Add this Neck Stretch to Your Yoga Routine: Full Class with Reesie

on May 4, 2020July 17, 2023 By chloe piester

Feeling neck tension from sitting at your desk all day? Or from a long surf-session? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Need a little yoga fix-me-up?

block. neck. magic.

It’s the most requested yoga sequence during most of our retreats, and if you’ve been on a retreat with SWA before, I’m sure you already know exactly what we’re talking about! Its simple. Its magical. It feels so good. Its also pretty difficult to replicate without the guidance of a teacher, so we’re extra stoked that our yoga teacher Reesie just released an 11-minute tutorial video of the infamous, “block neck move”. This stretch-massage duo for the neck has yet to be named, so try it out and let us know if you can come up with a good name for it!

Reesie’s online Yin Yoga classes are open for optional donation. Her info is as follows- Venmo: Cherise-Richards or PayPal: [email protected]

To learn more about Cherise Richards, our head yoga instructor here at SWA, click here.

Practice Yin Yoga with Reesie

on April 20, 2020July 30, 2023 By chloe piester

Yin Yoga for the Hips

Unwind with another virtual Yin Yoga class brought to you by SWA instructor Reesie and her adorable lil’ pup Ruban. Although we can’t practice Yin Yoga in the jungle with all of you as usual right now, we’re stoked to have access to the next best thing… which is Reesie’s donation-based Yin class right at home! Good music playlist and all. This hour-long Yin style class is centered around the hips.

Reesie is accepting donations for her classes through Venmo (@cherise-Richards) or PayPal ([email protected]) but in her own words, “…if you can’t, dude I get it. Either way, hope this feels good!”.

If you missed Reesie’s most recent shoulder class, you can find it here. Enjoy!

Surf, Fish, Froth, Repeat

on March 4, 2020August 2, 2023 By hollybeck27

Enjoy this highlight video from a retreat at our Southern Costa Rica Jungle Retreat location.

Surfing all day, fishing, frothing out, riding horses, eating amazing food, laughing with good friends until you’re so tired you just have a giddy silly smile on your face. It’s a great life! There’s yoga too, but we never seem to capture any footage of it! Gotta work on that…

Girls Day Out Boat Trip

on April 6, 2019April 6, 2019 By hollybeck27

girls day out, surf trip, boat trip, costa rica, surf with amigas, holly beck, surf instructor, adventure

“It’s not the destination its the journey”.

You may have heard the saying “its not the destination its the journey”. It has always kind of annoyed me because the journey normally means long plane rides, delays, layovers, canceled flights etc., and I just want to get to the destination already and skip the “journey” part. But, it doesn’t have to be that way at all. It’s good to think of the journey as an adventure and wherever I end up, even if its not the place I had intended to go, as the destination.

My latest surf adventure was by boat with 3 girlfriends, a cooler full of beer, a comically large quiver of surfboards, and a desire for right hand point breaks. We left not so bright but very early (4am) and loaded up the boat with all of our boards. We brought long boards, mid length boards and short boards. The great thing about traveling with a boat full of women is that we are always prepared with stylish surf costumes, which explains the plethora of bikinis, leggings, rash guards, surf hats, and some surf sun glasses. Oh, and just in case, the snorkel mask and fins.

Continue reading “Girls Day Out Boat Trip”

Family Surf Retreat Boat Trip Test Run

on July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 By hollybeck27

mother daughter, surfing, teach your kids to surf, family retreat, surf camp, costa rica, holly beck, luna suli

Family Surf Retreat

Now that I have kids, and my 3.5 year old has started surfing, I’m getting really excited about hosting more family surf retreats. There’s nothing more fun than sharing the love of surfing with family. Seeing your little one’s eyes light up and that full face smile as they ride a wave alongside you is every bit as fulfilling as getting an amazing wave yourself – or so I’ve come to believe.

Continue reading “Family Surf Retreat Boat Trip Test Run”

Surf Completely – Coco Chanel Paddle

on January 13, 2018January 13, 2018 By hollybeck27

surf completely, learn to surf, paddle school, improve your paddling, paddle faster, surfing, surf with amigas, surf coaching, video, tutorial

How to Catch more waves with the Coco Chanel Paddle

Everyone knows the Coco Chanel logo right? The two interlocking Cs are not just a sign of luxury, but also a great way to paddle. If you want to have the most efficient paddle technique you need to increase the length of your stroke. Paddling in the shape of a C achieves that. If you use the Coco Chanel Paddle you’ll be covering more distance faster. That means more waves and fewer turtle rolls! This video will take you through some things to do and others to avoid to improve your paddle skills and have you catching more waves!

Why it’s best to learn to surf from women

At Surf With Amigas, we take a humorous approach to teaching surf skills. You’ll learn to turn with your boobs and to avoid paddling like a T-Rex. You’ll also hear that you should paddle like the Coco Chanel logo. Come learn and laugh with us! That’s the difference of a surf camp run by women!

For more instructional videos, check out our Surf Completely page!

Longboard Surf Coaching Retreat in Nicaragua

on January 7, 2018April 10, 2018 By hollybeck27

learn to surf, surf with amigas, surf camp, surf retreat, nicaragua, central america, holly beck, jackie george, fun, adventure, travel, women, all women, girls, sun, the best, value, surfing, yoga, horseback riding, beach, coaching, womens surf lessons, womens surf camp, womens surf retreat, womens surf and yoga retreat, give back, volunteer, meaningful, advanced, intermediate, classroom, learn to read a surf forecast, surf yoga retreat, womens surf camp, learn to surf nicaragua, holiday

The spot we surf in Northern Nicaragua for our women’s surf yoga retreats is ideal for improving your longboarding skills. This particular week in mid December 2017 had awesome super long lefts and rights that were great for all surfing levels. Some ladies were working on just standing up for the first time, while others were working on cross-stepping and trying to nose ride. No matter your current ability, we will individualize our coaching to make sure you get the help you need to achieve your goals.

