Josh Palmateer'sSurf Academy

At Rivermouth, where the Margaret River meets the Indian Ocean at Prevelly, Josh Palmateer has been teaching surfing since 1995, three years after retiring from a world tour career that peaked at rank 45. His academy was the first private surf school in Western Australia, and three decades on it still runs from the same stretch of beach, offering one-on-one, private-group and open lessons for two hours at a time with all equipment supplied. The Brain Waves programme pairs surf coaching with structured mental-health support, a distinctive offering that reflects Palmateer's own long relationship with the sport beyond competition. Board and gear hire is available for anyone wanting to keep surfing after a lesson wraps up. Rivermouth's gentler, more forgiving break makes it one of the better learning spots in a region better known for heavier reef and point breaks further along the coast — a sound first stop for visitors easing into Margaret River's surf culture rather than diving straight into it.