Surf Camps with Base Surf Lodge
Join Rob & Lou at their wonderful lodge for a surf camp you’ll never forget.
Enjoy delicious food with healthy breakfasts and a tasty barbecue feast.
Explore the best UK surf beaches in Newquay, right on your doorstep.
Achieve your own surfing goals with fun and progressive surf coaching.
Feel at home in the most welcoming and sociable Cornish surf camp.
What’s included…
- A very warm welcome by your hosts Rob and Lou.
- Comfortable and homely accommodation in the best location in Newquay
- A healthy & hearty breakfast each morning in our brand new kitchen-dining area.
- A daily group surf lesson (2hrs each) on either Fistral or Towan Beach, including:
- An introduction to surfing, water safety and surf equipment.
- Basic movement training and a surf specific warm up each lesson.
- Expert, technical coaching for beginners, progressors and intermediate surfers.
- Individual guidance with a step-by-step breakdown of each movement, to help you progress smoothly.
- Regular feedback giving you the feel of a private lesson but with the fun of being in a group.
- Video Analysis of your surfing performance for maximum improvement.
- Fun & Interactive land-based surf skills practice.
- Daily Access to our brand new Movement Room as a space for you to practice your land-based surf skills or simply a space for you to relax.
- Digital Photos of your surfing to take home with you.
- Wetsuits and Surfboards for use during the whole of your stay with us.
- 1 x Evening meal – a delicious feast cooked on our stone barbecue, using carefully selected fresh, local and sustainable produce.
- Free tea and coffee in the cozy living area, anytime of the day.
- Plenty of free time for you to do whatever makes you happiest on your holiday.
- Expert advice on the perfect surf equipment for your individual surfing level, so you can progress with ease.
- The opportunity to share our intimate knowledge of the local area and discover how much is truly on our doorstep.
- Peace of mind, knowing you’ve chosen to stay in a place that’s devoted to sustainability and powered by renewable energy.
Coaching you to become a better surfer
You’ve never surfed before or maybe tried it just a few times and want a total recap. You’ve seen lots of surf schools at the beach but want to make sure you pick the right one. Well you’ve come to the right place. At Base Surf Lodge our main priority is quality, not quantity. As a small independent surf school, our group sizes are always small too. This allows our surf coaches to really focus on each individual in the group and give tailored feedback. From years of experience, our coaches are masters of being able to adapt their coaching techniques to give each of you your best chance of smooth progression.
We will supply you with the perfect beginner surf equipment to get you started. Once you’ve received your wetsuit and surfboard, the equipment is free to use throughout your stay. This gives you the opportunity to stay longer at the beach after your lessons, or head back down later in the day, if you just can’t get enough. After all, practice makes perfect!
**WARNING** Once you start surfing you may be hooked for life!
You’ve surfed a good few times before and have found a new love for the sport. You have pretty much mastered standing up in whitewater and riding to the shore. You’ve seen surfers out back riding along waves and are now super keen to be out there with them.
We know this is such an exciting stage of learning to surf and, as every surfer knows, the first green wave you ride along will be in your memory forever. This is also the most critical time in your surfing career to learn the correct fundamentals. With the right knowledge and skillset you will be able to progress your surfing safely, effectively and efficiently, without creating any pesky bad habits.
This is where we come in. In our surf lessons you will learn proper technique for paddling out, positioning, wave reading, surfing etiquette and how to take off on unbroken waves. Get these right and your progress will fly through the roof.
Surfing is no longer just an occasional hobby, it’s sneaking in to becoming part of your life. You’ve devoted all holidays to the ocean and can’t stop scrolling surf media. You are starting to catch green waves and ride along in one or maybe both directions already. You may even be able to link some turns but you are super keen to get better and fed up with typical surf lessons being all the same. We hear you! From years of experience working for many surf schools we know the deal. That’s why we have focussed our energy into creating the perfect intermediate lessons. We’ve taken inspiration from some of the best: Chris Mills aka Surf Strength Coach; the legend that is Taylor Knox and the surf guru Brad Gerlach (If you haven’t heard of them, look them up as they all have incredible home surf workout programmes which definitely compliment our coaching).
From constantly training and learning ourselves, we are able to adapt our coaching to suit every individual’s learning style and ability. In our lessons we incorporate a lot of land-based training and basic movement skills. This enables us to consistently practice our surfing without always having to wait for the perfect wave. With this land-based training we are able to work together and take a closer look at your technique then focus on specific areas of your surfing which need improving. Through taking a deeper look into your own ability, you will also gain valuable knowledge and a much better understanding of why things go well or not so well when in the water.
In each lesson, we use our time in the water to focus on fun practice. We aim to use what we’ve learnt on the beach and put it into practice without putting too much pressure on ourselves. The focus is more on combing our knowledge of safety, board control, wave reading and muscle memory from the beach to select good waves and have fun trying new things.
So whether you are wanting to improve your pop-up, generate speed along the wave, or perform a solid bottom turn to top turn, we will coach you to become a better surfer.
