Exotic sunny surf camps are a great way to get back in touch with yourself. In this day and age, it can be easy to lose touch with who we are amidst the fast-paced information overload era.
The calming presence of the ocean and the tranquillity the surfing lifestyle brings you is unique. Surf camps are a great way to challenge yourself in new ways.
Maybe you want to learn to surf, maybe you want a break from your usual routine and to have new experiences. Maybe you want to meet new like-minded people.
If you are looking to get away from your everyday life, where all the days start to blend into one, and you start to question your very existence, then booking a surf camp may be the way to get that new lease of life you’re searching for.
In this article we are going to explore some of the best surf camps in Australia, whether you are a beginner or an experienced surfer, these camps all offer something special and unforgettable.
Australia is a big place, different parts of the country offer very different things in terms of climate, culture and waves.
Before looking into specific surf camps it’s wise to figure out which part of Australia you want to go to. And if you don’t know then hopefully this article can help point you in the right direction.
One of the most famous and surf-friendly areas in Australia is the Gold Coast. This could be a good starting point for you.
The Gold Coast offers beautiful waves for all abilities, warm sunny weather, friendly open-minded people and great food to name a few!
Soul Surf School – Byron Bay NSW
Best Overall
Byron Bay is a coastal town in the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales. It’s a popular holiday & surf destination, best known for its beautiful beaches, extensive surfing and gorgeous scuba diving.
Cape Byron State Conservation Park is on a headland with a lighthouse. Between June and November, humpback whales can be spotted from headland viewpoints such as the Captain Cook Lookout.
Soul Surf School is one of the top contenders for the best surf camps in Australia. Providing classes and a variety of courses all year long in one of the country’s biggest hotspots for surfing, Byron Bay.
The camps usually last from three to seven days, mostly tailored for newbies although there are intermediate and advanced coaching classes too.
You can expect daily surf classes, all-inclusive board and equipment rental, discounts on delicious food and drinks and primetime accommodation. Soul Surf School takes care in recognising people’s various levels and putting surfers into smaller groups daily, to ensure they get the most out of their experience.
There are also daily yoga classes to help with flexibility and strength, and of course, to help you relax and unwind.
At South Surf School, you’ll be staying in a hostel that is spitting distance to the main surf beach in Byron Bay, a truly prime location. The accommodation was recently renovated offering lots of space and natural light.
If you’re looking for an organic surf camp, done the right way, then Soul Surf Camp is a no brainer. If you’re an experienced surfer and are looking for a nice atmosphere and like-minded surfers then it’s worth checking into the hostel just as an independent surfer.
Surf Getaways NSW
Best Camp for Women Only
Promising to be better than your average surf camp experience, this isn’t just an opportunity to learn an iconic pastime. It is a luxury getaway designed by women for women, allowing you to be coached by some of the best ladies in the business.
Surf Getaways is the market leader in surfing holidays and surfing experiences for women. We’ve developed a unique learn to surf program for women of all ages and levels.
With experiences from 3 to 10-night getaways, we have something for everyone.
You can visit one of their locations in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia or Queensland depending on your choice, but whether you want a few hours of lessons or a full week, you’ll benefit from the cool, calm, collected experience.
Here are some different packages offered:
3 Night Experience
Up to 8 people
- 3 nights luxury accommodation
- Beginner surfboard hire included
- Daily professional surf coaching
- Surf Getaways welcome pack
- Some dinners & breakfast included
- All surf transfers in and around the local area
7 Night Experience
Up to 8 people
- 7 nights luxury accommodation
- Beginner surfboard hire included
- Daily professional surf coaching
- Surf Getaways welcome pack
- Some dinners & breakfast included
- All surf transfers in and around the local area
Yacht Giveaways – 10 Night experience
Up to 10 people
- 10 nights luxury accommodation on a private yacht
- A deserted island dining experience
- Daily professional surf coaching
- Surf Getaways welcome pack
- 3 meals a day included
- Fishing experience
- All surf levels including non-surfers
This women-only surf experience aims to focus on topics like how they have dealt with the inevitable challenges of managing fear, plateauing skills, and challenging conditions.
They’ll provide their inside tips on improving and yes, answer those compelling questions about competing and winning in an industry where women’s achievements have been marginalized for decades.
This is without a doubt the most inspiring and forward-thinking women’s only surf camp in Australia.
Surf Camp Australia – Gerroa NSW
Best for Beginners and Intermediate Levels
Surf Camp Australia is a great beginner specific surf camp. Set in the small beach town of Gerroa. Gerroa is a coastal town in the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales.
Approximately 133 kilometres south of Sydney. It is considered to be the southernmost town in the Illawarra region. This town saw the birth of Sally Fitzgibbons, one of the world’s best female surfers.
Each surf camp is inclusive of airport transportation, surfboard hire, meals, accommodation, video analysis, and surf coaching. The options of stay usually range between 2 to 7 days.
