“Empty lineups. Untamed nature. Adventure.”
5% off
8 Day Surf Camp and Surfari in Swakopmund for All Levels
Salty Jackal Surf Camp, 37 Anton Lubowski Ave, Swakopmund, Namibia
Salty Jackal Surf Camps in Namibia
All difficulty levels
Instruction in English
Maximum 8 participants
Breakfast included
Airport transfer available
Join Salty Jackal Backpackers & Surf Camp for an eight-day program, including surfing, accommodation, exclusive activities, and other perks. Surf Camps are hosted every Friday for beginners, intermediates, and advanced surfers according to the wave conditions of that particular surf season. Surfaris to more distant surf spots in Namibia are offered on request according to the group's available dates and lodging preferences.
Meet the instructors
Oliver
Read more
Read more
Highlights
- All surf equipment included
- 2 hours daily surf lesson for 5 days
- Surf transport and ISA qualified surf coach / guide
- Beautiful garden with lawns and edible plants & herbs for delicious, healthy cooking
- Access to fitness equipment, table tennis, slackline, and balance board
- Hammocks and a comfy lounge with board games and books
- Booking service for activities and safaris
- 7 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
5 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Afrikaans, German, Italian
Group size: Maximum of 8 participants
Airport transfer available:
Walvis Bay Airport (US$ 14 per person)
Walvis Bay Airport (US$ 14 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
13:00
Check-out Time:
10:00
Facilities
- Gym
- Hot spring
- Table tennis
- Barbeque facilities
- Café
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Honesty bar
- Kitchen
- Lobby
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Multilingual staff
- Picnic area
- Terrace
- Bicycle rental
- Board rental
- Free bicycle
- Free Wi-Fi
- Library
- Parking lot
- Tour assistance
Centrally located to easily explore Swakopmund and go surfing. Salty Jackal surf house boasts a laid-back, personal atmosphere where you mingle with fellow guests, sharing stories and good times.
The surf house sleeps 14 guests: 6 in the dorm, the rest in four private rooms. Each room has a unique look and style.
The surf house has many systems in place to make our operations as eco-friendly as possible including energy efficiency measures, compost and recycling systems, even biogas to cook on! Salty Jackal also wishes to support the local community and therefore supports the development surfing NGO “Namib Sustainable Waves” and it can be arranged on request that surf camp participants join the NGO's events with the kids like surf lessons, beach cleanups, and educational outings.
The friendly staff and volunteers will gladly advise you on anything you need and Salty Jackal offers a service to book activities, airport transfers, and safaris.
Facilities
- Storage for surf equipment
- Self-catering: fully equipped kitchen and sign up dinners
- Outdoor barbecue facilities
- Dining area
- Table tennis, slackline, and mini gym
- Veggie garden
- Honesty bar
- Yoga in the desert
- Free fiber optic Wi-Fi
- Free bicycles
- Walking distance to beach, dunes, supermarkets, restaurants, pubs, laundry, surf shop
Program
Salty Jackal is the only surf house in Namibia specializing in surfing. Namibia has consistent waves suitable for all skill levels most of the year. The best months with bigger winter swells are May-August.
Salty Jackal offers surf lessons, guiding, and surf camps for beginners and intermediates and for those that already rip, Salty Jackal has insight into the local spots and conditions and will guide you to some epic waves, whether it's a day trip up the coast or a 14-day Surfari (surf and safari around Namibia) - that's what Salty Jackal does.
Surf camp program
The surf camps are run over 7 nights and 8 days. During your stay, you'll get at least 5 surf days with 1 or 2 sessions in our area on each surf day or full-day trips to spots further away from Swakopmund. And if the conditions allow, you'll surf even more! Usually, you surf in the mornings due to the best wind conditions, which leaves the afternoon for chilling, activities, exploring the town and nature, and nightlife.
- Day 0: Arrival, town tour & welcome dinner.
