Book a Surf Camp in Strandhill

2025 Surf Camp Timetables

June Surf Camps

June

June 2th – 6th [1 pm – 3.30 pm]
June 9th – 13th [12 – 2.30 pm]
June 16th – 20th [2 pm – 4.30 pm]
June 23rd – 27th [12 pm – 2.30 pm]

Ocean Warrior Surf Camps

July


Week 1: June 30th - 5th [9 am - 11 .30 am]
Week 2: 7th - 11th [12 pm - 2.30 pm]
Week 3: 14th - 18th [9 am - 11.30 am]
Week 4: 21th - 25th [3.30 pm - 6 pm]
Week 5: 28th - Aug 1st [9 am - 11.30 am]

August

Week 6: 4th - 8th [10.45 am - 1.15 pm]
Week 7: 11th - 15th [10.45 am - 1.15 pm]
Week 8: 18th - 22th [10.45 am - 1.15 pm]
Week 9: 25th - 29th [10.15 pm – 12.45 pm]

Level 2 Surf Coaching Weekend

This two day surfing boot camp involves two surf sessions at Strandhill Beach and two land based coaching sessions at the National Surf Centre with level 2 surf coach Seamus Mc Goldrick.

We will also cover some surf specific exercises and after surf stretches, plus a whole lot more.

The weekend is 9 am - 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday June 14 + 15. This course is for surfers who have completed a few beginner surf lessons, maybe own their own equipment and want to progress their skills. Our weekend is also suitable for men and women who have been surfing for a few years but now want to master all the intermediate surf skills.

Head coach Seamus Mc Goldrick will cover the basic whitewater skills before covering 10 intermediate surf skills you need to know like paddling out the back, taking off on unbroken waves and doing turns.

We will use the excellent facilities at the National Surf Centre for our morning level 2 surf skills presentations. All equipment is provided but if you have your own equipment, bring it.

Schedule: Saturday June 14

9 - 11 am: Welcome + Level 2 surf presentation in NSC
11 am – 12 pm: Lunch in Shells
12 – 2.30 pm: Surf session at Strandhill Beach
3 – 4 pm after surf stretch

Sunday June 15

9 - 11.30 am: Level 2 surf presentation + video analysis in NSC
11.30 am – 12.30 pm: Lunch in Shells
12.30 – 3 pm: Surf session at Strandhill Beach
3 – 4 pm after surf stretch

Ocean Warrior Surf Camp

The popular Ocean Warrior surf camp is available Monday to Friday throughout July and August. Summer camp in Sligo include daily surfing or bodyboarding lessons, beach games, environmental education, water safety and ocean awareness and, of course, lots of fun in the ocean. It is the perfect introduction to Sligo surfing. All camps last two and a half hours per day. The minimum age for the Ocean Warrior surf camp is nine years old (no exceptions).

Our summer camp is designed to bring out the inner Ocean Warrior in every participant regardless of ability with the help of the expert Sligo Surf Experience team. All surf camps in Strandhill are personally supervised by Seamus Mc Goldrick, the most experienced surf school manager in Strandhill. Seamus is an Irish bodyboarding national champion with a lifetime experience surfing in Strandhill.

Our Ocean Warrior surf camp is sponsored by Good 4U foods who provide healthy snacks for our hungry surfers each week.

Summer Camp Structure

The aim of the Ocean Warrior surf camp is to change attitudes and behaviours towards the water and ensure that each student leaves with lifelong respect and awareness of the ocean. Our surf camp program aims to develop confidence and social skills while creating a new sporting interest. The Ocean Warrior surf camp motto is: 'Respect All, Fear None, Have Fun.'

The first three days of surf lessons in Strandhill focus on introducing the surf camp participants to the ABCs of surfing. Each surfer receives an Ocean Warrior surf camp workbook that they can fill out every day to mark their surfing progress. Surf camp participants will learn lots about Sligo surfing from their Ocean Warrior workbooks and their friendly surf instructors. During their surf camp, participants will learn and practice three fundamental surf skills. The first is how to lie on their board in a balanced position. The second is how to paddle their board forward in order to catch a wave. The third skill is how to paddle, catch a wave and stand up in one, two or three easy steps.

Day One

Surf camp participants get to meet their surf instructors. The instructors guide the surf camp participants to the beach and play a quick ice-breaker name game so all the instructors and participants get introduced. Next, students are introduced to their surf equipment. They are shown how to handle their board safely and carry their board to waist depth water. They also learn where the safe Strandhill surfing zone is (between the flags) and the whistle and hand signals instructors and surfers use to communicate.

Day Two

Instructors check for learning and ask the group to recall the parts of the board and the safety signals used the day before. We will go through the basic surf technique from day one again. Surf camp participants are asked about one thing they did well on day one and one thing they would like to improve on today.

Day Three

After recapping on the basic surf techniques, our instructors will give students one or two coaching points to practice to improve their surfing technique. The instructors will also go into more detail about the ocean environment, how waves are formed and the effect of the wind and tide on the waves in Strandhill. Environmental concepts like Leave No Trace and Take Three for the Sea will also be introduced to the surf camp throughout the week.

Day Four

Our beach talk will focus more on ocean awareness, how to describe the surfing conditions and how to spot a rip current. The group will play some beach games to help them build on the surfing techniques they have learned during the week. The goal at this stage of the week for our young surfers is to be able to catch more waves each session than at the start of the week.

Day Five

The last day of surf camp is all about having one last, super fun surf lesson in Strandhill. After patiently listening to their instructors all week, Friday is a fun day. We also like to teach surfers on their summer camp about the problems we face from marine litter, particularly plastic. We get the surf camp to organize their own two-minute beach clean to see how much rubbish we can find on our favourite beach. The surf school provides gloves and bags. Then it is off to the sea to catch as many awesome waves as possible for the last day of surf camp. Back at the surf school, each child gets their Ocean Warrior surf camp certificate signed by the Sligo Surf Experience manager before saying our fond farewells.