Paddle 2 Fitness (P2F) is a leading coaching service for anyone looking to experience a new sport (i.e. paddling) or would like to achieve new goals in Surf Life Saving. P2F have assisted a range of athletes and surf clubs to podium finishes at the Coolangatta Gold, becoming National Champions / Team members or to simply paddle more efficiently.

P2F run daily squad sessions on the Gold Coast and weekly squad sessions in Brisbane. We also write weekly personalised training programs for athletes and surf / kayak clubs both nationally and internationally.

Started in 2009 by Julian Norton-Smith (former national and world champion), P2F continues to grow with new athletes, surf clubs and sporting bodies asking us for assistance. Julian is available to coach morning, throughout the day and afternoons. Our philosophy is to help athletes better understand all the skills needed to become more efficient paddlers / athletes.

We also assist surf clubs to achieve their 5 and 10 years plans. As the former Surf Sports Manager of Kurrawa (2000-2004) and Head Coach of Mermaid Beach Surf Club (2011-2016), Julian was the driving force to elevate the surf clubs from small unknowns to Australian Point Score Champions (Kurrawa) and 2015 Australian Surf Club of the Year (Mermaid Beach). Whilst working as part of a surf club team, Julian was the clear architect in developing best practices through Surf Sports which engaged every area of the surf clubs to set and achieve higher goals. These included creating opportunities across brand awareness, training structures / results, youth development, new sponsors / fundraisers and defined outcomes from committee meetings. Through Julian’s five years at Mermaid Beach, the surf club saw tenfold increases in membership and were awarded more Branch, State and National awards as well as achieving it best ever Surf Sports results than in its entire history.

As in most sports, results speak for themselves. P2F have coached some of Australia’s best surf club athletes with many of them going on to win national gold medals. To date, P2F has won board, ski, swim and iron national championships as well as successfully coaching KNG Series athletes including Hayley Bateup (2 series), Emma Dick (3 series) Luke Cuff (2 series) and James Lacy* (1 series). Our training programs are world class but more importantly our coaching philosophy, principles and the time we spend teaching skill develop with all level of athlete, is what allows us to stand out from the crowd.

Looking for a new ski and / or paddle

  • We sell and have access to a number of craft with paddlers welcoming our none bias views on craft.

  • Brands include – BRX surf skis, MEEK paddles and STELLAR ocean skis.

How we can assist you

Individual Athletes

  • Our Introduction Session has helps hundreds of novice and elite paddlers. We believe this session has the best overview of the key paddling principles and will improve any level of paddler by helping them understand a stronger, more efficient paddling technique. Paddlers walk away feeling confident having a greater understanding of the correct way to paddle.

  • Our daily squad sessions have 6-10 paddlers on average. Skill levels range from first timers to semi elite. All sessions are designed around the whole squads ability. No one is ever left behind.

Surf / Kayak Clubs

  • A number of surf clubs around Australia continue to benefit from our weekly training programs. Working with the surf club coaching team, P2F deliver a personalised training program aimed towards athlete goals. These programs include discipline sessions (i.e. ski, board, surf boat, gym and cross training) while working within our coaching philosophies.

  • We provide flexible, packaged coaching sessions to collaboratively work within surf clubs surf sports budgets.

  • We offer coaching clinics where we come to your surf club for several days to assist surf club coaches with technique and race tactics.

  • We also offer a five day school holiday program entitled “Ironman Camps”. This service is available for individual surf clubs or athletes. Sessions are run either mid morning or mid afternoon coving all disciplines with an endurance style event on the last Saturday of the holidays with all athletes who have attended the program competing.

Why choose P2F

  • P2F offers all of our athletes with a friendly, healthy environment to train in. The majority of our athletes have started from a novice level so the whole squad understand, are patient and encouraging when you fall in or fall behind.

  • Our coaching techniques are proven and will improve your paddling technique within weeks. We do regular video sessions which are sent to each athlete for critiquing and evaluation.

  • The squad session locations vary from canal to open water and we rarely do the same session twice.

  • Athletes have access to P2F double skis (surf and ocean skis)

  • You will also be the first to receive any new paddling gear that is coming into the P2F Shop or discount offers from our supporting local businesses.

  • Your first squad session is always free, so come and see what we can do for you.

If paddling is in it, we’re the coaches for it.

Julian Norton-Smith

Head Coach

Surf Clubs who have benefited from P2F

As well as coaching individual athletes, P2F assist surf clubs with training programs and coaching clinics. Since proving these services, we have assisted:

  • Semaphore SLSC (SA, Australia) – programs, coaching clinics and SKYPE coaching

  • Mermaid Beach AEME SLSC (QLD, Australia) – 5 years as Head Coach plus achieving first ever national gold water medals, KNG Series athletes, multiple SLS awards including 2015 Surf Club of the Year

  • Kurrawa SLSC (QLD, Australia) – 5 years as surfs sports manager / ski coach

  • Devonport SLSC (TAS, Australia) – first ever national water medals

  • Coolum SLSC (QLD, Australia) – coaching clinic

  • Forster SLSC (NSW, Australia) – coaching clinic

  • Coffs Harbour (NSW, Australia) – coaching clinic

  • Port Macquarie (NSW, Australia) – coaching clinic

  • International Athletes include

    • Canadian Master National Team athletes (Rescue 2012) – programs and SKYPE coaching

    • Europe athletes (ocean paddlers) – programs and SKYPE coaching

    • New Zealand athletes (ocean paddlers) – programs and SKYPE coaching

* James Lacy hopefully of making the 2016/2017 KNG Series.