How To Surf With Style – The Soul Arch

on May 21, 2018May 21, 2018 By hollybeck27

On a recent advanced retreat in Costa Rica, I asked the group for suggestions on classroom session topics. One of the guests suggested a talk about how to have good style.

What is style?

Style is one of those things that you know when you see but is hard to describe. One of the most stylish female surfers, Stephanie Gilmore says “there’s no right or wrong, you do what feels good to you.”

The SOul arch

For the talk, I listed a handful of generally considered stylish professional surfers and then created a slideshow of photos of them. One thing we noted that almost all had in common was a tendency to do a “soul arch”. A soul arch is when you usually have your feet relatively closer together and you thrust your hips out, arch your back, and lean your head back. Whether it is in the tube, on a bottom turn, or during a nose ride, a lot of stylish surfers will go for this move. It looks cool, it feels cool. I encouraged the Amigas to try it on their next session.

Inspired myself to take my personal soul arch to the next level, I really went for it one session. I was paddling out with a local friend and we were talking about surfboards. She wanted to try mine and suggested I try hers. She weighs a bit more than I do so her board was quite a bit thicker and stiffer than what I’m used to riding. This is a video of my first wave riding her board. After a few turns, I went for the soul arch, into a cheater 5 nose ride soul arch, into a head-dip tube. Does it look cool? It felt amazing. In the end that’s all that matters!

I dare you to try a soul arch on your next session. Let us know how it feels!

Surf With Amigas Has the Best Female Surf Instructors

on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 By hollybeck27

Surf with amigas has the best Female Surf instructors

In crafting our team of surf instructors, we focus on finding women from all over the world who are positive, inspiring, hilarious to hang out with, and who rip. Our instructors surf amazingly well! It’s also different learning from women. You don’t have to worry about bikini malfunctions!

Learning to surf isn’t just physical. It can be an emotional experience overcoming fears, pushing yourself past your comfort level, and learning to believe in yourself. Having a female instructor to meet you at your emotional level and support you in pushing through or even just listen to what you’re going through is just different than with a male instructor.

Continue reading “Surf With Amigas Has the Best Female Surf Instructors”

68 Yr Old Woman Surfs Giant Wave

on April 23, 2018April 26, 2018 By hollybeck27

I was talking to a group of Amigas recently who were asking about various aged participants and was reminded of this story. It’s such a good one that I wanted to share. Read below about the incredibly inspirational Genie!

Learning to surf after age 50

Genie learned to surf at age 50 in order to share the sport with her son who was a surfer. She then joined us on her first retreat in Nicaragua as a 67 year old, to take her surfing to the next level with a group of other supportive women, and practice yoga. We do often have ladies join us in their late 50s and even 60s, but Genie is a special case. Vivacious, hilarious, energetic, not to mention looking amazing in her bikini, we were all immediately so inspired.

Continue reading “68 Yr Old Woman Surfs Giant Wave”

Sonoma Academy High School Surf and Service Trip

on January 25, 2018January 25, 2018 By hollybeck27

High School Surf and Service Trip

Last week we had a group of fifteen students and two teachers from Sonoma Academy visit Northern Nicaragua for a service learning trip. The goal was to surf as much as possible, learn about the culture and lifestyle of the people in Nicaragua and give back to the local community by helping to renovate a local elementary school.

Learning to surf

Most of the girls had surfed once or twice before. They threw themselves into it fearlessly. Some days we had strong offshore winds which made for challenging conditions. There were some awesome rides and exciting wipeouts.

Galloping down the beach

One of the week’s highlights was our horseback ride down the beach. The girls were so excited to gallop along the shore that the ride was the longest in SWA history. There were certainly some sore backsides but also ear to ear smiles.

We stopped half way back for some fresh coconuts pulled from the trees and opened with machetes in front of us. One of the girls noted that a coconut like that would have cost $8 at Whole Foods! Nothing tastes better than fresh coconut water!

School Restoration – High School Service Project

Surf With Amigas is partnered with the non-profit Waves of Hope on a variety of philanthropy projects in North Nicaragua. Aiding local education opportunities is a major focus. This week we put our energy towards renovating a local elementary school. The girls spent the week cleaning and painting so that the classrooms will be in great shape for the start of the new school year.

The trip of a lifetime

Combining adventure, excitement, and the warm fuzzies of leaving a place better than you found it leads to the trip of a lifetime. The girls said every day that that day was the best of their lives.

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.

Find the right retreat for you by checking out our current locations.

Surf Retreats for All Levels Beginner and Advanced

on December 28, 2017December 28, 2017 By hollybeck27

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.

For more info on retreats like these check out our North Nicaragua Retreat Page!