Barbados Women's Surf Camp & Coaching Week

You stay in one of two large self-catering apartments right on the beach at Freights Bay, about 20 minutes from Grantley Adams International Airport. Both are set up for surfers: outdoor shower for a post-surf rinse, board storage, a manicured front lawn used for some of the coaching, and open-air balconies overlooking the sea. The top-floor apartment sleeps up to 5 (3 private ensuite rooms plus a twin room with adjacent bathroom); the ground-floor apartment sleeps up to 4 (2 twin rooms with a shared bathroom). Rooms are allocated in booking order, so the biggest rooms go to whoever books earliest.

The coaching is five days of in-water sessions, video analysis and surf theory. You're coached by Barbados locals Jodie and Chelsea, both ISA-qualified. Chelsea Roett started surfing competitively at 12, has over 100 wins and 50-plus titles internationally, represented Barbados at the Olympics, and won the APSPR Corona Pro in Puerto Rico. She's also an ISA Level 2 Surf Coach and a qualified Montessori teacher. Jodie is a lifelong surfer and coach, and the yoga sessions are hers. The ratio is two instructors per eight guests — smaller than most surf camps.

Days follow a rough pattern rather than a rigid timetable. You're typically up early to be first in the water at dawn, then video feedback happens over brunch, and the afternoon is either free, a flat-water session at Miami Beach, a guided free surf, or an excursion. The flat-water session is specifically about ocean confidence — bodysurfing, open-water swimming, paddle technique. You also get one surf-skate workshop with drills for toe and heel control and drawing clean lines through turns, which builds muscle memory on land.

What separates this from a standard surf camp is the combination of location and coaching. You're staying so close to the break that you can leave the water, have a coffee on the balcony, and go back in. All your sessions are videoed and photographed, including in-water GoPro footage, and you keep the footage. You also get a log book to track progress and set goals for the week, and the final days include a session on surf forecasting so you can plan your own sessions when you get home.

Beyond the surfing, there's a full island tour day with an optional dawn surf first, lunch in the fishing village of Bathsheba, and a surf-inspired yoga session at Jodie's shala. You can count turtles from the balcony while you drink your morning coffee, and the water is warm enough (around 28°C) to stay in for long sessions. Air temperatures sit between 28-30°C during the trip window, which falls in the shoulder season — consistent fun waves without the crowds of the dry-season swells.

A few practical things worth knowing: food is not included, and you'll be in a self-catering apartment, so budget roughly £5 to £30 per meal. Transfers are timed around a 3pm airport pickup on arrival day and a 10am drop-off on departure day, with one free transfer per day included; other times cost $25 USD each way. The trip officially starts at 4pm on day one and ends at 10am on the last day. Full travel insurance that covers surfing is required.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation in a beachfront self-catering apartment at Freights Bay - Airport arrival and departure transfers (one free transfer per day, timed for 3pm arrival and 10am departure) - 5 days of surf coaching with ISA-qualified instructors - Two instructors per eight guests - All surf equipment provided (board suited to your level) - Photo and video analysis sessions, including in-water GoPro footage you keep - Flat water coaching session at Miami Beach (bodysurfing, open water swimming, paddle technique) - One Surf Skate workshop with video analysis - Surf theory sessions including surf forecasting - Bespoke log book to track your progress - 2 surf-inspired yoga sessions with Jodie - Full island tour including Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl - Welcome group meeting - WhatsApp group for the trip

What's not included

- International flights - All meals and drinks (self-catering apartment; budget approx £5-£30 per meal) - Travel insurance (required, must cover surfing) - Airport transfer outside the free daily times ($25 USD each way) - Optional professional massage from Jodie - Optional kayak or paddleboard tours - Optional group dinners at restaurants - Personal expenses - Visas (not required for most nationalities)