Barefoot Surf Travel
Barefoot Surf Travel
5
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About
Beginner? Intermediate? Surfing is more fun the better you get. We help you surf better, faster. - tailored surf coaching - 6 coaches for 12 students - authentic travel experience - only the best surf spots for your level
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
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Barefoot Surf Travel
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(12 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
230 reviews
Excellent
228
Very good
0
Average
2
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Terrible
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Liz H
Santa Monica, CA3 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Solo
8 days, two sessions a day of incredible surf in uncrowded, fun lineups. Wow! Barefoot nailed it! Daily video reviews with expert surf instructors (Tabbi and Joel) who saw the details and advised next steps to improve my surfing. Pittstop Hill Hotel was excellent - food (accommodated gluten-free), amazing staff, beyond kind and friendly. Experience + priceless! Once in a lifetime! Surf guide, Fouzy, extremely helpful. He knew each break and tips in the water were spot on. Very grateful! Thank you Naomi for an awesome surf trip! Thank you for all your support and guidance!
From the moment I landed in Padang until I left, Barefoot covered every step. I didn't have to worry about anything. Everything was handled. Thank you for making the travel part easy!
From the moment I landed in Padang until I left, Barefoot covered every step. I didn't have to worry about anything. Everything was handled. Thank you for making the travel part easy!
Written November 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan S
1 contribution
Nov. 2023 • Friends
Had a great time on the Nov '23 Mentawais trip. The barefoot team had everything dialed in which was great. The coaching/video analysis was super helpful and the local surf guides were knowledgeable about finding the best waves for the daily conditions. Accommodations at Pitstop Hill Mentawai were great too. Overall a fantastic trip!
Written November 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason H
2 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Friends
I attended the June 17-24 2023 Nicaragua Retreat. I'm so glad I did! It was the one of the most incredible experiences of my life, even better that I was able to experience it with a college friend.
The barefoot folks really have something special going on. It's well organized, fun, and professional. It's 3 parts surf trip and 1 part vacation. I've been surfing for 6 years, but the video analysis and the 2 to 1 coach ratio advanced my skills a lot.
The people who run the retreat are exceptional as were all the local coaches and fellow surfers. I loved every second of it and I plan on being a repeat customer. If you want a fantastic surf experience, regardless of level, I strongly recommend Barefoot!
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
roman
Boston, MA11 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Couples
Amazing surf-training experience: well organized, but flexible, so you can adjust to your needs; great accommodations, great food, beautiful views; experienced coaches and 1:1 video analysis of every single wave you catch
Written June 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arthur D
3 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Amazing trip with barefoot, the entire crew is ultra friendly, perfect accommodation, quality practical and theory classes… I definitely recommend
Written June 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Corey T
2 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
So much fun, everything about this was great. The place, the food, and most of all the people were all amazing. Thanks so much BFS!
Written May 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Todd
1 contribution
Feb. 2023
I am 46 y.o., had never surfed, had never visited Costa Rica, but took this trip to disconnect and be immersed in something nourishing. I loved every minute of it. The accommodations were amazing. The Barefoot team members were basically friends upon arrival. They seemed genuinely interested in sharing their familiarity with the area and were very accessible. The group was also great. Lots of solo travelers, and everyone was eager to share surf tips, hang out and have fun.
Everyone took surfing very seriously but I never felt out of place having never surfed before. The instruction was very high-quality and individually tailored. I was quite tired after the morning surf sessions but it was very invigorating. Would have loved to stay longer.
Can't wait to go again!
Everyone took surfing very seriously but I never felt out of place having never surfed before. The instruction was very high-quality and individually tailored. I was quite tired after the morning surf sessions but it was very invigorating. Would have loved to stay longer.
Can't wait to go again!
Written March 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John S
2 contributions
Feb. 2023 • Couples
This was my second camp with Barefoot. The greatest strength of their program is in it’s structure of video and review of performance. No faking it here but very valuable. The activities outside of surfing are wonderful especially the yoga sessions which were amazing and recuperative. The staff were always attentive to each persons needs and contentment. One thing I would say is to gain the most from camp be in as good of surfing shape as possible as this will help to focus and enjoy experience and promote progression. I would also say having a realistic specific goal in terms of progression prior to camp is important. Overall Barefoot runs an amazing professional camp in a fantastic setting. I whole heartedly recommend it to any beginner to intermediate surfer!!
Written February 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay
1 contribution
Feb. 2023
The trip (Costa Rica) was a very helpful and effective opportunity to get constructive feedback on your surfing technique. The video analysis and theory classes were very informative; I only wish I had gone on a trip sooner! All the instructors were excellent and supportive. Spending time with everyone on the trip was fun, and a great community. I hope to go on another trip soon after some practice!
