SO, you’ve paid for the surf lessons and tried to carve it up at Bells beach, Bondi and beyond, but with no success? That’s okay, this kind of surfing requires no technical skill and won’t break the bank!
What it is: Couch Surfing (CS) is not some crazy Aussie sport where generation Y tears up the coast on couches. CS is the sleeping of a (traditionally) couch, by surfers/travellers that hosts are willingly offering, for an agreed period of time. It is free and it sure does make hanging ten a whole lot easier!
Couch surfing hosts are normal people from all around the world. In Australia there are hosts from Cairns to Perth. They can be any age, background or education level. People host for a wide range of reasons including cultural exchange, improving language skills and exposing family members to other parts of the world.
Peter lives in a Unit in Darwin and he is a Couch Surfing Host. He works in our National Security Sector and is also a personal Trainer. “We get a lot of tourists in Darwin as it is, and I like to socialise with them and learn about other cultures, so when I heard about CS, I thought, ‘why not, I'll give it a go.’ ” He said. “I’ve done it a couple of times; it has been a positive experience.” Peter’s interests range from Travelling, Adventuring, Rock Climbing, Wake Boarding, Dirt Bike Riding, Camping, Exploring and so far his surfers have been like minded people.
Organisation: Couchsurfing.com is, “a worldwide network for making connections between travellers and the local communities they visit,” as stated on their website. It is a not for profit organisation run mainly by volunteers and represents over 238 countries and 75, 496 cities.
How it works: As a surfer, you set up your couch surfing profile on the website, filling it in with as much detail about yourself as possible. Before your arrival date, you do a host search, using criteria like city, age, gender etc. The search will generate a list of possible hosts. You then view potential host profiles and decide who you might be compatible with and send them a request email, with a little about yourself, when you are arriving to their city and ask if they might be so kind as to host you. They will look at your profile and get back to you.
Hosts don’t have to offer their couch; they might participate in the network by meeting with you for a chat over coffee or taking you on a tour of their city/suburb/town.
You are also able to join groups. There are groups based on cities, with regularly posted information about gatherings and activities happening in the city. There are also groups based on everything else, you name it and there is probably a group, “Dreamseeking,” “Fishing,” or “Book exchange” are some examples. CS can connect you with like minded people from around the world.
You are also able to search for other surfers who are perhaps in the same area as you, who have recently logged on and you can send them an email to see if they would like to catch up, which is great if you are an independent traveller.
What is expected: “Respect, Courtesy, Honesty, and if they want to eat my food, they can help make it with me or wash up... just little, helpful, kind gestures of appreciation.” Says Peter about his expectations from surfers. You are NOT required to offer a couch in return, but small human courtesies go a long way.
Safety: There is a reference system set in place within the CS network. Once there is any sort of interaction between people in the couch surfing community, they can leave each other a reference commenting on the person and experience, which are publicly posted on peoples profiles. There is an optional ‘verification’ process, to which some members of the community donate a small amount of money to the organisation with a credit card, the organisation then verifies their address and personal details and acts like a gold star, which can be seen on their profile also. Furthermore there is a vouching system, where people who know each other vouch for other each others character, actions etc. Anything that person does, reflects also on the people that vouched for them.
CS is a great way to travel and see the world. Hosts can travel without leaving home. Surfers can experience a community in a way they wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity to. It is a win-win experience for both host and surfer. It also generates wicked stories from off the beaten track, and is a guaranteed way to hang ten!
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