Surf Goddess Retreat

A wellness surf retreat is a completely different experience from a regular surf camp. What makes a surf goddess retreat such a magical experience? The complete immersion into a week long retreat with carefully curated activities as a group and as an individual which means that you can focus and go deeper into enjoying the present moment and be carefree. A wellness surf retreat is a special time for you, a time to reconnect and recharge. Many of us lead busy lives, that are full to the brim with urgent demands and long to-do lists. Often, we can feel as though we are running on auto-pilot, just surviving rather than living a fulfilling life. Sometimes a regular surf holiday doesn’t leave us feeling refreshed and rested, especially if we over-indulged as a way to relax, or we had to attend to other’s needs at the expense of our own, or because we’re so wound up or burnt out that we have forgotten how to relax. On a Surf Goddess Retreat, we take care of everything for you. We have spent 20 years perfecting the balance of ingredients that go into making a journey that awakens the body, mind and spirit.

Surfing is a high intensity physical sport. It is recommended that you know how to swim confidently, be fully mobile and free from any significant injury or serious illness when learning to surf.

The island of Bali is on the equator, so the ocean is always tropical and warm. Also, because Bali is a relatively small island with hundreds of surf spots on both coasts, we have access to great breaks on both sides of the island. This is why Bali is one of the world’s most famous surf destinations and the surf is amazing all year around

Transportation for all surfing activities Modern surfing equipment – Soft Top Surfboards (9, 8 & 7 ft.), all with leg ropes Rash shirts, surf shorts, surf helmets, and towels Showering and changing facilities Personal lockers Waterproof sunscreen and zinc Instructors are accredited to Australian and international standards. Sealed drinking water during the entire surf session

On your surf retreat we will go on ‘Surfari’, which means we will go to a variety of breaks to suit your surf experience level. They vary from beach breaks to reef breaks, including boat trips to our secret surf spot where you will be able to catch green waves. We tend to surf at a ‘Surfari’ break for 2–3 days in a row, so we can go through the process of learning how to navigate that particular spot and then focus on particular surf skills at the break. All the breaks we surf at are chosen because they are level-appropriate so that our guests can get the most out of their surfing in a challenging yet safe surfing environment.

Yes, our surf coaches, surf guides, and retreat surf leaders have all been trained here in Bali by the internationally recognized “Australian Academy of Surfing Instruction” and are very experienced surfers who have been either born in Bali or have been surfing in Bali for 20+ years and are intimately familiar with the surf and breaks here.

Soft Top boards are designed especially for people who are learning to surf. They are safer and much easier to improve on than the hard boards. First of all Soft Top boards are generally ‘softer’ so when you get hit by the board (which is often the case when learning to surf) it does a lot less damage than the hard boards. For your safety and others it is always advisable to use a ‘soft’ board until you have mastered how to control your board in the water so it doesn’t get away from you and hit someone else… or bounce back and hit you! Also fiberglass / epoxy boards are more delicate in structure (even though they are harder) than soft top boards, so they also can break easily if they come in contact with other boards, hard surfaces such as the pavement and other people. So again it is better for inexperienced surfers to use soft boards until they know how to properly handle a surfboard without causing damage to themselves, the board and other people. Soft Top boards also have an all over grip surface which prevents slipping and sliding. Fiberglass /epoxy boards require wax and the areas that aren’t waxed are very slippery. Experienced surfers know how to stay on the part that is waxed and handle the parts that aren’t. It is a skill that takes a little time to master, just like everything with surfing.

We typically spend around 2 hours per day surfing during our surf lessons and ‘surfaris’, either in the morning or afternoon depending on the best tides for the surf break. You have open access to equipment and the waves to surf any other time in the day, but we advise you to pace yourself over the week. Surfing is a physically demanding sport and it is better to surf consistently over the week learning and improving each day, while also giving your body time to rest and absorb the new skills, than to surf all day the first few days and then burn out by the end of the week. We also have a rest day in the middle of the week to allow the body to spring back refreshed for the second half of the surf lessons.

During the surf sessions you will receive both group tuition as you learn a new skill, combined with times when you will get one-on-one attention in the water where a surf coach will give you specific feedback on your surfing as you practice that skill such as what your body position is like, where your eyes are at, helping you with your take off and other areas. We have found that some of our guests like lots of one-on-one coaching feedback, while others prefer to ‘do their own thing’. It makes it easier for us to know what you personally prefer if you tell us directly. Please just communicate with your surf leader and instructors how much attention you prefer. Feel free to ask for additional feedback at any time during or after the lesson or let us know if you would prefer to be more independent from continual feedback.

A big part of being a surfer is learning to go with the flow and accepting that Mother Nature is in control and we are not. In general, we surf rain or shine, big or small, smooth or bumpy; unless conditions are thought to be too hazardous (which is very rare) and then lessons are cancelled for that day.

You won’t need much as we supply almost everything you need, but while at the beach you may want to bring a sarong, a little bit of money, sunglasses, hat, and something to put on after surfing – surf clothes, sunscreen & towels are provided by us.

To attend our retreats, you must have travel insurance. With most agencies, insurance must be purchased within 7 days of making your reservation. Please make sure that your insurance policy covers all of the sporting activities (surfing) you plan to do on your Bali retreat package. This is the most important need for insurance because requiring any medical assistance overseas is costly. Also , depending on the policy and conditions, travel cancellation insurance will pay for some, or all, of the cancellation fees, should the need arise.