The intensive surf course in Dakar is 3 to 5 days of practice, with two two-hour lessons a day on the peninsula’s spots. Equipment, insurance and coach are included, groups are formed by level, and courses run all year, with the best conditions from October to June.

Progressing in a few days

An intensive course differs from a single session: it concentrates learning over several consecutive days. The programme begins with a welcome and the setting of goals, then alternates two 2-hour lessons a day, morning and afternoon, on different spots. Each day includes preparation on the beach (warm-up, posture, safety) and sessions at sea (take-off, paddling, positioning, advanced techniques depending on level). Technical workshops complete the week: reading waves, equipment repair, nutrition.

Equipment is included (boards, wetsuits, insurance), with a private coach. Airport transfers are included in most options, family packs or personalised progression are possible, and courses run all year. In most surf camps, the lodging is friendly, with meals based on local produce, and side activities complete the week: yoga, beach volleyball, skateboarding, snorkelling and cultural outings in Dakar’s neighbourhoods. Some options include up to three video analysis sessions and a personal review.

The intensive format aims at accelerated progress, thanks to regularity and variety of spots: beach breaks, reefs, more hollow or more rolling waves, accessible to all depending on swell and season. If you live in Dakar, it is a way to take a week off to learn or improve without going far from home. If you are visiting, the course organises an entire stay around the sea.

The spots and the peninsula

Lessons are held on the peninsula’s spots, around Ngor, the Almadies, Yoff or Ouakam, depending on the day’s swell. Ngor Island and Ngor beach give an idea of the setting. The Dakar page brings together the city’s activities.

Between two sessions

The programme leaves room for rest and discovery. A yoga session helps you recover, paddle and kayak let you change the kind of effort, and the other surf lessons and courses offer shorter formats. The Mamelles lighthouse makes an end-of-day outing.