Surf Connect was founded in 2005, and is still the only accredited International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) School in Brisbane as seen on their website www.ikointl.com.

In 2024 Surf Connect was given to a guy called Shane to run, but Shane handed it back to us in January 2024 so we are now running Surf Connect under a new flagship. Note Shane and any of his staff no longer has any affiliation to us. If any payment or vouchers was made to him, I would recommend you contact your bank to seek refund right away, as we are trading under a new company and will not honour any transactions of his company.

Please note surfconnect.COM is the authentic and original Surf Connect. We are also the only entity that has all the relevant Council and Marine Parks permits to operate at Sandgate. We also hold the required permits from the Department of DNRM (National Government governing body) and Maritime Safety, together with official affiliations to IKO, AWKA and NSSIA. All our instructors are fully qualified relevant to the above bodies, as well as the Royal Yachting Association, Kiteboarding Australia and Sailing Australia (previous Yachting Australia).

If anyone offers you lessons other than us at Sandgate, make sure you ask to see their permits and insurance cover. You do not want to be confronted by Council or Marine Parks Officers during a lesson.

Both IKO and Kiteboarding Australia instructors cannot teach on their own unless they have their own insurance policy covering them to teach the sport. Both governing bodies in Australia (IKO & KA) instructors insurance cover only cover the instructors IF they are working in any accredited school like ours, but not independently on their own. If an accident happens in a lesson, you would not be covered.

Activities such as kiteboarding carries a very high level of risks. You would not want to be learning from someone without insurance cover or proper professional qualifications. It is not just yourself you need to worry about, but say if you crash your kite onto another kiter, or someone on the beach, you would be fully liable for any damages to them, being injuries or property damage. You also want to be covered yourself, say if you break a leg and have to be off work for 3 months. Is it worth taking the risks learning from someone without the proper permits or insurance?