Swell Surf Camp Review: Great Vibes And Waves for Beginners
The Lowdown: If you’re looking for a fun, well-run surf camp that has consistent beginner waves and a great vibe, I highly recommend Swell Surf Camp in the Dominican Republic.
Note: This post was not sponsored nor solicited by Swell Surf Camp. This is unbiased review and all views are my own.
After long work weeks on Wall Street, did I envision my first vacation in almost a year to have a consistent 5:30am alarm? As I turned off the alarm chimes and pulled on my surf rashie and booties, I could think of only one reason to wake in the darkness – learning to catch waves.
Swell Surf Camp ($$$) in Cabarete, Dominican Republic was my first surf camp and was a great introduction to what a surf camp can do right. I went there a few years ago, but I’m confident that they’ve kept their recipe for surfing and community building.
The surfing: Good instructors plus a solid surf break for beginners
As part of Swell’s week-long package, we had two surfing lessons a day at Playa Encuentro, a beach about a 10-15 minute drive away from the Cabarete city center. The water was warm and the surf was generally consistent and good for beginners. We’d roll up to the beach around 6am, practice our pop ups, and be out on the water for a couple hours. There’d be a second, optional surfing lesson post breakfast.
The instructors were very good, although some had better English (and thus the ability to provide better feedback) than others. The camp also had one surf theory class during the week where they went over surf conditions, how to read waves, and techniques.
The lodging: Nice accommodations set up for community building
The surf camp was a lovely, low-key compound in the town of Cabarete and about a 5-minute walk to the town’s main beach, which is a popular destination for kite surfing. I had a nice private bedroom and bathroom, which were cleaned once a day. There was a pool and plenty of space for lounging around and eating meals with other people attending the surf camp. There wasn’t a kitchen that guests could use, but there were plenty of restaurants nearby if you got hungry (and after 2-4 hours of surfing a day, I was always hungry).
They also have dorm rooms for those looking for a less pricey accommodation option.
The eats: Amazing prepared meals and some good food options around town
The food at Swell was incredible. They offered breakfast every day after the first surf session, a hearty breakfast with egg dishes, toast, fruit, yogurt, and more. Swell also provided three dinners throughout my week there; multi-course meals of delicious local Dominican food.
I was a little nervous about what I was going to eat when I wasn’t dining at Swell, but Cabarete had some decent food options. Some of my favorites included Fresh Fresh Café Cabarete, a health-conscious cafe with bowls, smoothies, and brownies, and Bliss, a delicious Italian restaurant with pool lounge vibes.
The location: Quiet beach town with just enough to keep you entertained
Cabarete is a quiet and safe beach town known as a world-class destination for kite surfing. Most of my fellow surfers at Swell opted to take kite lessons while at Swell, although it’s totally separate from the camp (I had one ill-fated lesson in Spanish after which I decided to focus my energies solely on regular surfing, but a lot of people loved doing both).
We went out to karaoke and dancing in Cabarete. There was a cool waterfall hike that got canceled the week I was there because not enough people signed up, but I heard great things from those who went the week prior. I got a massage, bought souvenirs, and sat on the beach drinking local beer and watching the kite surfers flip and glide along the waves. Cabarete is a quiet beach town with enough to do to keep you entertained once you wrap up surf sessions.
If you’re looking for a great surf camp for beginners, you can’t go wrong with Swell.
Want to learn to surf but not sure where to go? Check out my blog post on top surf locations for beginners here.
