8 Day Surf Camp for Levels 1, 2, and 3 Surfers in Ahangama, Southern Province

Facilities

You can choose which level suits you best based on the below descriptions of each level:

LEVEL 1

• Learn the basics of surfing
• Be able to catch white water waves on a regular basis
• Become comfortable in the white water waves

Who is level 1 for?

This course is for you that have never surfed before, or that haven’t surfed in a while and want to go through the basics one more time. Lapoint Camps will give you a fun and encouraging introduction to surfing, and share the stoke when you catch your very first waves. In groups of six surfers per instructor, they’ll make sure that you develop your skills in line with your level and that you’ll catch as many waves possible. It’s all about having fun together with the other surfers.

What kind of waves will you be surfing?

You’ll be surfing easy waves on surrounding sand beaches and easy reef breaks where you’ll have a safe and comfortable experience when you explore the waves for the first time. The instructors will pick the best part of the beach where you will be able to catch the most white water wash and broken waves and have as much fun as possible.

Theory included

• History of surfing - You will learn where and when it all started, the type of boards; short to very long ones and how they have developed over the years.
• Ocean awareness - The types of rips, waves, weather, conditions, tides and how they work, places to surf, different types of waves; beach, point, and reef breaks. You’ll go through how waves form in the ocean, the surf spots in the area of the camp, and inform about the ones that are best suited for beginners.
• Surfing terms - Learn the language of surfing; speed, trimming, pop up, crowd, and more.
• Surf safety and etiquette - You’ll go through how to behave in the water, how to handle the board in and outside the water, how to handle the crowd of other surfers, how to fall after you have surfed a wave, and where in the water you should be as a beginner.
• Surf equipment - An introduction of all surf gear; type of boards, fins, leash, wetsuit, reef boots, wax, etc. You’ll also go through the different part of the board; nose, tail, up, down, etc.
• Board control - How to position yourself on the board, paddling, handling, and sit on the board. How to handle the board in order not to hurt yourself or anyone else around you.
• Take-off - Learn how to do the perfect pop-up, and get up on your board. You’ll also learn when to do the pop-up so you surf on top of the wave and don’t sink through.
• Surfing the whitewater - Start with belly rides to understand when the whitewater has the most power, and move over to standing up on your board.
• Individual feedback - The teacher will see the things you need to improve, and help you so you’ll achieve the goals of the course and avoid the usual mistakes beginners do.

LEVEL 2

• You’re catching white water waves on a regular basis
• Get out to the lineup and surf green waves
• Learn how to go right and left on a wave

Who is level 2 for?

This level is designed for those of you that have passed the level 1 or can catch and ride a whitewater wave on your own. Level 2 will focus on getting to the outside (lineup) in waist high waves. Lapoint Camps will teach you to catch green waves and ride the face of the wave instead of going straight in the white water.

What kind of waves will you be surfing?

You’ll be targeting waist high green waves, and catch them just when they’re about to break. Every day, your instructor will take you to the surf spot that is best suited to catch as many green waves as possible.

Note about equipment

The instructors will not give out equipment to the guests before their first surf lesson, so they have the right equipment for their level.

Theory included

• The lineup - In this course, you will enter a new area of the water called the lineup. In this region of the ocean, all type of surfers except the beginners hang out. There are many written and unwritten rules to follow when you’re entering this region.
• Surf safety, surf etiquette, and priority rules - How to behave in the water, how to handle the crowd, how to position yourself in the lineup, how to know when it’s your turn to catch a wave, how to know where to position yourself when you take off on a wave, how to fall after you have surfed a wave, how and where to paddle back out to not be in the way or in the danger of hurting yourself or other surfers.
• Ocean awareness - In this course, you will no longer just be on the inside / sand bank where it`s possible to stand and hold your board, you will now be on the outside where it’s deeper and not possible to stand on the bottom. Therefore, it’s very important to know all the factors in the ocean; how the rips are running, how the tides are working, the waves, weather and conditions. You will refresh on all the aspects on the ocean, so you eventually can be on your own surfing different type of breaks. You’ll also get some info about some spots near the camp, where you can practice in between the surf lessons.
• Spot guiding - If you're taking the level 2 course, you know by now that it’s not just to grab a board and jump in and surf. The local surf teacher will throughout the week take you to the best spot quality waves for this level 2 course. This means that you’ll get all the knowledge of what spots work best on different tides, swell directions and wind directions, so you can use your time not finding spots, but surfing the best ones at the correct time.
• Individual coaching - The coach will see these things you need to improve on and tell you what to do differently in order to take your surfing to the next level.
• Surf equipment - There are many types of boards for different types of waves and levels of the surfer. You are in the zone where you might be ready to start looking at other boards than just the beginner longboard. The next step in line is the mini malibu – a short version of the longboard, you’ll be able to try this type of board during this week.
• Surf up to waist high green waves - The goal for this course is to be able to catch waves on your own, stand up, and surf down the line on up to waist high waves both to both the left and right.
• Surfing terms - Learn the language of surfing; face, down the line, speed, trimming, lefts/ rights, crowd, etc.
• Board control in the lineup - Refresh how to position yourself on the board and how to paddle, handle, and sit on the board – this has to be perfect when entering the lineup.
• Passing through the waves techniques - Turtle roll and duck dive.
• Take-off - Refresh the pop-up so this is perfect for catching a green wave, this has to be 100 percent perfect for you to be able to make it. The take-off is crucial when catching a green wave; it has to be done just after you feel that you are going down the face of the wave and before you reach the bottom.

