What is the best surf school on Fuerteventura? In recent years, Fuerteventura’s location in the Atlantic Ocean has cemented its status as one of Europe’s premier surf destinations. The extensive coastline, with its numerous spots offering high-quality waves, is visited every year by thousands of surfers of all skill levels from around the world.
Thanks to the fact that more and more people want to learn to surf, the number of surf schools in this part of the Canary Islands has grown exponentially, with options to suit every taste, ranging from super-intensive courses lasting just a few hours to multi-day camps with room and board in an authentic surfing atmosphere.
How do you find the best surf school?
To find the best surf school, you should take a little time to compare different aspects of various surf schools. If you’re interested in learning to surf, take the time to carefully review the following guidelines. For each point, we’ve included an explanation of why we consider FreshSurf to be the best surf school in those areas, how we view each point, and where we stand on them. It’s important to us that you compare our offerings with those of other surf schools. We’d be thrilled if you chose us as your surf school and let us teach you how to surf!
If you are looking for a quick answer, you can jump directly to the conclusions at the end of this article.
“Surfing is like playing music—you play different melodies with different boards!”
– Skip Frye –
The best surf school offers a flexible schedule for its surf lessons
What is the schedule for the surf lessons?
Whichever surf school you choose should be flexible when it comes to the schedule of surf lessons. Some schools only offer surf lessons at a specific time of day. The problem with this is that these surf schools don’t schedule lessons based on the tides—and thus don’t take advantage of the best prevailing conditions. The best surf school on Fuerteventura ensures that lesson times change daily to account for the tides as well as the prevailing wind and weather conditions.
A surf school should be flexible enough to take these factors into account so that you can receive the best possible instruction.
The best surf school has a low instructor-to-student ratio
How many students are taught per instructor?
The student-to-instructor ratio is important for beginner surfers. The last thing you want is to end up at a surf school that treats students like an assembly line. You can spot such a surf school by the fact that it pushes the legal maximum ratio of one surf instructor to eight students to the limit. At a surf school like that, you won’t get enough individual attention, and as a result, you probably won’t make progress as quickly.
Unfortunately, some surf schools tend to form very large groups per instructor, which makes the lessons impersonal, less effective, and less efficient, and poses a potential safety risk to the students.
The best surf school on Fuerteventura ensures that you learn quickly and make rapid progress thanks to a low student-to-instructor ratio of one instructor to four students. Surfing is fun, but when you’re just starting out, you need someone to make sure you don’t get into any accidents and to minimize that risk with the right instruction and equipment.
The best surf school offers a price that includes equipment
Is all surfing equipment—such as a surfboard, wetsuit, etc.—included in the surf course?
Since you’re already paying for the surf lesson itself, you shouldn’t have to pay extra to rent surf gear. The surf school should provide you with a surfboard, a wetsuit, a leash, wax, and a lycra top for the lesson.
The best surf school on Fuerteventura provides you with all the gear and even takes photos “on the side” so you’ll have great memories of your time in El Cotillo. The photos are included in the package at no extra cost.
The best surf school offers you top-quality equipment
What kind of surfing equipment is used?
The condition of the equipment can make all the difference between a good and a bad surfing experience. That’s why the school should provide its students with high-quality gear that’s in perfect condition and regularly replaced.
The best surf school on Fuerteventura offers you top-quality gear, which is completely replaced once a year. This means wetsuits and surfboards are never very old, making the learning experience very enjoyable. Furthermore, we use only equipment from brand-name manufacturers and do not purchase it from “Decathlon” like some of our competitors do.
The best surf school offers you a good curriculum
What approach does the surf school take to teach you how to surf?
The content of the lessons at a good surf school is very important. You should learn how to warm up before surfing and how to stay safe in the ocean. It’s important to have a good mix of surfing theory and practice. It’s important that you know how to pick the best waves. That means you should learn about how waves form, the different types of waves, and how the wind affects them.
At the best surf school on Fuerteventura, you’ll learn something new every day in addition to hands-on surfing. These topics—ranging from how waves form, the most common surfing mistakes, the correct stance on the board, proper positioning in the lineup, proper paddling, and the right equipment, all the way to surf etiquette (right-of-way rules)—all the topics you need to continue practicing on your own and go surfing. All topics are presented to you with visual aids in our surf theory lounge in El Cotillo. Here, you can sit back on the sofa with some cookies, review your surf course, and dive a little deeper into the world of surfing.
In the overview below, you’ll see what we’ll teach you during the first five days of our surf course in Fuerteventura:
- Understanding the Ocean: Tides, Waves, Currents
- Learning About Waves: Why They Form, How They Move, and Their Differences
- Learning About Surfing Equipment: The Surfboard, the Fins, the Leash, the Wax
- Handling the equipment on land and in the water
- Safety in and out of the water (recognizing hazards)
- Surfing waves while lying down and standing up
- Making small turns, accelerating, and slowing down
- Surfing etiquette (right-of-way rules)
- … and much more
Fun is the top priority at the best surf school
Just how much fun can surfing and surf lessons be?
The best surf school should have qualified surf instructors
What qualifications do the surf coaches have?
Make sure the school in question complies with current regulations. Not everyone is capable of teaching you the ins and outs of surfing or ensuring your safety in the water. If the surf instructors are qualified, the risks are minimized. A real surf instructor wants to be by your side, encouraging you and correcting your form so that you have a great experience. Look for surf instructors who have experience both in surfing and in teaching. Just because someone is a great surfer in the water doesn’t necessarily mean they can “teach” or provide comprehensive instruction.
How important is it to have lessons tailored to your needs?
A surf coach who is committed to helping his or her students learn is the best guarantee of a high-quality service. To that end, the surf instructor is always right there with the students. This means that the dedicated instructor goes into the water with the student, helps them get onto the surfboard so they can catch the wave more easily, corrects their posture, encourages them to keep going, and doesn’t give up until the student has achieved the goal of standing on the waves.
