The week starts on a Tuesday evening. You check in between 5:30 and 6:15pm, the group sits down for an opening circle at 6:30pm, and the welcome dinner follows at 7:30pm. From Wednesday to Sunday there are five full camp days. Each one opens with a 2-hour surf session at 7:00am, when the wind is usually lightest and the water cleanest.

Afternoons change from day to day. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday there is an hour-long ice bath at 11:00am, meant to help sore paddling muscles recover before the next morning. Thursday is the 'good habits' day. It has a classroom theory session at 3:30pm covering waves, safety and etiquette, then paddling and board-handling practice in a swimming pool at 5:00pm, where it's easier to work on technique without waves knocking you around. Yoga sessions at 5:00pm on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday stretch out shoulders, hips and backs that have been paddling all morning.

The part most people find useful is the video analysis. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons the coaches go through footage from your sessions and give each person individual feedback. It's often the first time people see what they are actually doing on a wave, which is usually different from what they think they're doing. The last day ends with a final yoga session and a barbecue dinner with the whole group.

The coaching team is mostly local. Founder Jose Luke started surfing in September 2020 and set up Elixir Surf Camp in 2023. Instructor Shah has more than 16 years of surfing and teaching experience, and Raju has more than 13 years in the water. Kivins grew up in a traditional fishing family and knew the sea well before he learned to swim. Assistant Manshad (Jango) was born and raised in Varkala and has surfed since 2021. Instructor Anandu (Kichu) and assistant Vijeesh complete the team, so groups get several sets of eyes in the water.

Varkala itself is one of the few places in India where red laterite cliffs drop straight to the beach. The cliff top is lined with cafés, guesthouses and shops, and the beach below gets consistent waves in season that suit both beginners and improving surfers. Trivandrum airport is close enough for an easy transfer.

What sets this camp apart from a typical surf school is the structure around the surfing. Ice baths, pool paddling drills, theory and filmed feedback are built into the schedule instead of sold as optional extras. The camp also runs separate water-confidence workshops (treading water and breathwork) and land-based surf training sessions in Varkala for anyone who wants extra work between ocean sessions.

What's included

- 5 coached surf sessions (2 hours each) - Surf coaching from a local instructor team - 3 ice bath recovery sessions - 3 yoga sessions - Classroom surf theory session - Pool paddling and board-handling practice - Video analysis and individual feedback (2 sessions) - Opening circle on arrival - Welcome dinner - Nightly group dinners - Final barbecue dinner - Accommodation (in packages with a stay: dorm, shared or private room)

What's not included

- Breakfast - Lunch - Accommodation on the 'camp without stay' package - Flights to India - Airport transfers from Trivandrum - Visa fees - Travel insurance - Personal expenses