LEVEL 3

• Improve your spot analysis and wave reading skills
• Develop surfing technique and confidence with video coaching
• Boost water safety
• Get comfortable surfing independently

Who is level 3 for?

This level is designed for those of you that have passed the level 2 course or can catch waist high green waves on your own and surf frontside and backside. You’re not yet confident in head high waves on your own but you’ll surf easy reefs, point, and beach breaks with all the knowledge you need to feel confident to surf most breaks, focusing on entry and exit from the break, surf etiquette and which peak is the best for your level of surfing. This course has a max limit of six surfers per week.

What kind of waves will you be surfing?

During this course, you’ll learn to be comfortable in a bit overhead conditions, and Lapoint Camps will always be looking for the waves where you can have the best progress and most fun. Your instructor will take you to the best suited spot in the area each day, that being reef, point, and beach breaks.

Theory included

• The lineup - In this course, you become more confident in the lineup. There are many factors to think about in the lineup, let alone being able to catch a wave. You’ll go through what you’ll need to learn to be able to have a better time when you’re out in the lineup, so you’ll catch loads of waves and have a great time yourself and with the other surfers around you.
• Surf safety, surf etiquette, and priority rules - By now, you know how important it is to read the ocean before jumping in and to follow the written and unwritten rules of surfing. It’s now crucial to always know where to enter the surf spot so you don’t get hurt, where does the rips run (knowing this is everything), how to do a good duck dive, where to paddle out in the lineup so no one runs you over because you are in the way, and know when it’s your turn to catch a wave. These are just a few things you will go through in this course. By knowing this, you won’t hurt anyone else or yourself, you will be much more confident and catch plenty more waves.
• Ocean awareness - You now know how important it’s knowing the factors of the ocean, how the rips are running, how the tides are working, the waves, weather, and conditions. Lapoint Camps will refresh all this and give you a lesson on how to read the different types of swell charts of the spots you’re surfing on this course. This will teach you to know when to surf different type of spots to what time – both around the camp, but also on your home location if you want any help with this.
• Spot guiding - Again, by now you know it’s not just to grab a board and jump in the water and surf. You need to do a lot of preparations checking the swell charts, going to different spots, and see how they behave. Swell charts are good, but they are not always spot on with their forecast. That’s why you always have to check the spot before you jump in, a good thing is to check how surfers that are already out there manage the conditions – do they catch a lot of waves? Is the current strong so it’s hard to be on the take off spot? All this is key information knowing before you get out there and Lapoint Camps will take you through all this in this course.
• Individual coaching - The coach will mostly be in the water to help and guide you to make the right choices. The coach will see to that all of you in the group gets all the knowledge you need. She / he has to be 100 percent sure that you as a guest have understood and learned all the things that you go through on this course.
• Surf equipment - There are many types of boards for different types of waves and levels of a surfer. You’ll get individual info on regarding what type and size of board you should use on different type of waves. Some waves are soft and you might need something wider and with a lot of volume, others are more steep and powerful and you might need more rocker but still with good volume under the chest to get easy into the waves. Lapoint Camps have a variety of boards at the camps, so you can test different equipment to find what you should be using.
• Get comfortable in up to head high waves on your own - The goal for this course is for you to be able to get secure and comfortable on your own in head high surf on different type of breaks; from reef, point or beach breaks. Lapoint Camps will also help you with the basic technique on bottom turn, trimming, manoeuvres, duck dive, and more.
• Surfing terms - The language of surfing; face, down the line, speed, bottom turn, trimming, pocket / power source, lefts / rights, crowd, cut backs, etc.
• Board control in the lineup - Lapoint Camps will polish on your paddle technique, how you move in a lineup, and how you sit and swing around when a set comes. All this is key to catch a lot of waves in the lineup, especially when it’s you and 30 other surfers out there.
• The duck dive - This needs to be good so you don’t lose a lot of energy on extra paddling. You’ll get a few tips on how to do the duck dive as good as possible.
• Take-off technique - If this is not 100 percent correct, you might lose that perfect right hander that you see rolling away in front of you because you were a bit slow and had the wrong weight on the heels when jumping on the board. The same goes for the timing: you need to be in the perfect spot and pop up in the perfect moment in order to set up the wave. If you’re too far in, you might get the lip in the back, and unless you are a really good surfer, you’re not gonna be able to get back to the open face. Maybe you’re too far out and you end up not catching the wave. You will work on all these aspects on this course.
• Video analysis - Lapoint Camps will film at least one session, so you get some visual feedback. The camera doesn’t lie, and is one of the best tools to become a better surfer.

