This week we sat down with Logan from Christian Surfers Aotearoa and discussed their exciting new gap year program CSALT.
What is CSALT ?
CSALT Stands for Christian Surfers Aotearoa Leadership Training Academy.
This is a 5-month gap year program for 18–24-year old’s. Come live in the Mount, surf and explore some of New Zealand’s best waves. Learn to grow in leadership, personal development and explore the bible. This is a program for young surfers to become a better surfer in and out of the water. It is all about wrestling with life’s questions. Not being told how to live life but exploring together, all whilst having rad road trips and surf adventures around New Zealand.
How did it come about?
I asked myself what would have been beneficial for me as an 18-year-old surfer leaving high school. I have wanted to run this program for a long time so when the level 4 lockdown started, I put pen to paper and developed the course. A year later CSALT Intake 1 was born.
Where is it based?
Mount Maunganui
How long does it go for?
5 months. With 2 intakes
Feb – July
July – November
How many participants?
We can take 10 people on one intake.
How old do you have to be?
18 – 24
What does a day/week in the life of CSALT look like?
We have 4 phases.
Orientation: 2 weeks of getting to know students, setting culture, rules and expectations finished with. 5-day surf trip to a secret spot …
Theory Phase: This is two months based in the Mount, personal development, helping with local CS groms squad, teaching slots, weekly surf trips, helping with community initiatives (dune care, good neighbor, food banks etc.)
Missions Phase: Two months, traveling around NZ, helping with surf events, running small local learn to surfs, painting fences, helping local surf communities where we can. Students will also help run surf camps over the school holidays. Our favorite part is the 10-day surf trip to Australia.
Next Steps Phase: Two weeks unpacking what students have learnt and helping make some practical steps to where and what they are doing here after. We have career advisors come in to help students set a practical plan for the future.
What do you aim to achieve?
We hope that each student leaves with more skills to take life by the horns and to impact the world in a positive way wherever they go.
Why did you develop CSALT?
I learnt important skills later in life but if I could have learnt some of this when I was younger then I believe I would have had way less baggage and hurt fewer people in the process.
I want to allow young people the opportunity to see the amazing world we live in, improve their surfing & become a better person.
Who supported the project?
Lots of fundraising within the CSNZ community, so some very generous people are helping get this started. But lots of people are giving small weekly donations.
How do I get involved?
Head to our web sites/socials.
Thanks for chatting with us Logan, sounds like a great program and wish you all the best with this.
For more details check out the guys on social media: CSALT NZ / Christian Surfers New Zealand
or www.csaltacademy.org.nz / www.christiansurfers.org.nz
