Sitting a few yards down from the lifeguard station at Josiahs Bay Beach beside a row of four surfboards, Icah Wilmot spent his Saturday afternoon waiting for students and watching the waves. He liked what he saw.
“It’s amazing; there’s so many good waves,” said Mr. Wilmot, a professional surfer and surf instructor. “It’s just a matter of time before the world realises it and hopefully the locals start capitalising on the business side of it so when it does get bigger the local industry will thrive off it.”
Alex Dick-Read, a Virgin Islander, journalist and longtime surfer, hopes so, too. His recently established company Groundsea Adventures has begun offering private surfing lessons to tourists and residents through its affiliate Surf School BVI. As the company grows, Mr. Dick-Read hopes to bring small groups of novice surfers from abroad for a weeklong camp.
“It was just one of those things where there was nobody doing it,” he said.
He added that in the future he plans to set up a small base for the school on a piece of land close to the beach where surfers can meet instructors and store their gear and their friends can watch their progress.
See the March 21, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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