- Day 1-6: Surf 1 or 2 times per day, rest is free time
- Day 7: Surf in the morning, departure
Surf camp in Namibia. What to expect?
Empty lineups. Quality waves. Untamed nature. Adventure.
This is surfing in Namibia. Venture into the wilderness to find wild animals, spectacular landscapes, Namibia's many indigenous cultures and an unforgettable adventure.
Namibia is sometimes referred to as “Africa for beginners”. Especially in the cities, it feels more western than one might have imagined. Good infrastructure, low crime, easy communication in English and German, food and drinks with European influence, supermarkets with familiar items, and most other comforts and necessities like good coffee, yummy bakeries, fast internet, pharmacies, and modern hospitals.
Surfari
Salty Jackal recommends combining this surf camp in Swakopmund with a “typical” trip to Namibia, which is usually a 2-3 week guided tour or self-drive safari to see the vast, beautiful country, its people, and the spectacular wildlife - Deadvlei, Etosha National Park, and the Fish River Canyon are just a few of the highlights.
And no - Namibia is not sharky and is not very cold. A good 4/3mm wetsuit is all you need.
Surf camps are hosted at the Salty Jackal house which is an eco-friendly, laid-back hostel sleeping 14 guests and is all about cooking good food & "cooking good surf"! Your hosts Olli and Iris speak English, German, Italian, Afrikaans (Dutch), and even Albanian.
The experience
Are you tired of surfing in crowded lineups making it hard to catch enough waves to improve your surfing? Or are you chasing the longest barrel in the world, the world-famous Skeleton Bay, which lies only one hour from the surf camp?
Either way, you have come to a country offering fantastic waves - high quality, consistent and uncrowded spots for all levels. In many surf sessions it is only your group in the water, sometimes joined by a handful of local surfers. In Namibia surf spots rarely have more than 10 local surfers out - 20 is already a crowd for us. This means more waves for you!
A typical day
A typical day at the surf camp: breakfast and a morning surf session followed by a world-class coffee in one of the town's cafes to unwind and share stories of the surf. After lunch, you spend the afternoon relaxing, exploring nearby sights and attractions, or getting adventurous with some adrenaline-packed activities.
The evening leaves time for a sundowner in the sand dunes or a cold drink by the ocean. Dinners are often spent together around a BBQ fire, in a beer garden with live music, or at a delicious wine bar and pizzeria. On prime surf days, you’ll do two sessions or spend the whole day at one of the far-away point breaks in the wilderness - surrounded by shipwrecks, jackals, and seals, usually dolphins, and sometimes even whales and penguins!
Surf seasons in Namibia
Summer months November-April are ideal for beginner-intermediate surfers - for complete beginners you'll learn in a fun, step-by-step way how to surf according to ISA guidelines and in safe beginner conditions.
May-October is great for intermediate to advanced surfers - here the focus is on surfing many different spots and conditions to push your surfing.
With over 20+ spots to choose from in the area, Salty Jackal will drive you to suitable spots according to your surf level. We believe that a week spent surfing in Namibia will expand your surfing comfort zone and make for some unforgettable sessions. In every surf, whether a beginner lesson in the whitewash or a barrel riding session at Skeleton Bay, the coaches, experienced surfers with ISA qualifications, will be helping you improve and make sure you are safe and having fun.
Surf photography and video analysis can be booked at additional cost and are charged per group per session.
For those who want to experience more of Namibia’s waves, Salty Jackal also offers a 3-day Skeleton Coast Surfari on request - a surf trip to the Skeleton Coast Park, either camping or lodging to suit your budget and preferences.
What about Skeleton Bay?
Salty Jackal knows if and when it's on and will get you there. We offer Strike mission when the Donkey time comes.
Swakopmund area
Apart from surfing, Swakopmund is great to hang out in. There is a huge variety of things to see and do, from adrenaline activities like skydiving, quad biking, and sandboarding in the dunes, to cultural tours, desert wildlife tours, dolphin cruises, fishing, and many more. Salty Jackal as your hosts also take you into the Namib desert for a spectacular sundowner or a BBQ under the stars for star photography.
