“Enjoy Sri Lanka's finest surf retreat”
8 Day Wellness Surf Camp With Yoga in Arugam Bay, Eastern Province
Sand Dune Beach Hotel, Al-Absan School Road, Arugam Bay, Pottuvil, Sri Lanka
Wellness Surf Camp With Yoga in Sri Lanka
Beginner difficulty
Breakfast included
Airport transfer included
Safa Surf Camp wants you to learn how to surf in a unique opportunity with the locals who will never fail at putting a grin on your face. They also support their community by employing and training local fishermen in surfing as their knowledge of the ocean, currents, and tides is immense. This is a beautiful starter for all of you searching for wellness and also wants to learn surfing while enjoying the beauty of Sri Lanka in style!
Meet the instructors
Lafeer
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Highlights
- 10 x 1.5 hours surf coaching and theory classes + video analysis
- 5 yoga classes
- Surfboard rentals and transportation to the surf location and back
- Transfers to different surf locations in arugam bay
- Fully accredited coaches and lifeguards
- 7 nights accommodation
- Free tea and coffee with banana before surf + free drinking water
- Daily breakfast + 2 dinner
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Styles
6 days with instruction
Airport transfer included:
Bandaranaike International Airport
Airport transfer included:
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
00:00
Check-out Time:
12:00
Facilities
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Smoke-free property
- ATM / banking
- Bicycle rental
- Board rental
- Car rental
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Meeting room
- Wireless internet
Accommodation during this surf camp is offered on a single and double basis. You will stay in a beautiful beachside cabana, fitted with your own bathroom, double bed with netting, and fan.
Program
Surf specific courses run from Saturday to Saturday each week, and with warm waters, some of the world's most consistent and uncrowded surfing waves, delicious food, stunning beaches, this is the best destination to learn to surf or improve your surfing skills.
Day 1: Arrival day
Early afternoon arrival, relax, settle in, and meet with Fawas, who will give you an introduction to the resort and the program for the week. Fawas will join you at 19:00 at the restaurant in the common surf camp table, where you will get the chance to meet the other surfers who will be joining you for your week of surfing.
Day 2
At 08:30, you'll be met by your coach who will select a board suitable for your first session. The only other things you'll need to take with you to the beach are your board shorts or bikini, your brand spanking new SAFA surf camp rash vest, and heaps of enthusiasm. You are going by tuk-tuk to take the 10 to 15-minute ride to the beach and on the way, you will have a chat about why Sri Lanka is such an ideal place to learn to surf.
At the beach, you split up into groups based on your surfing ability (if any). That way you'll be in a group with a handful of other surfers that are at the same level you are at, learning skills that are relevant to you. You will never have to wait for others to keep up or feel left behind if you need extra practice. Your coach will usually spend the first 10 to 15 minutes on the sand explaining a new skill or setting a drill and then, it's straight out into the surf in the warm Indian Ocean.
After 90 minutes at the beach, you all get into the tuk-tuk and head for home. Once everyone has had a quick shower and a refreshing drink, you sit down for a theory session in the comfort of the sea view upstairs. You often review video from the beach in between surfs. On your first day, there will probably be a discussion about the importance of stance and the mechanics of surfing.
After your theory class and a quick questions and answers session, it's normally time for lunch. In the mid-afternoon, you all head back down to the beach for another coaching session. When you get back from the beach, there's the option of an afternoon yoga class at 16:30. Your perfect day ends with a delicious banquet of fresh organic Sri Lankan cuisine and a few cold ones with the gang.
Day 3 to 4
Although the timetable can vary and change due to local tides and conditions, it's usually much nicer to get up early after your first day and head straight to the beach to surf. So after a quick banana and a coffee, you jump into the tuk-tuk and off you go.
After your 07:00 coaching session, you come back to a well-earned breakfast followed by a theory class, which will help take all the mystical voodoo out of surfing. You'll then have a bit of free time before lunch, where you can simply relax and enjoy your new luxe home away from home.
You then head back to the beach at around 14:00, which means that when you get back from the beach there's the option of taking an afternoon yoga class at 16:30. At 19:00, one of the coaches will swing by the hotel and meet all the guests for dinner a few cold beers.
Day 5
It's usually on day four of a surf trip that you wake up in the morning feeling a little worn out. You can minimize this by preparing for your trip but you still need and deserve a day of rest. Although you may just prefer to sleep in and simply relax, unwind, and enjoy the town, beach, jungle and delicious food.
Your mid-week day off from surfing also means you can take advantage the abundance of wildlife, beauty, and culture, which is amazingly diverse for somewhere so small. The crew can also help you arrange any number of tours and excursions including trips to Yala Eat National Park, day trip with local food and temples, and lagoon tour and kayaking.
Day 6
After your day off from surfing, you should be feeling refreshed and ready to hit the waves again. So you all wake up early for the weekly dawn patrol session. Getting to the beach at dawn and before anyone else is a uniquely rewarding experience that everyone needs to try at least once.
Although it can be a little tough pulling you out of bed at 06:00, everyone is always glad they did it and there's absolutely nothing like jumping in the sea for dawn surf, it's mechanically offshore in the morning and the surfs always at its best.
