Professional Surfer & ISA Surf-Coach

Hi, I’m Sergey Rashivaev—founder of Agape Surf and a lifelong wave-chaser. I’m a professional surfer, an International Surfing Association (ISA) Level 2 surf coach and Level 1 surf judge, and I lead ISA certification courses across Russia while mentoring new instructors. When winter comes I swap water for snow: as an International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA)-certified snowboard and ski coach I keep carving lines year-round.

In 2012 I became the first Russian graduate of HPC Australia (High Performance Centre) and earlier launched La Preciosa, the first Russian surf school abroad. From 2014-17 I headed the Russian Surfing Federation and was Russia’s first surfer awarded the Candidate for Master of Sport. Off the beach I write about surfing and travel, and I co-created Surf in Siberia plus the award-winning films “Priboi” (the world’s most decorated surf movie) and “The Road to a Dream.”

My mission is simple: share surfing as a craft, a mindset and an explorer’s compass, so you leave the water riding better waves and understanding why they work for you.

Certifications

First Aid
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
ISA Level 2 Surf Coach (International Surfing Association)
ISA Level 1 Surf Judge (International Surfing Association)
ISA Course Presenter / official representative of ISA instructor courses in Russia
Water-Rescue / Lifesaving Certificate
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or equivalent open-water lifesaving qualification

Key Achievements

Russian Surfing Champion 2014 (shortboard)
President, Russian Surfing Federation (2014 – 2017); captained the first national team at ISA World Surfing Games and became the first Russian to win a heat there (ISA 50 WSG, 2013)
Founded Agape Surf and the Surfholidays travel platform; delivers ISA Level 1 & 2 instructor and SUP courses across Russia
Co-creator & producer of the cold-water-surf project Surf in Siberia and award-winning feature film Priboy (2018), the most-titled surf documentary to date

Safety statement

Safety sits at the heart of everything I teach. In my ISA Level 1 Instructor programme, we devote an entire module to organising safe conditions—for both coach and students—covering risk assessment, break selection, rescue protocols and emergency communication. I require every trainee (myself included) to hold a recognised Water-Rescue certificate before they ever coach others, and I model those standards every session: checking tides, briefing hazards, and keeping rescue gear at arm’s reach. When we respect the ocean’s power, we earn the freedom to enjoy it to the fullest.

CERTIFICATIONS