Surf Camp Australia provides a beautiful location to learn to surf with some of the best company you can ask for. As a beginner, the team welcomes you with open arms and makes the guests feel very comfortable very quickly.
The instructors welcome you like part of their family and their contagious ‘stoke’ for surfing rubs off on you making it a very special experience.
After a full day of surfing and not being able to feel your arms, you can relax at the purpose-built Surf Camp. The accommodation is clean and comfortable and a stone’s throw away from the beach.
Each cabin is a shared dorm with a balcony for relaxing. All bedding & fresh linen is provided so you don’t need to bring anything!
Also available is a permanently shaded, outdoor dining/entertainment area located in the centre. The area has a large screen TV and speakers where there is always cool music or an epic surfing movie playing.
Surrounded by beautiful palm trees and hammocks, it’s a great place to chill between surfing sessions. Also available are private rooms for the more deluxe surfers out there wanting a more luxurious stay!
Other facilities include – hot showers, a swimming pool, internet access, laundry & the cafe.
Surf Connect Watersports Centre – Brisbane QLD
Best Camp for Multi Ocean Sports
Surf Connect Watersports Centre has been making noise in Australia’s watersports community since 2005.
Surf Connect Watersports Centre is one of the best value-for-money multi-sport camps schools and specializes in kitesurfing lessons, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, and kayaking.
Kite foiling, kite buggying, and sail buggying are also on offer. Surf Connect Watersports Centre surf camps range from 3 to 7 days. While not a traditional surf camp, it’s a great place if you want to spend all your time in the water.
Each stay includes four hours of multi-sports lessons per day.
Customers at Surf Connect always leave with new skills and unforgettable memories. Many of them fall in love with multiple sports and end up going back to learn, or even master a new hobby for life.
The Surf Connect experience centre along with the friendly and professional staff which are available 7 days a week. All the experiences and lessons are perfect for families, friends, travellers, couples, or solo water sport enthusiasts.
The surf camp includes accommodations within walking distance of the rental area at a local hotel or B&B.
In this sense, the ‘camp’ element is quite impersonal as the accommodation is not owned or managed by the camp itself, but it’s still one of the best surf camps in Australia if you truly want to be active all day long and try sports you likely won’t be able to do elsewhere.
Pirates Backpackers – Fremantle WA
Best for Beginners
Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia that’s part of the Perth metropolitan area. It’s known for its maritime history, Victorian architecture and remnants from Australia’s days as a British penal colony.
Situated right in the heart of vibrant Fremantle, Pirates Backpackers is a play-all-day style surf camp where you can learn how to surf alongside other activities like beach volleyball, sunset yoga, SUP, kitesurfing, snorkelling, and sightseeing around Fremantle’s historic centre.
The camp includes surf lessons, gear hire, accommodation, and transport to the surf spots.
Pirates Camp is run by the energetic owner Vaughan, who has been at the forefront for 13 years, along with a small crew of brilliant staff who do everything they can to ensure the best experience for the guests.
Pirates Backpackers offers surf camps that span from 4 to 7 days and it’s ideal for beginners or intermediate surfers.
The camp includes hostel accommodation with an outdoor courtyard, movie/reading room, pool table, BBQ, free WiFi in all areas, and a small crew of friendly staff.
Pirates Backpackers is Fremantle’s only small hostel.
Pirates Backpackers is secure & wonderfully cosy, situated right in the centre of vibrant Fremantle, with the famous Fremantle markets at one end of the street and the Esplanade, Fishing Boat Harbour and the Beach at the other.
Pirates Camp is heavily focused on the beach & outdoor activities, including surfing, stand up paddle boarding, beach volleyball, sunset yoga, snorkelling trips, bush walks, boating, sightseeing excursions and much more.
The camp also has the best open courtyard of all that everyone loves!
Pirates pride themselves on their cleanliness, friendliness, homeliness and outdoor lifestyle. Pirates main ambition is to give real and unique experiences from a comforting homely environment.
It’s about introducing people to the sensational lifestyle complimented by great beaches, brilliant weather and beautiful countryside. Pirates are about making each guest a member of the family and helping people form special friendships.
From surfing, boating and diving, to beach volleyball, camping and more. This is an experience you’ll never forget.
MojoSurf Australia – Byron Bay NSW
Best Camp for Budding Instructors
Mojosurf Australia embraces everything about surfing whether it’s booking a surf lesson, surf holiday, or life-changing surf academy experience.
Offering anything from 3-day surf camps to 3-month instructor courses, Mojosurf surf camp provides a beautiful balance of Australia’s bohemian lifestyle and culture with the sport of surfing.
Surf camps include surf lessons, yoga classes, board hire, bike hire, accommodation, and breakfast. Their instructor camp includes critical video analysis, fitness sessions, surf & ocean theory classes, breakfast, and accommodation.