Longboard Surf Coaching, learn to surf, surf with amigas, surf camp, surf retreat, nicaragua, central america, holly beck, jackie george, fun, adventure, travel, women, all women, girls, sun, the best, value, surfing, yoga, horseback riding, beach, coaching, womens surf lessons, womens surf camp, womens surf retreat, womens surf and yoga retreat, give back, volunteer, meaningful, advanced, intermediate, classroom, learn to read a surf forecast, surf yoga retreat, womens surf camp, learn to surf nicaragua, holiday — Practicing paddle techniques in the pool during Paddle School!

Other Activities

Of course it’s not all about surfing. We also offered daily restorative yoga sessions, played kickball with local ladies, hiked and then boarded down a volcano, and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery of Nicaragua.

Check out the video highlights from the week!

Come and join us on our next retreat!

All our available dates are listed on the schedule page. We will be adding more for winter next year very soon.

Starting Oct 2018 – Our New Home Base in North Nicaragua

on January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 By hollybeck27

surf camp nicaragua, surf yoga retreat, surf with amigas, new home base, boutique hotel, learn to surf — The view walking down to surf.

Beginning October 2018 Surf With Amigas will be taking over a gorgeous ocean-front hotel in Northern Nicaragua as our new home base.

Stay with us for a surf yoga retreat in Nicaragua at our new retreat base and watch the waves at “the Bay” all day! The Bay is a sand bottom break that features great waves for experienced surfers and also super fun user-friendly waves for beginners. This is the very best spot to learn to stand up for the first time. It is also a great spot to work on nose riding, cutbacks, generating your own speed, and doing turns. This is the spot to surf twice a day.

surf camp nicaragua, surf yoga retreat, surf with amigas, new home base, boutique hotel, learn to surf, nahualapa bay — User friendly waves for all ability levels at the bay.

surf camp nicaragua, surf yoga retreat, surf with amigas, new home base, boutique hotel, learn to surf, la bahia — The view walking up to the boutique hotel space.

Of course we’ll also do some driving and boating missions to surf other spots depending on conditions and desires of the group. There are lots of other surf options nearby. We are very excited about the ability to be in tune with the ocean, easily surf multiple times per day, and be on it whenever it’s good!

A Boutique Resort in Northern Nicaragua

The resort features four stylish ocean-view, thatch-roof cabanas. Each cabana has its own ensuite open-air bathroom, relaxing hammocks and lounge spaces. There’s a refreshing swimming pool for midday cooling dips. There’s a brand new ocean-view yoga studio, and stylish bar and restaurant space to enjoy healthy delicious meals.

We are excited to have the opportunity to curate the entire Surf Yoga Retreat experience from the vibe at the resort to the meals.

In the past we have partnered with resorts on a week by week basis using their restaurant and staff. This new situation will be all Surf With Amigas from the delicious healthy menu to the music playlist.

Fewer cabanas mean smaller groups and more retreat dates per year beginning mid October 2018. We’ll be updating the schedule and uploading more photos and videos soon!

Surf Camp in Costa Rica – The best surf coaching program

on December 30, 2017December 30, 2017 By hollybeck27

Surf coaching retreats for women and men in Costa Rica

If you’re looking for high level surf coaching open to primarily women but also sometimes men, Surf With Amigas is the place! This particular video highlights a co-ed week that was open to women and their boyfriend, husband, brother, or best guy friend.

Uncrowded surf

Surf With Amigas focuses on locations where we can take over the lineups and get a ton of waves. It’s true that Costa Rica can be crowded, but not every surf spot is full of people. We will find empty waves! The area we’ll stay is further off the beaten path of tourists. We will stay surrounded by jungle, watching monkeys jump from tree to tree. We’ll surf with sea turtles. We’ll watch scarlet macaws fly overhead.

For more information on our Costa Rican Retreats, click here!

The Best Women’s Surf Coaching Program in Costa Rica

on December 30, 2017August 11, 2023 By hollybeck27

Surf With Amigas is the best women’s-only surf coaching program in Costa Rica.

SWA Women’s Surf & Yoga Retreats are beneficial for surfers of ALL ability levels who want to improve their surfing- from those who are learning how to pop up to those who are practicing maneuvers like cutbacks and noserides. We tactfully choose our retreat locations in places with awesome waves that are great for practicing, plus we have the best female instructors on hand to watch what you are doing and offer tips. They will surf alongside you to inspire you, but also be right by your side as you paddle out and sit in the lineup. At SWA retreats one can expect to meet Amigas of all ages, sizes, backgrounds, and surf abilities.

SUPPORTIVE. INSPIRING. KNOWLEDGABLE.

Our diverse team of female surf coaches aim to ensure that every Amiga, in and out of the water, feels supported, encouraged, and well equipped with the tools they need to reach their personal surf goals. Aside from in-water coaching + guiding, we have daily post-surf video coaching and daily Yin style yoga classes to rest and recover. At all retreats we also provide a variety of classroom sessions where we’ll cover topics like surf etiquette, paddling techniques, cross stepping, how to read a surf forecast, and more.

SWA believes in doing good. With a conscious effort to positively impact the communities around us at all of our retreat locations, rest assured that when you travel with Amigas you’re bound to connect with the local communities and experience much more than just surfing and yoga.

Our retreat roster is always expanding. From Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to Panama, Morocco, and Indonesia, you can surf with Amigas all over the world.

Tag: adventure