Filipa’s Sri Lankan Adventure: My First Surf Experience

Filipa was born in Portugal and had never ventured outside of Europe in her life. She’s currently a hard-working architect in the city of London, but she reached a point where she decided to seek an adventure.

After stumbling upon Talalla Retreat online, she jumped at the chance to book a surf camp in Sri Lanka. The only problem was, Filipa has never surfed, and she was terrified of the ocean…

Why did you choose Talalla Surf & Yoga?

“The reason why I’m here is mainly because of personal reasons and I thought it was the right time to do it now in my life. I did a little bit of research and I found Talalla’s Instagram and it looked amazing. The fact that they offer training and the whole package at Talalla is fantastic because I am really into yoga, and I knew that surf & yoga are connected. This was also my first time outside Europe and my first time traveling by myself.”

What was your experience like with the camp?

“I basically had no expectations because I didn’t even know if I was able to stand on a surfboard. In a week, I managed to actually surf green waves! This is something that I never, ever expected to be able to happen. The camp is very structured with theory, exercises and yoga for [before and after] surfing. The whole experience was very organised and very helpful. The instructors were amazing. I had Liam and he is a brilliant teacher, very patient. We all grew from the experience and it was amazing!”

What was the best part of the week?

“The surfing of course! Those three or four hours each day in the ocean is amazing. There’s a big community, in which I didn’t realise that people were so friendly and united. Everyone has good vibes, always in a good mood and always smiling. Also it was amazing the fact that I was able to challenge myself every day, because I’m super scared of the ocean. The video reviews were one of the most important parts because you’re able to analyze your surf with your instructor. The first time I surfed a green wave, my brain hadn’t processed it yet. I was like, “am I excited, am I happy, or?” And then I saw the video was like, “oh wow that is actually me and I did that!” Then my instructor helped me to realise that I was doing things wrong and had to work on certain techniques.”

What would you say to someone thinking of coming to Talalla Retreat?

“I think everyone should go, no matter what their aspirations are. It’s basically a place where you have everything. You can relax, you can do activities, you can improve yourself, you can improve your yoga, you’re surrounded by nature, you’re surrounded by positive people. It’s a great place to recharge.”

Surf camps at Talalla Retreat are the best in Sri Lanka for a number of reasons, for example:

• Imagine you have a 2-3 hour surf and then you return to the retreat to have video footage of your surf analyzed by a professional instructor where you will receive specific feedback and tips to aid your development.
• In level one training you receive detailed pool theory to improve your board control in the ocean.
• Finally, the in-water coaching will drastically build your confidence so once the camp is over, you will have the tools and confidence to go out to surf all types of breaks across the globe.

Read about the structured surf coaching system that Talalla Surf utilizes by clicking here.

Are you looking to enter the world of surfing with the top class coaches like Filipa? Or perhaps you’re of a higher skill level and would like to advance further and faster with the assistance of critical development coaching. Talalla Surf  & Yoga caters to all levels of surfers and is open year-round to run highly effective surf camps.

Interested in becoming a fully stoked surfer? See availability for the surf camp and surf & yoga retreats here: Talalla Surf & Yoga

For any questions, please email the surf coordinator at [email protected].

Share this blog with your surf or travel buddy to make this your next adventure in Sri Lanka!