A typical day

A normal day usually starts off with an epic breakfast at the camp, and then either down to the local beach break or a short drive to a better breaking wave where you’ll do a run-through of the day, warm up, and head out in the surf. After two hours in the water, it’s time for lunch, chill at the beach, pool time, or maybe a trip into town. Lapoint Camps will arrange dinner after sunset, and maybe the surf knocked you out so good that a film is what you want to spend the evening with, or maybe you want a drink or two – it’s totally up to you.

Itinerary

The following is an example of what a regular week at the Sri Lanka surf camp can look like.

Day 1: Monday

• Arrival day
• Unpack, settle in, and unwind
• Welcome meeting: Get to know each other and have fun with a music quiz

Day 2: Tuesday

• 06:00 - 08.00 Surf lesson Level 1 - 3
• 08:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
• 14:00 - 15:00 Sri Lankan tea party
• 17:30 Surf theory presentation at the camp

Day 3: Wednesday

• 06:00 - 08.00 Surf lesson Level 1 - 3
• 08:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
• 19:00 Dinner out at local restaurant (paid separately)
• Optional: Party at Cheeky Monkies and pre-drinks at Mojo's

Day 4: Thursday

• 06:00 - 08.00 Surf lesson Level 1 - 3
• 08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast
• 16:00 - 17:00 Beach clean-up
• Optional: Karaoke at Mauvies in Ahangama

Day 5: Friday

• 08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast
• All day - Day trips to Udawalawe National Park or Singaraja Rainforest
• 20:00 Movie night at the camp

Day 6: Saturday

• 06:00 - 08.00 Surf lesson Level 1 - 3
• 08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast
• 19:00 Dinner out at local restaurant (paid separately)

Day 7: Sunday

• 06:00 - 08.00 Surf lesson Level 1 - 3
• 08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast
• 16:00 - 17:30 Volleyball tournament
• 18:00 Payment of add-on meals, activities, and local services

Day 8: Monday (departure day)

• 08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast
• 10:00 Check out

Times and content are subject to change without prior notification according to weather, waves, and other factors.

Sri Lanka, located east of India's southern tip, is a tropical island with world-class surf. In addition to the surf and the nice atmosphere at the camp, the surroundings are fantastic with lots of wildlife and beautiful nature.

It offers some of the most learner-friendly waves on the planet. Located near India and the Maldives, you’ll find beautiful nature, a unique vibe, and excellent conditions for surfers of all levels, whether you want to learn to surf or take your surfing to the next level.

If you are looking for a bigger range of restaurants and nightlife, Mirissa is only a 20 minutes ride away, and has something for most people. You usually go there when you are looking for some night-time adventures.

Surf spot for lessons

Usually, the different lessons goes to these spots:

• Level 1 - Kabalana and Weligama
• Level 2 - Rajith's reef, Weligama, and South Beach
• Level 3 - Rajith's reef, Weligama, and South Beach

Nearby beginner spot

During high season, the best beginner surf spot is right in front of the Beach Villa. It is a really nice white sand beach called Kabalana beach. It's very safe and it offers amazing long white water rides.

