Punta Mango
A long, powerful right hand point. The one people fly here for, and the reason the shortboard crowd knows El Salvador at all.
Home › The Retreat
Seven daysThe Waveswell Retreat: Seven Days of Stand Up Paddle Surfing in El Salvador
Six nights on the Gulf of Fonseca, three to seven people, and every session filmed and reviewed the same day.
- From $3,500 per person
- November to March
- Everything on the ground included
In one paragraph
What the week actually is
Six nights and seven days on the Gulf of Fonseca in La Unión, El Salvador, for a group of three to seven adults who can already stand on a paddle board. You surf every day at whichever break the swell is favouring, someone films you from the shore without you noticing, and the group sits down together afterwards to watch it. Somewhere in the week you and Joss sit down alone for the part guests remember longest.
Between sessions there are boat trips out to the islands of the gulf, a coffee farm on a volcano, waterfalls, and long meals. From the moment you are collected at the airport to the moment you are dropped back, nothing on the ground costs you anything extra.
A day here
The rhythm of a Waveswell day
No two days are identical, because the ocean decides a lot of it. But the shape holds, and it is built so that you are in the water when the water is best and thinking about it when it is not.
Wake up routine
Early, before the wind comes up. Mobility and breathing before anything gets wet.
Surf session
Technical stand up paddle coaching at the break that suits the day and your level. Filmed from the shore.
Meals
Fresh food, three times a day, cooked for the group. Dietary needs handled from the form you fill in after booking.
Video analysis
The group watches the morning back together. You leave with three objectives, deliberately not thirty.
High performance tools
Meditation, visualisation, breathing, objective setting. The same toolkit used inside national team programmes.
Adventure and personal time
A boat trip, a coffee farm, a waterfall, or a hammock. Some of the week has to be yours.
Journaling and cool down
Ten quiet minutes that turn out to matter more than they sound.
Where you surf
Four breaks and a gulf full of islands
El Salvador is consistently named among the ten best surf destinations on the planet, and the retreat is based at the quiet end of it, away from the crowds of La Libertad.
Las Flores
A softer, longer right that runs and runs. The most forgiving of the four, and where a lot of the coaching happens.
Maculis
Quiet, local, rarely crowded. Good when the swell is smaller and you want time to work on something specific.
Playa Blanca
Sand bottom and gentler water. Where the first session usually happens, so nobody meets a reef on day one.
And the gulf itself
La Unión sits on the Gulf of Fonseca, which El Salvador shares with Honduras and Nicaragua. Boat trips run out to the islands, past reefs, and past volcanoes on three sides. Whales pass through occasionally, which nobody can promise you and everybody remembers.
The water is warm enough all year that nobody on a Waveswell retreat has ever needed a wetsuit.
Price and inclusions
What $3,500 covers
The price is per person and it is nearly all of the trip. The short list of what it is not is below it.
The Waveswell Retreat
$3,500
per person, from · 6 nights and 7 days
- 6 nights in a private or shared room
- Airport pick up and drop off
- Technical stand up paddle surf sessions every day
- Personalised coaching and guiding at every session
- Daily post session video analysis with the group
- One to one high performance coaching
- All meals, snacks and drinks, cooked fresh
- Surf trips to the nearby breaks
- Tours: the islands of the gulf by boat, a coffee farm on a volcano, waterfalls
- All your photos and video from the week
- A goodie bag to take home
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance and medical insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Board and paddle rental, $455 for the entire retreat
Your room decides the final figure
Everything in the list is the same whichever room you take. What moves the number is whether you sleep alone, share with one person, or share with two.
| Occupancy | Per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single | pending | Your own room. The most popular choice for solo travellers. |
| Double | pending | Two people sharing. Each person pays their own share, it is not a room price split in two. |
| Triple | pending | Three sharing. Rarely chosen, but it is the lowest per person figure. |
| Non surfing partner | pending | Room, meals and tours kept. Surf sessions, equipment and surf transport taken out. |
A note while these are being confirmed
The exact figure for each room type is being finalised for this season. Write to Joss and she will quote you directly, usually the same day.
Why almost everybody rents a board
Airlines in the United States stopped accepting boards over seven feet, and a paddle board is longer and heavier than that. Renting a board and paddle for the whole retreat is $455, which is far below the regular daily rate and saves you the freight, the oversize fees and the risk of your board arriving in two pieces.
Dates
When the retreats run
- Retreat season
- November to March, up to Easter week. This is when the swell, the weather and the northern winter all line up.