Yoga classes are available at Salty Jackal - join their regular classes of Vinyasa Power or book private classes. Rock climbing, paragliding, and kitesurfing are also possible nearby.
Nature and waves are outside of our control, but Salty Jackal can almost 100% guarantee:
- Uncrowded, often empty waves
- Surfing with seals, dolphins, and amazing birdlife
- Minimum 5 surf sessions in your 7 days with Salty Jackal, but if conditions allow 2 sessions per day for 7 days is totally possible!
- Besides the surfing, Salty Jackal trusts you'll have an unforgettable trip to beautiful Namibia with its vast, beautiful landscapes, raw wildlife, and amazing people.
What's my surfing level?
- First timer: Never surfed before.
- Beginner: Some past surfing experience or attended surf lessons before, has stood up on whitewater / small green waves on large board.
- Intermediate: Able to catch unbroken waves, trim sideways, duck dive, and paddle to backline in some conditions. Waves up to 4 feet (2 meters). Medium to high fitness. Hardboard with volume 35-80L. Familiar with lineup etiquette and has probably tried not only beach breaks.
- Advanced: Surfs any spot type, waves up to 6 feet or greater (3 meters+). High level of fitness. Board matched to surfer's body and surf style.
Included excursions
- Swakopmund city tour on arrival
- Sundowner or stargazing in the dunes
- In-house outdoor activities included
Instructors
Oliver Pieters
1 Certificate
Show
Oliver is an ISA-qualified surf instructor. He's passionate about the ocean and the environment. He speaks English, German, Dutch and Afrikaans.
Location
This surf camp is located in Swakopmund, a picturesque town between the Namib desert and the Atlantic Ocean. Nature is on its doorstep - a walk along the beach or into the dunes is literally around the corner.
The town is small and safe, so it’s possible to get around on foot or by bicycle very easily, even at night. Various supermarkets are 5-15 minutes' walk away. Swakopmund also has dozens of great restaurants, beer gardens with live music, bars with karaoke, and fantastic coffee from two local roasteries as well as bakeries, small art galleries, museums, and (covid regulations permitting) fun nightlife! A beer in a bar costs 1 to 2 EUR and a restaurant meal 5 to 15 EUR.
Surf spots
There are surf spots within the town, some of which are walking / cycling distance away. Other spots in untamed nature outside of town are accessible by 4x4 vehicle only. Spots include beach breaks, reef breaks, point breaks, slabs, and of course the miracle barrel of the surfing world - the 2km long sandspit of Skeleton Bay. The guides have lived and surfed here long enough to know when to take you where.
A practical guide
To some visitors' surprise, the town has a very German look and feel to it, and German is widely spoken here as Namibia was once a German colony. Now it is a stable, democratic republic with an economy relying on mining, fishing, and tourism. The currency used is the Namibian Dollar (NAD) and the exchange rate to the Euro is approximately 1 Euro equal 17-20 NAD.
Swakopmund is Namibia's favorite holiday town where the desert meets the Atlantic Ocean. Namibia is known for its breathtaking natural scenery ranging from the Namib Desert (the oldest desert in the world) to wildlife-filled savanna to the forest near the Okavango River. Being one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, there are vast open landscapes and one can sometimes drive for hours without seeing another human being.
Distances
Main attractions:
- Moon landscape, 45 kilometers
- Skeleton Bay, 65 kilometers
- Sandwich Harbour, 85 kilometers
- Cape Cross, 130 kilometers
Surf spots:
- Thicklip, 1.5 kilometers
- Wreck, 2 kilometers
- Pebble Beach, 7 kilometers
Food
The package includes a daily breakfast. Lunch and dinner are not provided by the surf house as there are so many good and affordable options in the area to eat and drink - just ask the staff for recommendations for seafood, traditional Namibian, German cuisine, real Italian food, Indian etc.