The best intermediate surf spot is South Beach, this is where you have the level 2 lessons most of the time during high season. It is three-minutes away by a tuk tuk or a scooter riding towards Unawatuna. It is a very safe and fun reef break with an easy and slow take off, giving you a very long and mellow right hander.

During low season, the best beginner spot is in Weligama, a 20 minutes' drive towards the south-east. It is a big fishermen town with very nice beginner conditions. It is a long and safe sand beach right in front of the town which offers you amazing white water rides to learn the basics.

Nearby advanced spot

During high season, Rajith's Place is an amazing reef break for intermediate and advanced surfers depending on the current conditions, where it offers different level peaks along the spot. It is located right in front of Rajith's shack and the famous fishing sticks.

You can get there with a two-minute ride using a tuk-tuk or a scooter from Garden Villa, or by a five-minute walk from Beach Villa. It is a really nice mellow a-frame with long and fun rides. The right hander in front of the fishing sticks is one of the most consistent and fun ones.

The Rock is an amazing reef break in Kabalana beach (Ahangama) for advanced surfers. You can get there with just a three-minute walk from Beach Villa through the beach and a few seconds' walk crossing the road from Garden Villa. It is the most consistent wave (both rights and lefts) in Sri Lanka during high season.

Another great wave for advanced surfers is Rams. It's a very exciting and challenging reef break wave in Midigama (10-minute ride by tuktuk or scooter from Garden Villa towards the south). The take off is very fast and the wave is short but very powerful so you really have to set a high line from the beginning and trim fast to past the section. Go get barreled!

In the low season, Sri Lanka still offers you a lot of consistent, fun waves and big size depending on where you surf. With a one-hour drive from the camp towards the south-east near Hiriketiya, you can find amazing high class secret spots with good conditions for intermediate and advanced surfers that during the high season do not work.

The Island is a amazing beach break for intermediate surfers, located in Weligama (20-minute drive from the camp towards the south-east). It offers really nice left hander.

Fishermen point's is a great reef break for advanced surfers placed in the very beginning of Weligama town, before the island. This right-hander gives you the opportunity to make at least three or four turns in the same wave and if you are lucky and the tide is low with big conditions, you could get barreled on the second section.

To get to the wave, you have to paddle for 15 minutes crossing the boat's way that are coming back from their fishing day (it is important to be aware of this and make sure you are seen by them).

Kesba Point is an amazing long left-hander. The wave does not work too often, but when it does it's high class waves where you can set six or seven turns. This is a secret spot found and named Kesba Point by Lapoint Camps (Kesba means turtle in sinhala, the Sri Lankan language). The reason why they named it Kesba is because if you have a look while waiting for the set, you could see more than three or four turtles per session.

Distances

• Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) - 3 hours
• Colombo - 3 hours
• Mirissa - 20 minutes
• Yala National Park - 2 hours

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The breakfast, which is included in all packages, consists of a delicious menu of local flavors and guest favorites such as cereal, eggs, and freshly baked bread served with jams, yoghurt, and fresh fruit.

A tasty range of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes are available for lunch and dinner, all prepared fresh on-site by Lapoint Camps' very own chefs. Naturally, they will happily cater to any dietary requirements you may have.

The food is inspired by southern Indian cuisine and is served with rice and curry in different variations. Fresh fish and seafood is a common element in many meals. The staff makes breakfasts every day and dinners five days a week. This is included in all the packages.

They can also arrange lunches if you don't feel like leaving the camp after a long surf session. They also serve a range of snack options throughout the day.

There are some great coffee spot in Unawatuna which is about 20 minutes away in a tuk tuk. Beers at either Happy Banana or Wijaya Pizza Restaurant are good. Wijaya is also a great spot for lunch as is Poonies Cafe in Galle Fort.

Join in for some yoga and beach volleyball at the camp, or go check out the safari in the magnificent Udawalawe National Park or Singaraja Rainforest.

For other suggestions, please ask the staff and they'll happily assist you. If you want to see wild elephants or maybe even leopards, you can visit Yala National Park located about two hours from the camp.

• 7 nights accommodation
• 6 days of equipment (after first surf lesson)
• Surf lessons (5 lessons of 2 hours each)
• 7 breakfasts
• 5 dinners

• Airport transfers
• Flights

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.