College of Charleston: surfing for college credit | Photo: College of Charleston

There are only two universities on the entire US East Coast that offer surfing for college credit. One of them is the College of Charleston.

The "Beginning Surfing" class teaches the science of surfing - how waves are formed, what is wind, the importance of tides, surfboard hydrodynamics, human kinesthetics, and everything that involves the ocean and the weather systems.

"The mission of the College is to pursue and share knowledge through study, inquiry, and creation in order to empower the individual and enrich society," explains Tom Carroll, senior surf instructor at the College of Charleston.

"Our introduction to surfing course really does all of that."

In addition, he says, the course curriculum is also aligned with the College's core values, which include an emphasis on educational excellence, a student-focused community, and use of the history, traditions and environment of Charleston and the Lowcountry.

"This 'Beginning Surfing' course addresses all three of the College's core values, and it's especially effective at addressing the third one," adds Carroll.

"Students in this class learn to be good stewards of the local environment and the surrounding community."

"We’re fortunate that the College is situated in such an ideal locale with regards to water and air temperature."

"By way of this class, students have a unique opportunity to understand and appreciate this special environment."

Kai Dilling, an alumnus and surf instructor at the College of Charleston, has been teaching surfing for nearly 25 years.

He is the man working with the students on a daily basis. At the end of the course, they have to pass a final exam that is given both on paper and on the water.

"Surfing is a really great thing for any aged person," notes Dilling.

"It helps develop confidence, they learn problem-solving, they learn the camaraderie that comes with surfing, living in the moment and the stoke that surfing brings."

This course is one that students have been requesting for decades. In the last three months, 30 pupils have improved their skills or learned how to surf with Kai Dilling, who graduated in 1993.

The Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) also offers a "Surf Engineering Analysis" course to their students on the East Coast.

Top Stories

French surfboard building company Notox developed a modular shortboard to make surf trips on the bus and train easier.

The number of surfers using saunas to recover from intense physical exercise in low-temperature waters is growing. Here's why the two match.

Science has dissected and simulated natural events and phenomena for centuries. Waves are one of them.

Chilean wingsuit flyer Sebastián Álvarez leaped from a Bell 212 helicopter at 12,000 feet (3,657 meters) before dropping into a wave in the most spectacular style.