- Coaching season
- April to October. One to one sessions on your own dates. See coaching and rentals.
- Length
- Seven days as standard. A ten day format has been run on request and can be arranged again.
- Booking window
- Dates are usually announced around six months ahead. Groups fill from three people.
This season’s dates pending
The confirmed dates for the coming season are being finalised and will be listed here, all of them, so you can plan flights without writing to anyone first. In the meantime, send Joss an email and she will tell you what is open.
Booking
How a booking actually works
There is no checkout button, on purpose. Every retreat is a group of at most seven people, so it starts with a conversation.
1. You write
An email to Joss, or a WhatsApp message. Tell her roughly where you are in your paddling and what you are hoping for.
2. You talk
A call, so she can answer everything and be honest with you about whether this retreat is the right one. Sometimes the answer is one to one coaching first.
3. You reserve
A deposit holds your place, with the balance due before you travel. exact schedule pending
4. You fill in the form
Objectives, experience, dietary needs. It is what the coaching and the kitchen are built from before you arrive.
5. You land
Somebody is at El Salvador International Airport waiting for you.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Minimum group | 3 people. Below that the retreat is suspended and everyone is refunded, or the booking becomes one to one coaching if flights are already bought. |
| Maximum group | 7 people. |
| Deposit and balance | pending confirmation |
| Cards accepted | pending, including whether American Express works |
| Changing your dates | Possible, with a penalty that increases the closer you get to the start. pending |
| Cancelling | The deposit is not refunded if you cancel. The one case where money is returned is a retreat that does not reach three people. |
Everything else
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to surf already?
You need to already be able to stand up on a paddle board on your own. The retreat is not for absolute beginners, because the group moves together and a first timer would be learning while everyone else is riding. If you have never been on a board, start with one to one coaching sessions and join a retreat once you can stand reliably.
How much does the retreat cost?
From 3,500 US dollars per person for six nights and seven days. That covers your room, every meal, airport transfers, all surf sessions, the daily video analysis, the one to one coaching work, the tours and all your photos and video. The final figure depends on whether you take a single, double or triple room.
What is not included?
Flights, travel and medical insurance, alcoholic drinks, and board rental. If you do not want to fly with your own board, a board and paddle for the whole retreat is 455 US dollars, well under the regular daily rate.
How big are the groups?
Three people minimum, seven maximum. If a retreat does not reach three people it is cancelled and everyone is refunded. If you have already bought flights, the booking can be converted into one to one coaching instead.
Which airport do I fly into?
El Salvador International Airport, in El Salvador, Central America. Check this carefully when you book, because there are airports with similar names in other countries. Pick up and drop off are included.
Where exactly do we surf?
The retreat is based on the Gulf of Fonseca in La Union, and the sessions move between Punta Mango, Las Flores, Maculis and Playa Blanca depending on the swell and on your level. Boat trips run out to the islands of the gulf.
When do the retreats run?
November to March, which is high season and lines up with winter in North America. It runs up to Easter week. From April to October the focus shifts to one to one coaching on your own dates.
Can my partner come if they do not paddle surf?
Yes. Partners who do not surf are welcome at an adjusted rate that keeps the room, the meals and the tours and takes out the surf sessions, the equipment and the surf transport. Separate tours or private coaching can be arranged for them while the group is in the water.
Is this stand up paddle only, or regular surfing too?
Stand up paddle surfing only. Waveswell specialises in SUP surf, not shortboard or longboard surfing, and the coaching, the video analysis and the equipment are all built around the paddle.
Is there an age limit?
No. Most guests are between 55 and 75, but younger people are welcome and there is no upper limit either. What matters is that you can swim on your own and stand on a board.
What if I have a dietary restriction?
Once you have paid you receive a form covering your objectives and any dietary needs. Vegan, vegetarian and allergies are all handled, and the kitchen prepares a separate menu.
What does the health side of this actually do for me?
Through the week we work with high performance tools: meditation, visualisation, breathing, and how you set and hold an objective. They are aimed at your physical and mental performance in the water first, and they transfer straight back into everything else.
I am pregnant. Is it safe?
Every guest is welcome, and it is each visitor's responsibility to check with their doctor before booking. We would be glad to be part of your journey either way.
Are there discounts?
No standing discounts are offered. Watch the Instagram and the mailing list for occasional promotions.
Come surf with me
Write to me and let’s talk it through
An email, then a call, then you decide. No pressure and no funnel, just a conversation with the person who will be in the water with you.