DS did this 2 years ago when he was 11. He is a good swimmer (many years of swim team). Participants need to be early risers as well as good swimmers.
As I remember the class begins early in the morning and lasts 2 -3 hours.
The waves are pretty big and non-swimmers can (and probably will) tire easily. Funny, many adults left early - We don't know if they had an appointment, got scared, or (as I suspect) were tired.
DS had a blast! We have video tape of his surfing. (They have an area where observers can sit and take pictures of video tape) He received some out of water instruction and then everyone hit the water for some surfing practice. At the end he received a certificate.
DS would love to do this again. He would recommend it highly for anyone who wants to do something different. Not many teens in Illinois can say they have surfed.