A typical day starts with breakfast made from local and organic produce, both sweet and savoury. Then you head to the beach for your lesson, which is usually in the morning but depends on the conditions. The school asks you to arrive 15 minutes early to change, pick a board and put on sunscreen. Lessons last an hour and a half and start with a warm-up on the sand or some body surfing in the shallows. Plan on two to two and a half hours in total once you add walking to the spot and rinsing the gear afterwards.

Groups are split by level and capped at six or eight surfers per instructor. Beginners work on getting to their feet and catching whitewater. Intermediates work on positioning, reading waves and picking lines. Advanced and expert surfers get video coaching, so they can watch their own surfing back with the instructor. Everyone gets a surf photo session during the week. There's also a one-hour theory and culture session covering tides, swell, etiquette and how the local beaches work.

From May to September the school sets up a hut at Les Casernes beach. It has boards, wetsuits, changing space and somewhere to leave your bag, with public toilets nearby. People hang around before and after lessons to watch the water, eat something or have a drink. If the conditions at Les Casernes aren't working, lessons move to South Beach in Hossegor.

Afternoons and evenings have no fixed programme. At the Lodge you can sit in the jacuzzi or steam room, skate the bowl, play billiards or table football, or take a second-hand e-bike out through the forest. If you're staying in the Seignosse villa, you can walk to the shops and the beach. On Tuesday evening there's a brazier where the whole group gets together. Carpooling to the beach usually gets sorted out among guests, and the team can arrange shuttles if needed.

This camp differs from many others in three ways. You choose where you sleep from five quite different places, at prices from 570€ to 880€ for the week. You can surf as much as you want outside lessons because the equipment is always available. And there are themed weeks: Surf & Yoga with Cécile, Surf & Meditation with Sandrine, Surf & Mov'Nat with Philippe, plus weeks built around ocean breathing and freediving, video coaching, wellbeing or surf performance.

The area is the southern Landes coast. It has long, open beach breaks, a big pine forest behind the dunes, and small lakes inland, including the white pond near the tipis. Biarritz and Bordeaux are the nearest airports. You can get here by train or bus without a car, though the tipis are easier with one.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation, Sunday to Saturday - 6 local/organic sweet and savoury breakfasts (at the Lodge) - Feel Good Morning practices - 5 surf lessons of 1h30, Monday to Friday (beginner to intermediate) - Or 2 coaching sessions of 2h plus debrief (intermediate to expert) - Surf equipment available all week outside lessons - 1 hour of surf theory and surf culture - 1 surf photo session - Welcome drink and brazier evening - Bed sheets and 1 towel - Handmade dry soap for body and hair on request - Use of the facilities at your accommodation - Electric bikes at the Lodge

What's not included

- Flights and travel to the Landes - Lunches and dinners - Extra surf coaching sessions - Shuttles and local transport (can be arranged) - Bike rental for Tipi guests - Travel insurance - Babysitting - Personal expenses and drinks