desire for more

After two years with this intense rhythm: travelling three weekends by month to go surfing, training and working Monday to Friday; I could no longer go on like this. Mental and physical exhaustion had reached a dangerous level for my health. However, I considered myself lucky to have such a life. But I wanted to get out of my routine, travel, surf warm waters, discover the world. I have always followed the advice of those around me to guide my choices, but here it became important for me to make a point about my life and make decisions according to my deepest aspirations.

So, in July 2017, I quit my job and moved to San Vicente de la Barquera in the North of Spain, where I usually escaped to surf. There, I gave my first surf lessons accompanied by qualified instructors from the North Coast surf school. Also, I dedicated my free time to prepare the coming months (and surfing of course). Finally, in October 2017, I flew to Panama with my backpack and my surfboard, ready for the unknown, for a new adventure.

My training as surf instructor

The last years, I have been able to travel to Central America, California and Spain, where I found several opportunities to develop myself in the world of surfing:

In a high-performance center on Venao beach in Panama: the Surf Dojo. There, I could observe kids coaching for surfing and skateboarding.
In 6 Surf Clubs of the hostel chain selina, in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. My mission was to help revive or start the Surf Clubs: organize the space, identify the best surf spots (places where surfing is practiced) according to the levels and conditions, create qualified instructor teams, find good photographers, train Head Coaches to respect procedures, start coaching packs with video corrections, Surf Camps… And of course, give some lessons.
In a surf school in Nosara, Costa Rica: Nosara CR Surf School. There I was able to devote myself entirely to teaching surfing.
At a surf school in Venice Beach, California: Santa Monica Surf School; as well as an instructor.
Also, I spent a season in San Vicente de la Barquera in Cantabria (Spain), to teach surfing with the famous Buena Onda Surf School

These experiences were incredibly formative. I have been able to enjoy different ways of teaching this difficult sport, in different environments.

In October 2019, in Jaco (Costa Rica), I followed the formation of the ISA (International Surfing Association) to be certified at an international level. I could validate this certification during my first weeks with Nosara CR Surf School.

Surf Lesson San Vicente de la Barquera Spain

My conclusions about teaching in the surfing world

These years of practice made me aware several things. Many of my students told me about bad experiences they had with surf lessons, due to a lack of attention from the instructor, or because the number of students per group was too large to receive personalized and efficient feedback... Many people, tired of hearing and doing the same things over and over again, have stopped taking lessons, preferring to rent a board and manage on their own. However, many of them weren't aware of what they were doing, what was going on around them. In fact, while surfing I have often come across people in difficulty or dangerous to others due to a lack of knowledge and experience.

My passion for surfing and my concern for doing well lead me to put a lot of energy into my lessons (maybe too much, haha). It is important to me that my students measure their progress and become more independent in the water. I want them to become surfers attentive to what they do and their environment; respectful, educated and responsible surfers.

So, I created Nalu Souls

I believe that knowledge is the basis of progression and good sense; If you understand what is happening around you and the "why" of everything, you will be able to progress more quickly. Obviously knowledge does not do everything, practice goes hand in hand. However, there are ways to practice out of the water as well to automate certain movements, prepare your body and mind. With Nalu Souls I want to bring these aspects of learning that can (and should) be implemented out of the water, in order to progress faster and more safely.

During my experiences as a surfer, I had the chance to discover many different surf spots. Some of them caught my attention for their wave’s quality and consistency. I want to propose small group surf trips to all the people who follow my videos in order to meet them and surf with them. These intense coaching trips, adapted by level, will always take place in spectacular environments. It will be an opportunity to review the knowledge acquired through Nalu Souls videos and apply it together and in live.

Team

Quality first

There are many aspects of learning that can (and should) be implemented out of the water, in order to progress faster. To provide a quality service, it seemed obvious to me to search for professionals in each field; collaborators with the same spirit as Nalu Souls, with the aim of making you progress, in complete safety.

Team of professionals

Nutrition with Cristina Cebrian

It is with great joy that I announce the collaboration with Body, Mind and Soul Nutrition, a project whose intention is to promote health and create healthy lifestyles through diet. In 2018, I was lucky enough to give a surf lesson to the creator of BMS Nutrition, Cristina Cebrián. Of Spanish origin, Cristina is a strong woman with a lot of energy. She showed me that through diet and physical activity, not only can we prevent or overcome disease, but also, we can achieve the best version of ourselves, and this on all levels (body, mind and soul). Passionate about surfing, with formations on Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Nursing, Cristina will help us to renew the concept of “diet” from a simple diet plan to a “lifestyle”, where we will learn to establish a new relationship with food, serving our real needs to achieve our best surfing. That through videos about the basics of nutrition, diet applied to surfing, exclusive recipes and more!

Surf Training with Ely Merino

I am pleased to announce the collaboration with Pilates SUP Beach, founded by Elisabet Merino Peñas, better known under the nickname Ely. Accredited and registered as a Sports professional in Catalonia (Spain), she has dedicated her whole life to fitness. I met Ely in Costa Rica during one of her SUP Pilates trips. She is a very inspiring person, a nature lover and also passionate about surfing. Spanish figure of female fitness, we couldn’t have found a better coach to train us with the objective of being ready for each surf session. We are going to strengthen our body and increase our capacities, combining strength, endurance and power exercises. Thanks to Ely, we will be able to focus on enjoying and improving our surfing on each session. That through videos about the basic concepts of training, full surf-focused training sessions, many tips and much more!

¡Some surf trips with this great team are on the way...

Special guests

Surfskate with Carving Social Club

Also, I am very happy to announce the collaboration with Carving Social Club, Club of Surf and Surfskate located in Madrid (Spain). Carving Social Club was an important element of my surfing progression. I’ve travelled with them looking for waves in the Spanish peninsula, and participate in several Surfskate meetings. The Surfskate is a perfect tool to simulate surfing out of the water, allowing you to correct and perfect your movements. Therefore, it seemed important to me to implement a part dedicated to this powerful tool on the Nalu Souls platform. Carving Social Club will share exclusive Surfskate tutorials with us! But that's not all… Since 2018, Carving Social Club offers a specific physical preparation for surfing, leads by qualified professionals who are passionate about surfing. They will also share Surftraining content with us to keep you fit and ready for each of your surf trips!

If you are motivated to improve your surfing, if you are a little bit lost or if you are simply looking for more detailed explanations for your general surfing knowledge, I invite you to acquire the video pack made for you.

What can I expect from Nalu Souls at long-term?

To be as transparent as possible, I will give you a brief overview of how Nalu Souls will evolve at long-term, or at least what I’m aspiring to. The adventure is only beginning. We are remodeling Nalu Souls to return with more content, travel and surprises! The list of collaborators will also grow, so more themes will be implemented, such as "yoga and surf", "respiration and surf"... You'll enjoy it!

What they say about me

TESTIMONIALS

Pauline is a strong, energetic and warrior woman! When you are in class with her, she gives you her love for the ocean, her passion for the sport and it’s contagious. She is a very methodical person, well prepared and so her lessons are very profitable! She is always focused and constantly looking to help her students. In each class that I have been able to have with her, my progress has been impressive because she doesn’t let you surrender, she is demanding but at the same time she motivates you if she sees that you are failing on something so that you don’t block yourself. Always a pleasure to find her! A strong and luminous woman!

Patricia Bustos

@patricia_bustos

In my case I only had the opportunity to have Pauline as my surf instructor once, in San Vicente. It was a horrible wave day, but that didn't stop her from teaching me tips to improve my surf, both out and in the water! When you're with people who love surfing like Pauline, it's impossible not to fall in love with the sport.