Start with the surfing, then the people and the place you will come home to. The right surf camp in Costa Rica should fit your level, your budget and the way you like to spend a week.
Start with what you want to learn
Tell the school what you can do without help, rather than simply saying beginner or intermediate. Are you riding whitewater? Catching unbroken waves independently? Working on angled takeoffs or turns? Those details help a coach place you in an appropriate session.
Ask how coaching is separated by ability and how the beach, tide and equipment are chosen. A week with several lessons is only useful if those lessons match what you need. A destination described as beginner-friendly can still have strong currents and unsuitable surf on a particular day.
Ask who is actually teaching
Ask about instructor qualifications, local experience, coach-to-student ratios and the briefing before entering the water. Find out whether the person you meet online is your coach, your host or a booking contact. Those are different roles.
For a locally led trip, ask who runs the school and which local guides, cooks and businesses are involved. Specific people and services tell you more than a broad promise about supporting the community.
Compare the full week, not just the starting price
Check the number of nights, lessons and included meals. Ask whether boards are provided only during lessons or for independent practice too. Check activity transport, airport transfers, optional extras and insurance separately. All-inclusive can mean different things to different operators.
Check which room and occupancy the starting price assumes. A rate for friends sharing an apartment may differ from a shared studio or a room entirely to yourself. Compare the exact option you would book, then add flights and anything excluded.
Choose a house and rhythm that suit you
Look at the room photos, bed arrangements, shared spaces and distance to the beach and food. Ask about free time as well as organised activities. You might want shared dinners every night, or you might prefer choosing your own places to eat.
If you are coming solo, ask how room sharing works and who you can contact before arrival. For a women-only trip, check that the restriction applies to your selected week, rather than assuming every trip from the same school has the same audience.
How our Santa Teresa surf camp works
The Beach Boys is a year-round local surf school. Our fixed-date Surf & Stay weeks include six nights at The Baya House, four coached surf lessons, three beachfront movement classes with Sarah, daily breakfast, an ATV day with lunch and a separate coastal snorkelling trip.
Essentials is open to everyone and leaves evenings free. Signature is women only and adds video analysis with Isaac, shared dinners including a cooking class, sound bath, breathwork, surf photography and set-time local airport transfers. The trip pages show the exact dates, rooms, prices and exclusions.
Before you reserve
Ask for the full inclusions and exclusions in writing, along with payment dates, cancellation terms and any activity requirements. Then ask one last question: does this week suit how I actually want to surf and travel?
Sources
Come surf with us in Santa Teresa.
Small groups, local coaches, and Surf & Stay weeks at The Baya House.
