Cold water.
Patient waves.
A small surf school on the lagoon. Six programmes, tiny groups, and all the gear you need.
Board, wetsuit and boots included in every session.
Six ways in
Whether you have never touched a board or you have been stuck at the same level for three years, one of these is the right starting point.
Beginner
First Wave Beginner Course
Never stood on a board? This is where almost everyone at the camp started. Two mornings, small group, whitewater only.
All levels
Weekend Surf Camp
Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. Four sessions, meals, and a bunk twenty minutes from the water.
Intermediate+
Private Surf Coaching
One coach, one surfer, one specific problem. For people who are stuck rather than starting.
Ages 7–13
Junior Groms Program
A week of short sessions for kids. Ocean confidence first, surfing second — in that order, deliberately.
Intermediate
Longboard Technique Clinic
Trim, cross-stepping and the beginnings of noseriding. A different sport from shortboarding, and a much better fit for this coast.
Everyone
Ocean Safety & Water Confidence
No surfing. Just how the ocean works, how to read it, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Early starts, long breaks
The wind turns onshore by mid-morning most days, so we surf early and rest in the middle. It is not a punishing schedule — it just follows the ocean.
Coffee and the forecast
We look at what the ocean is actually doing and decide where to go. Sometimes that is not the beach we planned on.
Beach briefing
Conditions, hazards, and what each person is working on today. Ten minutes, on the sand, every session.
First session
The wind is usually still offshore. This is the best water of the day and we do not waste it on talking.
Break and video
Warm up, eat something, and watch yourself surf. This is where most of the actual learning happens.
Second session
Shorter, and focused on the one thing the video showed. Sometimes we skip it if the wind has ruined the water.
Wetsuits off
Rinse everything, hang it properly, and argue about which wave was the best one.
Repetition beats bravado
Most surf schools take beginners out the back on day one because it feels more like real surfing. It also means four attempts an hour and a lot of people who quit. We do the boring thing instead, and it works.
- Thirty waves a morning, not four. Whitewater until the movement is automatic.
- Video every session. What you feel and what you do are different things.
- Five people maximum. Any more and the coach is crowd control, not a coach.
- We cancel bad days. A session in the wrong conditions teaches the wrong habits.
Three coaches, one beach
Everyone who teaches here surfs here. Nobody is passing through for a season.
Mara Okonkwo
Nineteen years in the water here, and the person who designed the beginner course. Endlessly patient, and unusually good at spotting the one thing you are doing wrong.
Danny Reyes
Grew up on this beach. Runs the junior programme and the longboard clinics, and holds a trim line better than anyone we have met.
Sofie Lindqvist
Former open-water lifeguard. Teaches the safety course and is the reason our staff-to-child ratios are what they are.
What people said afterwards
I had two failed attempts at learning to surf before this. The difference was the whitewater thing — thirty goes in a morning instead of four. Stood up on day two.
Booked three private sessions to fix my turns. Turned out my turns were fine and I was sitting in the wrong place. Would never have worked that out alone.
Sent both kids for a week of Junior Groms. They came home tired, sunburnt where I missed, and able to spot a rip current from the car park.
Things worth knowing
The pop-up: why yours is slow
Almost nobody has a strength problem. Most people have a hesitation problem, and it shows up in the same three places.
Reading a forecast without overthinking it
Four numbers matter. The rest of the forecast page is noise until you are much further along.
What wetsuit you actually need here
Northern California is colder than visitors expect. One suit covers the whole year if you pick correctly.
Before you book
Do I need to know how to swim?
How cold is the water, really?
Is equipment included?
What if the surf is bad on my day?
How far in advance should I book?
Are you insured and certified?
Tell us when you are here
Send us your dates and what you are hoping to get out of it. We will tell you honestly which programme fits — including if the answer is none of them.