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David Burrus
Bend, OR16 contributions
Jan. 2023
I first found Barefoot Surf through their online surfing tutorials. If you haven't checked them out on Youtube, you should. They even have their own app with tons of additional surf instructional material. Out of all the "how to surfing videos" I have come across, Barefoot's are by far the best! I liked their videos so much that I decided to attend their surf camp in Nosara, Costa Rica.
Leading up to the camp, Barefoot was very good at communicating and responsive to all my inquiries. The week-long surf camp was very well organized and had good flow. It was the perfect balance of surfing, video analysis, surfing theory, recovery/down time, and organized dinners.
It was a little out of my comfort zone to travel solo and share accommodations with strangers, but I am so glad I did. Everyone was so nice! Our entire group meshed very well, which created awesome comradery. Everyone was like-minded and eager to get better at surfing. During down time lots of us hung out together and enjoyed each other's company.
Barefoot's on land surf coaches/team were AMAZING! Huge shout out to Naomi, Josh, Tabbi, and Chris for making this week so awesome! They are all incredibly knowledgeable about surfing. They go out of their way to make every guest feel welcomed from the moment they arrive. They are always accessible if you need something or just want to talk through aspects of your surfing. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all of them!
I have been surfing for about 4 years, never super consistent since I don't live near the ocean. I can honestly say that I learned more in this one week surf camp than I have in years on my own. Each morning would start off with a sunrise surf session. Best conditions of the day! Glassy waves, no crowds, and light off shore winds...what else could you ask for! Barefoot's in the water local surf coaches were also amazing! These guides grew up surfing this break. They were super knowledgeable and excited to share local experience. Having them in the water would give you confidence and help get you into more waves. The morning surf sessions were all video taped. Later in the day, you got to review the video from your morning waves with one of Barefoot's on land surf coaches. This honestly is where I learned the most! I have never actually seen myself surf on video. The Barefoot coaches would analyze each wave with you. Sometimes breaking it down slow-mo frame by frame. They would give you pointers and technique recommendations on what to work on and how to read the waves. Then you would get to work on these suggestions on your next surf...watch the video... continue to learn and improve your surfing and so on and so on. Each morning the on land coaches would communicate with the in water coaches before we went out to surf on what each surfer needs to work on, so there was good continuity which only helped everyone get better.
The progress I made in one week with Barefoot's surf camp was ASTOUNDING! I will absolutely be booking another surf camp with Barefoot Surf Travel. For anyone looking at improving their surfing I would 100% recommend Barefoot!
Leading up to the camp, Barefoot was very good at communicating and responsive to all my inquiries. The week-long surf camp was very well organized and had good flow. It was the perfect balance of surfing, video analysis, surfing theory, recovery/down time, and organized dinners.
It was a little out of my comfort zone to travel solo and share accommodations with strangers, but I am so glad I did. Everyone was so nice! Our entire group meshed very well, which created awesome comradery. Everyone was like-minded and eager to get better at surfing. During down time lots of us hung out together and enjoyed each other's company.
Barefoot's on land surf coaches/team were AMAZING! Huge shout out to Naomi, Josh, Tabbi, and Chris for making this week so awesome! They are all incredibly knowledgeable about surfing. They go out of their way to make every guest feel welcomed from the moment they arrive. They are always accessible if you need something or just want to talk through aspects of your surfing. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all of them!
I have been surfing for about 4 years, never super consistent since I don't live near the ocean. I can honestly say that I learned more in this one week surf camp than I have in years on my own. Each morning would start off with a sunrise surf session. Best conditions of the day! Glassy waves, no crowds, and light off shore winds...what else could you ask for! Barefoot's in the water local surf coaches were also amazing! These guides grew up surfing this break. They were super knowledgeable and excited to share local experience. Having them in the water would give you confidence and help get you into more waves. The morning surf sessions were all video taped. Later in the day, you got to review the video from your morning waves with one of Barefoot's on land surf coaches. This honestly is where I learned the most! I have never actually seen myself surf on video. The Barefoot coaches would analyze each wave with you. Sometimes breaking it down slow-mo frame by frame. They would give you pointers and technique recommendations on what to work on and how to read the waves. Then you would get to work on these suggestions on your next surf...watch the video... continue to learn and improve your surfing and so on and so on. Each morning the on land coaches would communicate with the in water coaches before we went out to surf on what each surfer needs to work on, so there was good continuity which only helped everyone get better.
The progress I made in one week with Barefoot's surf camp was ASTOUNDING! I will absolutely be booking another surf camp with Barefoot Surf Travel. For anyone looking at improving their surfing I would 100% recommend Barefoot!
Written February 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nehab94
Nashville, TN
What is the cost for surf lessons and what is included?
BarefootST
Montreal, Quebec, Canada3 contributions
Hi there!
We do not offer single surf lessons as we are a travel company that offers full surf trip packages for beginners. To see what exactly is included in our trips to Nicaragua, please visit our website in the "Nicaragua" destination.
Cheers!