Surf Camps: A Great Escape For Solo Travelers
One of my first solo trips was to a surf camp in the Dominican Republic. I had caught the surf bug a few years prior, but the global pandemic and a demanding job kept my surf dreams at bay.
Finally, as the world slowly began to open up again and I decided it was time for a vacation, I did a ridiculous amount of research and booked a week at a surf camp in the Dominican Republic (read my review of Swell Surf Camp here).
I remember sitting in the airport on my way there, terrified that my week-long solo adventure would end in disaster. It ended up being an amazing experience and I left my job nine months later to learn to surf in Bali and travel the world solo.
Do you dream of learning how to surf or simply want to give catching waves a go? If so, here are my five reasons why a surf camp is the perfect escape, especially for solo travelers.
1. Perfect setup to meet like-minded fellow travelers: Surf camps bring together the best of a camp-like atmosphere with a shared passion: learning to surf. You wake up early together, rattle down bumpy roads in vans to the beach, and cheer each other on as you practice catching waves. The shared lodging and schedule means you often eat meals together and coordinate social outings. If you’re nervous to strike out traveling on your own, I’d highly recommend a surf camp to dip your toe into the solo traveling experience.
2. Great mix of physical activity and relaxation: At surf camps, you’re often out surfing early in the morning and back by midday to early afternoon. Along with experiencing a full (and fun) morning of surfing, this schedule gives you plenty of time post surf to relax, hang out at the pool or beach, or explore the surrounding area.
3. It’s vacation planning made easy: Most surf camps offer packages that in addition to providing accommodation, select meals, and surf lessons, also include yoga, social activities, half day trips, and more (sometimes for an extra fee). Surf camp staff also tend to look out for you while you’re at the camp: they provide recommendations for things to do when you’re not hitting the waves and are there to help if you get sick or injured.
4. Practice makes perfect! See your surf skills improve in record time: It’s amazing what a difference even just a few days spent consistently in the surf can make. Each person’s surf journey is different, but there’s no better way to improve your skills than the consistent practice and instruction that comes with being at a surf camp.
5. Surf camps are all over the world: From Morocco to Costa Rica to the Maldives, you can cross incredible locations off your travel bucket list and have a blast while learning to catch waves at the same time.
Feeling inspired to book a surf camp? You can learn about surf camps for beginners around the world from my posts here.
