Hey Zuz, I am confused. Worst. Surf. Retreat. Ever

Oh man. This week’s Hey Zuz I am confused is heart breaking, because it involves wasting money on a surf trip and it personally hurts me so much.

????‍???? Hey Zuz: I had the worst surf retreat ever

Hey Zuz, I am confused: I’ve just had the worst experience ever. I don’t think I will ever travel to surf again. I’m so angry with myself. Maybe I shouldn’t be, because I thought I did all the due diligence. The reviews for the surf retreat were great. I was so looking forward to it, but when it came to it the food was bad, we had to travel to the break for 1.5 hours every day, and we only got to surf once a day. The instructors didn’t seem that experienced either. The other surfers didn’t seem to mind. I felt like a total outsider. Is there something I could’ve done differently? I spent so much money on this, and at the end of the day I didn’t feel like I progressed at all—like I didn’t even have a vacation.

???? Dear reader!

I always say: plan a surfing holiday, prepare yourself for disappointment. I know what you want to hear: hey, you must’ve just been unlucky—very unlucky. But the truth is, there’s always more you can do when planning your surf travel. Especially when it comes to organized travel like surf camps or surf retreats.

The problem is that it involves asking a ridiculous number of questions, and being prepared for the organizers not necessarily being open to answering them. If you want to feel more in control, you need to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, from start to finish: the travel, the accommodation, the food menu, and most importantly—the detailed schedule.

If it sounds a bit OTT, it’s because it is. Of course, you can also scour the reviews for info and look out for any red flags. Even if you ask someone who’s actually been to the place and surfed there for their advice, their experience may still be different than yours—because they are a different person.

The best advice I can offer is this: let it go. Assume that your surf vacay is going to be just ok. Don’t go in with any preconceptions or expectations. Don’t build it up. The surf may be shit, this rotation of instructors may not be up your street. Still, most likely you’ll be in the tropics with some lovely weather—unless you are spectacularly unlucky.

And bring your own snacks!

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team