Looking to learn surfing or improve your surf skills? Come surf with us! Star Rest Surf Camp isn’t just a camp. We are also a shop offering lessons, equipment, and board repair. Star Rest Surf Camp provides high-quality surf lessons in Arugam Bay for beginner and intermediate surfers and guides for advanced surfers. Lessons can be booked ahead of time and we accept walk-ins as instructor availability allows. We recommend booking ahead of time or stopping by the shop to check availability at least one day before you’d like to surf. If you’re not sure, just stop by and we’ll tell you all about the lessons and instructor availability.
One of the things that makes Arugam Bay unique for learning to surf is the green water waves vs the whitewater waves. A whitewater wave is a wave that is broken all the way and many beginners learn on whitewater waves. The whitewater is strong and will push all the way to shore. While whitewater waves are a good place to start, once you get your balance, you will crave something more challenging. This is where the greenwater waves come in. Greenwater waves are waves that have not yet broken all the way. Eventually they will break, but until they do, you can enjoy surfing nearly all the way to the shore. Something else that is special about surfing in Arugam Bay is the ease of getting to and from the point (the place in the water where the wave breaks and you can surf). Because of the beach break (sandy bottom where the waves break and the entry and exit point to the water) at most of the surf points, falling off the board is less scary and waves are easier to get to.
Arugam Bay is the perfect place to learn surfing! There are many surf points that are beginner-friendly and challenging enough so you will be able to continue progressing throughout the week. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to surf & stay safe in the water, something many beginner surfers miss out on without lessons. You’ll practice balance and learn when to paddle, what to look for in a wave, and how to read the line-up so you know when it’s your turn to take the wave. Nervous? It’s normal! Our instructors are ISA certified and are trained specifically to teach you how to surf and keep you safe. Don’t worry. We’ve got you.
Star Rest Surf Camp, intermediate surfers can improve much quicker through lessons than one would on their own. Surf Lessons are a great way to improve while getting to know the surf points and learning from locals who have surfed in Arugam Bay their whole lives. Our certified instructors will assess your surf ability and will provide suggestions for where you can improve. Surf video analysis may be provided upon request at an additional cost. Just ask! Another reason to get lessons is the opportunity to try out different boards. The surf shop is well stocked with boards of all sizes so that you can hop on a longer board if you’ve been struggling with a board that is too short, and with shorter boards for you to try a more challenging shortboard if your board is inches too long.
If you have never been to Arugam Bay before and you don’t want lessons, we do provide surf guiding. This is the quickest and safest way to learn about the points, the waves, how to get in and out, the lineups, reef, season, etc. We especially recommend hiring a guide for points like Main Point because of the reef and the lineup, Pottuvil Point for the multiple breaks and knowledge of where to be, and Elephant Rock because of the crocodiles, elephants, and difficulty to find.
We’ve mentioned that our instructors are ISA certified. But what does it mean? The ISA (International Surfing Association) certification is recognized as the international standard of safety, quality, and efficacy for surf coaches and instructors within the surf industry. The difference between an ISA-certified instructor and an instructor who is not ISA certified is simple: quality. An ISA certified instructor is focused on more than getting you on the wave, they’re focused on your surf technique and your progression throughout the lesson, and most importantly, your safety. To obtain the ISA certification, surf instructors must take a challenging and thorough course. After the ISA license is obtained, a renewal is required every year to keep credentials current.
