A typical day starts with breakfast at camp, then a surf session on the beach break nearest your camp. The course totals 24 hours across the week, split into water time and theory lessons on the sand, and it's open to complete beginners as well as people who already surf. Instructors are part of the camp team — they run the classes, keep the camp tidy, cook, and are around in the evenings.

Afternoons are free. You can take a surf skateboard out, play ping pong, get on the slackline or volleyball net, or walk into the pine forest when the sun is at its hottest. All the camps run yoga classes, with positions aimed at improving your surfing and stabilising the muscles you use in the water. Le Pin Sec is the quietest of the three, with empty line-ups and a beach 40 m from your tent. Vieux Boucau is 100 m from the surf beach and 400 m from the town centre, with Hossegor 20 minutes away. Moliets is the busiest, with the most international camps and the biggest nightlife.

What separates these camps from a generic surf school is the setup: you're on a proper camping ground with other camps around you, so the evenings have a social life of their own. The team organises concerts, theme parties and flunky ball tournaments at camp, and there are weekly trips — San Sebastián for pintxos and the nightlife, Lacanau for the party, or Bordeaux if you want the wine-growing region and the UNESCO-listed old city.

The surf itself is Atlantic beach break. Le Pin Sec works on a 1–8 ft swell with west wind, Moliets on 1–8 ft with east wind, and Vieux Boucau on 1–10 ft. Beginners and intermediates are best off coming July to September; autumn and winter bring bigger waves and emptier line-ups but aren't suited to less experienced surfers. The water is around 19°C at its warmest, so a standard wetsuit is what you'll wear.

Getting there: the closest airports are Bordeaux, Biarritz, San Sebastian and Bilbao. Bordeaux and Bilbao flights are usually cheaper; Biarritz and San Sebastian are easier because a shuttle bus can collect you and bring you to camp. Buses run from the bigger cities with the partner Rip Curl Express, and there's a shuttle from nearby train stations. If you drive, the camps are reachable by car and there are route planners online.

What's included

- 7 days accommodation in four-person tents (shared by two) - 24 hours of surf course for all skill levels - Surf theory lessons - Sport and surf equipment for free - Yoga classes (all camps) - Well-maintained camping ground - Access to surf skateboards, ping pong, slackline and volleyball net - Weekly trip to San Sebastián (Vieux Boucau and Junior camps) - Lacanau party trip (Le Pin Sec) - Day trips and camp parties

What's not included

- Flights - Airport transfers (shuttle available, not stated as included) - Travel insurance - Meals (except on the Junior camp, which includes complete catering) - Personal expenses - Surf outlet shopping