More info
Since Rob bought the house in 2009, Base Surf Lodge has evolved from a small hostel into the family-run surf lodge it is today. Our aim has always been to create a place where people can come to surf, switch off and enjoy life by the sea.
We welcome surfers of all abilities. Whether you’re completely new to surfing and looking for an adventure, or you’re an experienced surfer wanting to improve your skills, you’ll find a place here.
In true surfer style, we keep things flexible and relaxed, giving you the freedom to make your surf camp your own. When we go away surfing ourselves, we want things to be simple and hassle-free, with enough freedom to explore, surf when the conditions are good and still have time to slow down and enjoy where we are.
That’s how we’ve designed our camps too. We take care of the important stuff, but we don’t believe in packing every minute of your trip with activities. You can surf as much as you like, explore Cornwall, relax in the garden, enjoy the sauna or simply do nothing at all.
Whether you’re happiest staying in the water until you’re surfed out or sitting in the sun with a coffee and watching the waves, your time at Base is yours.
Whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple, with friends or as a family, we have a range of private and shared rooms to suit. Our shared rooms are a great way to meet other surfers and become part of the Base crew, while our private rooms are ideal for couples, small groups of friends and families looking to have their own space during their stay.
The house is designed to feel relaxed and homely, with modern communal bathrooms, a comfortable living space and plenty of room to hang out between surfs. Grab a coffee, catch up on emails if you need to, or simply settle in and enjoy a slower pace of life.
Outside, our tropical garden is made for long, slow afternoons. Soak up the sun, grab a drink, stretch out after a surf or spend some time in the movement room. When you need to warm up and unwind after a day in the water, our sauna is there for you. And on BBQ evening, the smell of food drifting through the house is usually enough to bring everyone together for a relaxed evening around the table.
It’s a space that’s made for surfers — somewhere to meet people, relax between waves and feel at home while you’re here.
Base Surf Lodge sits right in the heart of Newquay, surrounded by some of Cornwall’s best surfing and within easy reach of everything the town has to offer.
Fistral and Towan beaches are both around a five-minute walk from the lodge. Facing different directions, they can offer quite different conditions depending on the swell, wind and tide — giving you options whatever your level or the conditions bring.
Newquay is a proper surf town, with a lively surf culture, beautiful coastline and plenty of great places to eat and explore. Sainsbury’s supermarket and the town centre are also within walking distance, along with independent shops, cafés, restaurants and everything else you might need during your stay.
And when you want to explore beyond the surf, there’s plenty to do around Newquay and the surrounding coastline:
- Walk the rugged South West Coast Path
- Explore the rock pools and coastline around Newquay
- Try coasteering along the Cornish coast
- Stand-up paddleboard along the Gannel Estuary
- Take a fishing trip from Newquay Harbour
- Go diving and discover the marine life beneath the surface
Whether you spend your days chasing waves, exploring the coast or simply wandering into town for a coffee, you’re never far from it all at Base.
Our small team of experienced surf coaches are here to help you understand surfing, not just catch more waves. Whether you’re completely new to surfing or have been surfing for years, we’ll help you build the skills, knowledge and confidence to become a better surfer.
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all, “just copy me” approach. Our coaching is personal, technical and tailored to where you are in your surfing. We break things down both on land and in the water, helping you understand everything from your take-off and positioning to movement, turns and wave selection.
Throughout your camp, you’ll get plenty of opportunity to ask questions, work on specific areas of your surfing and understand why something works rather than simply being told what to do. We use video coaching to help you see your surfing from a different perspective and give you clear, practical things to work on.
We also believe that becoming a better surfer means understanding the ocean around you. We’ll teach you how to read the conditions, how tide, wind and swell affect different beaches, and how to recognise and safely manage rip currents. You’ll also learn how to prepare your body for surfing through surf-specific movement, mobility and breath work.
Our goal is to leave you with more than a few better waves. We want you to leave with a better understanding of surfing, the ocean and your own body — giving you the tools and confidence to keep progressing long after you’ve left Base.
Because the goal isn’t just to surf well now. It’s to still be surfing when you’re 80.
3 Night Surf Camp: from £380pp
5 Night Surf Camp: from £590pp
The Best UK Surf Camps?
Here’s what our guests are saying…
“Base offers a really excellent surf school experience for both beginners and intermediates. I’ve been to several other schools and found that they struggle a lot with pitching lessons at the right level, but Lou is an amazing instructor who knows how to assess individual skills and tailor her lesson plan and individual instruction to the level that’s needed. Also, this is the only surf school I’ve been to where I felt that the instruction on the shore and exercises we did on the beach actually helped everyone to improve in the water (yes, even for someone who can already functionally ride a board). The school is really well located with access to both Fistral beach and the harbour, so there are great options for a really wide range of surf conditions. Also, the accommodation is really nice and the vibe is very chill :)”
– Rachael Meager