The surf house also has a fully equipped self-catering kitchen and BBQ area where guests all gather around a fire sharing stories from the waves. The staff can cook amazing “sign-up dinners” for a small fee for those that want to join. On other days, guests end up all going for a fun night drinks and food together or barbecue under the stars.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
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)
- Etosha safari
- Soussvlei safari
- Yoga
- Stand Up Paddle
- Skating
- Kite surfing
- Windsurfing
- Sailing
- Horse riding
- Paragliding
- Sky diving
- Paintball
- Climbing
- Trekking
- Biking
- Sandboarding
- Quadbiking
- Wildlife safari
- Dolphin watching
- Camel riding
- Massage
- Boat trips
- Cultural tours
- Gastronomic tours
- Go karting
- Aqua Park
- Golf
- Wine tasting
- Gin tasting
What's included
- 7 nights accommodation in surf house
- Surf transport & ISA qualified surf coach/guide: at least 5 surf days and 7 days of 2 sessions each if conditions allow
- Video analysis of the surf sessions
- Surfboard and wetsuit use (only pay if you break it)
- Surf wax and sunblock
- Breakfast, seasonal fruit, coffee and tea, drinking water
- City tour and welcome dinner at arrival
- Picnic lunch on full-day surf days
- Unlimited fast Wi-Fi
- Fitness equipment, table tennis, slackline, balance board
- Bicycle use (4 bicycles available)
- Kitchen, BBQ, food garden, chill areas, hammocks
- Desert sundowner and/or stargazing trip
- Organic cotton utility bag
- Booking service for activities, safaris, and airport transfer
- Insurance when driving and surfing with Salty Jackal
What's not included
- Drinks from the honesty bar
- Lunch & dinner (except where otherwise stated)
- Transport between airport and surf house (daily affordable transfers available)
- Damages to surf equipment due to negligence (ding repair costs will be charged)
- Yoga classes (available on request at additional cost)
- Surf photography and video analysis - charged per group per session
- 3 days Etosha safari (available on request at additional cost)
- 3 days Sossusvlei safari (available on request at additional cost)
- 3 day Skeleton Coast Surfari (surf trip to add on after the surf camp finishes)
How to get there
Recommended Airports
WVB
Walvis Bay Airport
35 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 14 per person
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Walvis Bay Airport (WVB). Getting to Salty Jackal surf house is easy. There are direct flights from Frankfurt to Windhoek with Lufthansa group as well as flights via Ethiopia, Qatar and South Africa. You have the choice to fly either to Namibia's capital Windhoek and catch a daily door-to-door transfer bus (4 hour trip costing approximately NAD 300) to the town of Swakopmund at the coast, or you can fly to Walvis Bay, which is only 40 kilometers from the surf camp and get an airport shuttle to the doorstep.
Arrival by shuttle
Shuttle bus companies (Welwitschia, McClune's, Carlo's) will take you door to door from the airports (Windhoek, Walvis Bay) or any accommodation in Windhoek / Walvis Bay to the doorstep at a reasonable price. Send an inquiry to Salty Jackal for more information.
Arrival by bus
Intercape Mainliner Bus travels three to five times weekly between Windhoek and Swakopmund (bus stop is five minutes away from Salty Jackal surf house). Book your tickets online at the Intercape website.
Driving directions from Walvis Bay Airport
- From Walvis Bay airport follow signs to Swakopmund.
- As you enter Swakopmund, Salty Jackal surf house is two blocks in on the right corner (45 kilometers / 35 minutes).
Airport: Walvis Bay Airport
Airport transfer available:
Walvis Bay Airport (US$ 14 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
5
Early bird Discount
This listing has a early bird discount of 5% if you book 60 days before the selected arrival date.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookSurfCamps.com. All major credit cards supported.
85864
Similar Surf Camps you might like
Why choose BookSurfCamps.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price