About Shelter Surf
It was born from the dream of a boy who surfed in Zarautz and grew to become a reference surf school.
Founded in 2018 by professional surfer Aritz Aranburu, Shelter was born as a space where to transfer all the experience accumulated during years of national and international competition. The name “shelter” reflects the intention of the project: to create an accessible, safe and specialized place where anyone can learn and enjoy surfing, regardless of age or level.
Since its opening, Shelter has established itself as a reference school in Zarautz. Its approach combines technical knowledge, continuous training and a very clear vision of learning: guiding students from their first waves to advanced stages, offering classes for both beginners and experienced surfers.
The mural that explains the origin of a dream
Upon entering Shelter, the first thing that greets the visitor is a large mural painted on the wall. It is not there for aesthetics or by chance: it represents the dream that drove Aritz Aranburu to create this project.
It shows the beach of Zarautz, the place where Aritz started surfing as a child. From those first waves, he dreamed of traveling, competing and one day facing such mythical swells as those of Hawaii. Years later, that dream came true: he was able to travel, compete and surf some of the most renowned waves in the world.
But the mural not only speaks of the past. It also symbolizes something very present in Shelter’s DNA: that when one dream is fulfilled, the next one is immediately born. That progress does not stop. That there is always a new objective, a new wave, a new goal.
That spirit – the spirit of growing, learning and continuing to dream – is what the school wants to transmit to all its students, from those who start from scratch to surfers seeking to perfect their technique.
The need to digitize to continue growing
About a year and a half ago, Shelter faced a challenge common to many growing schools: the need to streamline and professionalize all office management and internal team coordination. As activity increased, so did the volume of information, reservations and people involved in the day-to-day running of the center.
Much of this information was managed in a poorly centralized way, which made it difficult to have a clear and updated view at all times. As different profiles passed through the office throughout the day, some data was lost, not always aligned, and this could lead to internal inconsistencies or errors that directly affected the customer experience.
For Shelter, the next step in its growth was a key point: to organize and centralize all the information in a single system, accessible to the entire team and updated in real time. This was the only way to ensure clearer management, better internal coordination and a service consistent with the level of quality they wanted to offer.
It was then that the school decided to go digital and rely on Lueira as a management tool. The objective was clear: to control reservations, classes, coaches and students from a single platform, reduce internal errors and improve the student experience from the first contact.
How Lueira transformed Shelter’s day-to-day management
Since its implementation, Lueira has become a key tool for Shelter’s internal operation. One of the improvements that Oihana values most is having a complete and centralized customer base, where all relevant data is stored: reservations, orders placed, contact information and the history of each student.
The creation and management of reservations has also been simplified. Oihana highlights the ease of the process, from the initial registration to the automatic confirmation that the client receives by email, which guarantees clear and professional communication from the very first moment.
But, above all, the biggest change has been to have all the information in a single program. There are no more scattered documents or data that gets lost between shifts: everything is organized, accessible and updated in real time. This allows them to offer more accurate care and a more consistent service.
Another key aspect is payment management. Thanks to Lueira, Shelter can send payment requests directly to the client, who completes the process easily and securely. This has reduced errors, streamlined operations and significantly improved the user experience.
Digitalization has also had a direct impact on the work of the monitors. From the app, they can consult their classes, students and assigned schedules at any time, which facilitates daily coordination and avoids confusion. In addition, the digital clocking-in function makes it possible to control the hours of each monitor in a precise and automated way.
Overall, Lueira has not only professionalized the management of the school, but has also brought order, clarity and efficiency at all levels: administration, technical team and relationship with the students.
Close and decisive support
What she values most is the ability to listen to their needs, understand what brings more value in their day to day and propose agile solutions. A continuous accompaniment that has allowed them to adapt the tool to the reality of their school and to continue improving their operations.
“Having a team that responds instantly has given us a lot of peace of mind in the digitization process.”
Oihana Iribar
Director of Shelter Surf
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