The camp itself is right next to amazing beaches, cute shops, intimate cafes, lively bars, and clubs for the party animal within you. Mojosurf offers dorm-style accommodations that embrace the 70’s vibe.
It’s the type of surf camp where you might pick up a bongo or learn to play the Ukulele.
Mojosurf’s strong belief is that everybody should experience surfing in their life, the lifestyle and the culture are contagious and it’s this mindset that has seen them grow into one of the world’s leading surf tuition, travel and adventure companies.
Mojosurf was started by two Aussie friends, Nat and Dan.
They were both born and bred surfing on Australia’s East Coast. They met in the surf and shared the same dream to give up their day jobs and enjoy a life of fun, surfing, adventure, travel and meeting new people.
In 1998 they turned their dream into a reality with the creation of the guided Mojosurf adventure cruising the coast between Sydney and Byron Bay.
Word quickly spread that the best way to learn surfing and experience the surfer’s lifestyle was to catch a ride with Mojosurf and let the good times roll.
Thirroul Beach Surf Camp
Best Surf Camp for Solo Travellers
Thirroul is a northern seaside suburb of the city of Wollongong, Australia. It is situated between Austinmer and Bulli, it is approximately 13km north of Wollongong, and 69 km south of Sydney.
The accommodation is located in Thirroul, a lively, vibrant, Australian surf community that is roughly one hour south of Sydney.
This camp offers quality accommodation, with a maximum of 3 guests per room.
Also offered is a choice of three different surfing locations, all of which guarantee perfect waves weekly. Thirroul Beach Surf Camp offers some of the highest level surf instruction and analysis for all levels of surfers.
The beaches are jaw-droppingly beautiful, with so much to see outside surfing. Also available is a tour around one of the local shapers board factories, where you can see what goes into making a surfboard.
Within this beautiful community, you have access to a big screen TV with Netflix, a pool table and free wifi. On Friday night there is a free BBQ with fun party vibes. In the morning a full continental spread is available to fuel up before a big day in the water.
You’ll also have access to other activities such as Skateboarding, yoga, hiking, and much more!
What is great about this camp is it attracts many solo nomadic travellers, all very like-minded and up for an adventure. This is a great camp for solo travellers to make new friends and experience new and exciting adventures.
Buyers Guide
Location
Before committing to a surf camp it’s important to think about where you’d like to go in the country first. Australia being a massive place, there are big differences between climates, waves, scenery and culture.
The water temperature also varies a lot depending on which part of the country you end up in.
Surfing level
Different camps offer different packages. Some camps are more suited to the beginner surfer, with extensive beginner classes.
Whereas some camps are tailored more to the intermediate/advanced surfer looking for more of a coaching/ video analysis perspective with some guided tours of various waves.
Duration of Stay
Although most camps offer a duration of between 2 days to 9 days, it’s important to check exactly how long each surf camp’s packages are before booking. Some camps have a longer duration option whereas others don’t.
Extra Activities
Depending on the camp you go to, a variety of activities may or may not be available. Some camps offer a huge range of in and out the water activities as well as surfing. If this is important to you then make sure you check what extra activities and excursions are on offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are surf camps worth it?
If you have many weeks of vacation, this could be a acceptable option. If your vacation time is limited to a few weeks, a surf camp might be better for you. That’s because finding the proper spots for your skills and preferences might take a few days.
In terms of getting away from your routine and refreshing yourself, surf camps are an amazing life experience and a highly recommended thing to do if you have the time.
What should I expect at a surf camp?
Everything is taken care of. You don’t have to worry about any of the logistics when you’re at surf camp.
Wave Knowledge. When you attend a camp, you’ll be surrounded by people with a good amount of wave knowledge.
How do I choose a surf camp?
Check out the location. Check the accommodation standards. Read testimonials about the classes and the instructors. Go where the water is warm! Let go of preconceptions.
In Conclusion
Australia has a wave suitable for anyone and everyone amongst the thousands of beaches, reefs and point breaks across the country.
You’ll no doubt be surfing your brains out all day long until your arms can’t take anymore paddling. With so much empty coastline you’ll often find yourself surfing beautiful warm waves all to yourself.
Because of the vast size of the country, there are plenty of waves that have no names and are just known among the locals, so if you do stumble across a gem, be sure to respect the locals and their home.
At any of these surf camps, I’m sure your guide will be happy to show you some secret surf spots.
When you’re not spending all day in the water in the crystal clear waters of Australia, or relaxing on one of the many jaw-dropping beaches sipping on aussie beer, there is so much to do in Australia.
With such extensive biodiversity in nature, from excursions filled with exotic wildlife, beautiful countryside, delicious local cuisine, to epic activities keeping even the most frantic of tourists busy, an Australian surf camp is something every free-spirited wandering soul should put on their list.
And this is guaranteed, once you go, you’ll be back over and over again, until you become at one with the waves.
ENJOY YOURSELF.
