Noseride Longboard Surf Retreat in Mexico with Pro Dan Pascacio

The retreat runs for seven days and six nights, Sunday to Saturday, and the format is built around repeating the same loop: surf, watch yourself on video, fix it in the water the next day. Five mornings of two-hour sessions are filmed, and every one of those is followed by an in-depth video analysis and longboard theory session. By the end of the week most guests have a stack of footage of themselves plus a clear picture of what they're doing wrong on the cross-step.

The wave is the reason the retreat works. It's a long, mellow left point break — described as one of the longest left points in the world — which means long rides, plenty of time on the nose, and forgiving sections to practice on. It's the kind of wave where a longboard makes sense, and where you get enough repetition in a single session to actually change a habit.

Dan Pascacio is a local professional longboarder and the coach for the week. The group is deliberately capped at five to six guests, which is the main difference between this and a bigger surf camp: you get individual attention, and Dan can paddle out next to you rather than shouting instructions from the beach. Sessions cover cross-steps, hang fives, hang tens and riding classic single-fin longboards.

Off the water, breakfast is included every morning and there's a welcome dinner on the Sunday night. Optional extras include horse riding on the beach, massages, a baby turtle release on the beach at sunset, and a boat surf trip. Lunches and dinners are not included — you eat out in town — and the town itself is a big part of the trip. It's described as Mexico's most magical surf town, and you're experiencing it with locals rather than as a package tourist.

Beachfront cabanas with AC, fans and internet sit right in front of the break. Each has a private bathroom. Board rental is available if you're not flying with your own longboard, at an extra cost of 2,500 Mexican pesos for the week. Flights, airport transfers, travel insurance, lunches and dinners are not included, so budget for those separately.

What's included

- 7 days / 6 nights (Sunday to Saturday) - Beachfront accommodation in a cabana with private bathroom - Rooms with AC, fan and internet - Welcome dinner on Sunday night - Breakfast every morning - 5 filmed surf sessions of 2 hours each - 5 in-depth video analysis and longboard theory sessions - Daily professional surf videos - Natural hot springs visit - Iguana reserve sanctuary visit

What's not included

- Flights - Transfers to and from the airport - Surfboards (longboard rental available at 2,500 Mexican pesos per week) - Travel insurance - Lunch and dinners (except the welcome dinner)