It’s easy to spot an unmotivated teacher by their posture; they often stand with their hands behind their back, in the “typical waiter’s stance” on the beach, and give very little feedback.
The best surf school on Fuerteventura employs surf instructors who are all certified, all lifeguards, and have been surfing themselves for a long time. Our surf instructors love teaching and sharing their passion for surfing with you. You’re the focus here. None of our instructors are here to show off; instead, they want you to learn to ride the waves at your own pace and with as much attention as possible.
The best surf school ensures your safety
How is the topic of safety addressed in the surf course?
When choosing a surf school, make sure the instructors have a surf instruction certification, a first aid certification, and a lifeguard certification. Even on calm days, the ocean can be dangerous due to currents and unexpected waves. One of the most important—and often overlooked—aspects of learning to surf is safety. All safety-related questions must be addressed before paddling out for the first time, including how to handle strong currents or rip currents and how to avoid collisions with other surfers. Safety, therefore, comes first.
At the best surf school on Fuerteventura, safety is a top priority. On the first day of your surf course, you’ll attend a safety presentation in the surf theory area at the surf school. Here, we’ll explain how to use your equipment, the flag system on the beach, and point out potential hazards posed by other surfers, animals, or other factors. We’ll explain the emergency numbers, the hand signals the surf instructors use to communicate with you while you’re surfing, and everything else you need to know about safety. Only then will we head to the beach together with all your gear, where you’ll get your first hands-on experience with surfing.
The best surf school creates a great atmosphere
What is the layout of the surf school like, and is attention paid to the details?
Surf schools aren’t just for beginners. Even experienced surfers prefer surf camps and surf schools because they know they can ride the best waves there, meet like-minded people, and find staff who want to make their time as enjoyable as possible. If you’re interested in a surf school, you should check out its social media accounts to get a sense of what it offers. Sometimes it all comes down to the setting, which can make or break an adventure.
At the best surf school on Fuerteventura, you can get an authentic sense of the conditions you can expect here on Instagram and on our blog. We don’t want to sugarcoat anything, because surfing is a sport that depends on nature. Sure, we sometimes have paradise-like conditions, but unfortunately, many days are windy and sometimes even gray. Although the sun shines almost every day, that’s not always the case.
The best surf school offers a program for every skill level
What does the surf school offer for beginners, intermediate, and advanced surfers?
Another factor to consider when choosing the best surf school is the range of courses it offers. It’s important that the school has options for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, because this allows us to progress in our learning without having to switch schools or instructors. This way, you’ll have the opportunity to come back on other occasions to continue learning to surf, with the assurance that you’ll be progressing step by step with the same team of surfing pros, which in turn will boost your confidence.
The best surf school has a good reputation
How is the surf school rated, and what do former students think?
A school that has been around for a while has figured out how to keep its guests happy and safe. If you’re going to spend money on a surf school, you should choose one with a long and successful history. It’s also a good idea to choose a school that is known locally, nationally, and internationally for providing high-quality surf lessons and related services to both locals and visitors.
Even though it isn’t the only deciding factor, a surf school’s many years of experience can be a reason to choose it. Generally, a school with extensive teaching experience has a track record of satisfied graduates who recommend it to others. A very good surf school that has been teaching this sport for many years usually also has the best reviews on social media. It’s therefore a good idea to search online for reviews from people who have taken their courses.
FreshSurf, the best surf school on Fuerteventura, has been around since 2009 and has been committed to continuous improvement ever since. We make mistakes too, as you can clearly see from our reviews. But we view every mistake and every valid, constructive criticism as a tool to help us become even better.
The best surf school is in a good location
Where is the surf school located?
Make sure that a good surf school is always located near the ocean, so that the surf school building is easy to reach.
The best surf school on Fuerteventura is just a 2-minute drive from our beach, so you won’t spend much time in the car. However, we want you to have the best possible conditions every day. So, we’ll sometimes drive to the east coast if the conditions are better there. That might mean spending 20 minutes on the surf school bus. But with good music and a positive attitude, the time will fly by.
Conclusions on the Best Surf School in Fuerteventura
As you can see, there are many factors that go into determining the best surf school on Fuerteventura.
Factors that help you identify the best surf school are:
- Flexible schedule for the surfing lessons
- the smallest possible instructor-to-student ratio
- Surfing equipment is included in the price
- Top-quality surfing gear in like-new condition
- A Good Curriculum in Theory and Practice
- Fun is a very important factor
- qualified and licensed surf instructors
- Safety is our top priority
- There’s a great atmosphere here
- Programs for Every Surfing Level
- Good reputation, reviews, and user experiences
- Great location by the sea
Is FreshSurf the best surf school on Fuerteventura?
We hope you have fun finding the best surf school for you. Here at FreshSurf, we offer unforgettable vacation experiences for people looking for a surf camp for beginners or intermediate surfers, adults, or families. We combine our surf lessons with a range of activities for both active and passive relaxation, so you can develop the right mindset, flexibility, and focus to succeed in the waves—and in life. Here’s what our guests say about us: FreshSurf Reviews
Our guests—many of whom have been coming back year after year—believe that FreshSurf is the best surf school because we offer a holistic, diverse, and well-rounded experience in and around surfing. We’ve always believed in the idea that “small is beautiful,” which is why we keep our groups small and intimate. Our guests often say they feel like they’re visiting old friends, and the feeling is mutual.
If you think FreshSurf is a good fit for you, feel free to send us your inquiry. Otherwise, we wish you the best of luck in your search. Above all, surfing is our passion and one of the best parts of our life here, and we look forward to following your journey as you get to know the surfer in you better!