After a big breakfast, you normally review the morning's video, which allows people to set their own personal goals for their afternoon session. There's a bit more free time between sessions later in the week so you are able to shop, sightsee, and dinner in the evening with one of your surf coaches too.
Day 7
The last day is always the most fun and has the usual two 90-minute in-water coaching sessions, daily classroom theory. In the evening, everyone gathers for a few beers before dinner and the media team puts on a photo slideshow of the week's surfing highlights, which is always a hoot. Everyone says their goodbyes and usually swap contact details with the friends they've made during the week.
Day 8: Departure day
Guest's normally spend Saturday morning packing up and settling their room bill for things like transport, excursions, snacks, and drinks. Check-out is around 12:00, but if you don't have to leave until later in the day, you can grab a board and head to the beach if you decide you want a final surf.
Instructors
Lafeer Fawas
Fawas is the founder of SAFA Surf Camp. Growing up in Arugam Bay has meant that he has spent his whole life surfing. In 2006, he started the Arugam Bay Surf Club with a friend. They wanted to help the local surf community and to grow the reputation of their town as a great destination to surf in Sri Lanka. Throughout the next 3 years, he learned how to teach and achieved his certification from International Surfing Association (ISA) in 2009. SAFA has now been running for four years and it has changed his life. He is thrilled to be able to share his passion with you at SAFA.
Location
This surf camp takes place in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.
Baby Point
This is the point for beginners. Here, the waves get to two to three feet high with a right-hand break and shallow sandy bottom. July to November is the best time to begin your surfing here.
Elephant or Crocodile Rock
This is the place to be early morning or late evening as the sun rises and sets. It’s a great way to experience surf and be amazed. It is within walking distance from the surf retreat, so it's perfect for beginners. It also has a good length in the wave to have a bit of fun.
Lighthouse
This is a beautiful spot for those more experienced and who want to get out onto the beaten track. From Arugam, it is a 40-minute drive by tuk-tuk, it is a superb way to spend a day traveling and catching waves. On the way, you can see temples, rice paddies, and stop for a coconut. Here, the waves reach three or four feet high with a distance of 200 to 300 meters with sandy rocky bottom.
Okanda
A great remote spot for advanced surfers having the steep barrel waves and four to six feet high. It has half reef and sandy bottom with a distance of 400 to 600 meters. From Arugam, it’s a one-hour scenic drive; on the way, you can see temples, rice paddies, and lots of wildlife.
Panama Point
A half hour from the retreat, this point is for intermediate surfers. It has a sandy and reef bottom with a wave distance of 200 to 300 meters, reaching four or five feet in wave height.
Peanut Farm
This is the spot for beginner to intermediate surfers. It has a clean right-hand sandy bottom wave with a size of three or four feet high and distance of wave 200 to 350 meters. It is best from July to November.
Pottuvil Point
From August to November, this point has a very long right-hand break. You can ride this wave into shore with a generous amount of 1000 meters distance to pull some tricks and experience a barrel. This is recommended for experienced surfers, but after your week's lessons, you will be prepared enough for this excellent surf.
Secret surf spot
This point is in front of the surf camp and is only for skilled surfers. The waves are thick hollow and steep, so you must be a strong surfer. Wave distance reaches 40 to 60 meters and a height of five to six feet all year round.
Whiskey point
This point is good all year round, especially for longboarders and paddle boarders. Kite surfers are always out enjoying the windy shores too. The waves here get to three to four feet high with a distance 200 to 300 meters to ride in on.
Features
Activities
- Gym
General
- Lounge
Services
- Free Wi-Fi
- Mosquito net
Food
This package includes daily healthy breakfast and a fresh fruit smoothie every evening after surf.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
There is always something happening in Arugam Bay from a Buddhist festival to an elephant sitting. The experienced staff and instructors will make sure you are involved. All of the following activities can be arranged if not already inclusive of your package:
- A day with a local to experience the food and culture
- Beachside parties
- Camping inside a national park or beach camping
- Eco tour
- Fishing with the locals
- Lagoon tours in a kayak
- Rent a scooter to see the village
- Trips to temples with accompanied knowledge from guide
- Yala East National Park tours
What's included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 10 x 1.5 hour surf coaching sessions with internationally accredited surf coaches and beach lifeguards
- Theory classes (wet and dry)
- All surf equipment, including SAFA rash vest to keep till you leave the camp
- Surf photographs and video feedback after surf
- Transport to all surf locations
- Airport pick-up
- Daily breakfast
- 5 yoga classes after surf
- 2 free dinner
- Free filtered drinking water
- Free flow coffee and tea (dailly up to 6 p.m.)
- Use of all facilities at the camp: Wi-Fi, kitchen, chill out areas, private beach, games
What's not included
- Lunch and dinner
- Other activities
- Airport drop off
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CMB
Bandaranaike International Airport
218 km
Transfer included
HRI
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
98 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) or Hambantota Airport (HRI). Transfer from these airports is included. Safa Surf Camp will pick you up from the airport.
Airport: Bandaranaike International Airport
Airport transfer included: Bandaranaike International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
Airport transfer included: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 100% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookSurfCamps.com. All major credit cards supported.
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