About Base Surf Lodge
Built around surfing. Made for the people who love it.
Base Surf Lodge is a surf camp in Newquay, Cornwall, shaped by a passion for surf coaching and a love of the ocean.
We bring people together for a few days of good waves, thoughtful coaching and time in the water. Our aim is to help you understand your surfing, make real progress and build the confidence to find your own waves, explore new places and keep surfing long after your camp ends.
Come for the surf. Stay for everything around it. Come back for the feeling.
A family-run surf lodge
Base is run by us, Rob and Lou. What started as a hostel back in 2009 has grown into something much more personal: a surf lodge built around our passion for surfing, coaching and creating a place where people feel at home.
We live here and have put a lot of ourselves into creating the place we wanted Base to be. From the rooms and communal spaces to the garden and sauna, every part of the lodge reflects the kind of surf trip we’d want ourselves: good waves, a welcoming place to return to and time to enjoy the experience.
Today, Base remains a hands-on family business. Rob leads the surf coaching alongside Jack, while Lou helps create the welcoming atmosphere that makes the lodge feel like home.
Over the years, we’ve welcomed guests who return camp after camp. Seeing familiar faces come back, hearing about the waves they’ve been catching since their last visit and watching their surfing develop is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
More than a place to stay
Base isn’t a conventional hostel, and we’re not simply a place to book a bed.
Our surf camps run on fixed dates, bringing everyone together from the moment they arrive. We keep our groups small, creating time for personal coaching and a relaxed atmosphere where it’s easy to get to know people.
Many of our guests arrive solo. Others come as couples or with friends. However you arrive, the days are shared around the surf, and friendships often form naturally along the way.
It’s this combination of surfing, good company and a place that feels like home that makes Base what it is.
Life at Base
Mornings start with coffee and breakfast before the focus turns to the ocean.
The day’s plan depends on the conditions. We might be working on technique, exploring a different beach or spending time understanding how to read the waves. No two days are quite the same, and there’s always something to take from a session.
Back at the lodge, there’s space to stretch out in the movement room, relax in the garden or warm up in the sauna. Evenings are for good food, shared stories and conversations about the day’s waves.
It’s an active few days, balanced with time to slow down and enjoy being here.
Early mornings, salty hair, good sleep and slow evenings. That’s life at Base.
Made for progression
Good surf coaching is about more than telling someone what to do on a wave. It’s about helping them understand why something works, recognise what needs to change and know what to focus on next time they paddle out.
Our coaching is built around connecting those dots. Whether you’re building confidence, refining your turns or trying to make sense of something that’s been holding your surfing back, we want you to leave with a clearer understanding of your own surfing.
“I’ve been to multiple other surf camps and I learned more in 3 days here than I did in the rest of them combined.”
— Adrian D, Google review
For us, that’s what it’s all about: helping people make meaningful progress and giving them the knowledge to keep working things out for themselves, long after camp ends.
The people behind the coaching
Rob and Jack lead the surf coaching at Base, bringing their experience and shared passion for helping people become better, more confident surfers.
Jack has been part of the Base team for two years. Alongside his surf coaching, he runs his own business in calisthenics, handstands and movement training. His understanding of movement brings another perspective to the way we help guests develop their surfing.
Together, Rob and Jack work closely with guests in the water, helping them understand their surfing, work on the details that make a difference and build skills they can take with them long after camp ends.
You can explore more of Jack’s movement work on Instagram: Jack Sala — Movement Training
Find your Base
The best part of what we’ve built is seeing people return. Familiar faces, new stories, different waves and the shared excitement of getting back in the water.
We’re proud of the community that’s grown around Base, and of the role surfing continues to play in bringing people together.
Whether it’s your first visit or you’re coming back for another camp, we’d love to welcome you.
We hope to see you in the water.
Rob & Lou
Base Surf Lodge · Newquay, Cornwall