14 charging amigas + 1 super cool amigo joined us at the Northern Nicaragua retreat location for a week-long shred fest! We had a record breaking week with the most tubes ever ridden, the gnarliest waves ever taken, and the best turns ever completed. This inspiring group of surfers spent the week pushing their limits and supporting each other along the way. We can’t wait to do a retreat like this again!
Enjoy this recap of the Advanced Retreat shred-fest in Nicaragua!
Most of our retreat locations are open to surfers of ALL levels and have plenty of shortboard-able waves close by. If you’re a fellow shortboarder and feel inspired to join a retreat and level up your technique, contact us here to see which retreat might be the best fit for you!
They’re the SWA power duo! Surf With Amigas Co-Owners, Jackie George and Holly Beck, have been running ladies surf & yoga retreats together for almost 10 years. Both ladies typically split their time between Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and California- running retreats, surfing, and living the sweet & simple life.
Meet Jackie George
HOMETOWND: San Clemente, California
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO SURF? I grew up at the beach and learned to surf so young that I barely remember learning! I do remember early mornings at San O with my dad and his buddies. I remember the doyle sessions at Junior Lifeguards. I remember my first real surfboard was the Hobie Peter Pan Slug (still love that board). I didn’t really take surfing too seriously until High School, when my girlfriends and I would get dropped off at Trestles and spend long days on the beach. We all loved surfing and pushed each other to get better. To this day, we’re still close friends and love surfing together.
FAVORITE BOARD AT THE MOMENT: My new Christensen log that I scored in a trade. I’ve also been indoctrinated into the twin fin revolution program here in Costa Rica.
WHAT’S PLAYING ON THE SPEAKER WHEN YOU GEAR UP FOR A SURF? Cardi B, Yoncé, or some dirty dirty dancehall beats. I’m also always up for praising Jah a bit before a surf.
Life in Costa Rica
Surf Sessions with Amigas
Dreamy Boat Trips
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Teleportation. Or breathe underwater. Or know every language.
DAWN PATROL OR SUNSET SESSION? DP is always more reliable… but when sunset comes together, it doesn’t really get much better.
NAME A SURFER THAT INSPIRES YOU: I’m inspired by the people that can surf any craft in any conditions and have a good time. I’m inspired by the people twice my age that can surf twice as long as me, and I’m inspired by the people that only come out when the waves are properly pumping. I love watching good longboarders ride shorter boards in heavy waves. I’m a sucker for a relaxed style, and anyone that can do a cheater five in the tube. I’m also inspired by ladies that come on the retreat and look at surfing with a fresh perspective. Inspo everywhere!
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Be here now.”
Check out the Q&A with SWA’s other half, Holly Beck!
Continuing to add new retreat locations to our offerings, this is a highlight video of our first ever Surf With Amigas Retreat in Morocco. The ladies scored really fun user-friendly waves at a long right point break and explored Moroccan culture.
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!
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.
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.
Restorative yogaShoulder opening class to stretch out tired surfing muscles.
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.
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.
User friendly waves for all ability levels at the bay.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.
Rainy season views from the pool deck.
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!
Congratulations to Jackie and Hugo who are newly engaged and celebrated with a few party waves in Costa Rica.
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!
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.
Surf Retreats for all levels Beginner and Advanced.
Our Northern Nicaragua location retreats are great for surfers of all levels, beginner to advanced. We typically have mixed level groups including ladies who have never surfed before and ladies who have been surfing for years. The more advanced surfers come to take their skills to the next level or just make new surfing friends. This week was a great mix of both.
Late November is also one of the nicest times of the year in Central America with really clean medium sized waves, sunny skies, and great weather.
These retreats are all about empowerment, bonding, adventure, pushing yourself, and reviving your energy so that you go home ready to take on the world.
As you can see in the video, aside from surfing there will be other adventures. Want to gallop down the beach at sunset? This is the spot for you. We’ll also explore the old town of Leon, go volcano boarding, and learn to salsa dance. We’ll interact with the local community. We’ll eat amazing food. We’ll enjoy sunset cocktails. We’ll help you improve your surfing with one on one video analysis and targeted classroom sessions.
Since our team is made up of all women, we will support you in and out of the water. We’ll be happy to hear your stories and listen to what you’re going through. We will encourage you to achieve your goals whatever they are.
Thanksgiving week in Nicaragua is always a good one for a surf yoga retreat. November is one of the best months of the year in Nicaragua. We have awesome weather, perfectly groomed waves, and plenty of sunshine.
This week we had a saucy fun group of ladies who were loving the surf yoga retreat dance parties. They enjoyed pool parties, volcano boarding, horseback riding on the beach, and all the other adventures that pop up during the week.
Many of our guests this week were returning Amigas. It’s always fun to reconnect and see improvement in their surfing. Not all of our retreats feature a lot partying, but this particular group was happy to put away a few rum shots here and there. Who can resist some rum-fueled synchronized swimming at sunset in such a gorgeous environment?
These retreats are all about empowerment, bonding, adventure, pushing yourself, and reviving your energy so that you go home ready to take on the world.
