My 2025 Review: Private Advanced Surfing Lessons in Basque Country
You know, for years, my surfing felt like it was just stuck in a bit of a rut. I mean, I could catch waves, I could do a decent turn, but actually improving felt sort of impossible. As a matter of fact, that feeling of hitting a wall is really common for people who are past the beginner stage. So, I figured a change of scenery and some focused coaching was what I needed, which is what, like, pointed me toward the idea of the Basque Country for 2025. It’s a place that just has a reputation for serious waves and a deep-rooted surf culture, you know? Anyway, I wanted something that was just for me, not a group class where you sort of get lost in the shuffle. That’s why the thought of private advanced lessons was, pretty much, the only thing on my mind.
Frankly, the idea of packing my boards and heading to Northern Spain was, at first, a little bit intimidating. We often hear about the power of the Bay of Biscay, and honestly, you wonder if your skills are really up to the task. Yet, the appeal of those long, perfect point breaks you see in videos was just too strong to ignore. As I was saying, I wanted to stop being an intermediate surfer and really understand the ocean in a more profound way. This wasn’t just about a vacation, to be honest; it was more or less a mission to break through my own limitations. And for that, you obviously need someone who really knows their stuff guiding you one-on-one.
Why Bother with Private Coaching in the Basque Country?
Okay, so you might be asking, why go all that way for a lesson? Well, the Basque coastline is honestly not like other places. You’ve got, for example, the world-famous tube of Mundaka, which is a place that holds a kind of special weight in the surf world. Then you have spots like Zarautz, which is just this incredibly consistent beach break that has, basically, shaped generations of great surfers. You get a feeling that surfing here is, you know, woven into the fabric of daily life, not just a tourist activity. You could find more about the special character of these surf spots if you look around. That kind of atmosphere is, pretty much, exactly what you need when you’re serious about getting better.
And that brings me to the ‘private’ part of the lesson, right? At a certain level, your mistakes are, sort of, small and hard to see on your own. You actually need a trained eye to watch you on every single wave and give you feedback right away. A group lesson, frankly, just can’t offer that kind of focused attention. It’s almost the difference between a classroom lecture and a private tutor. Anyway, having an instructor whose only job is to analyze your technique, from your paddle to your stance to the line you draw on the wave, is pretty much invaluable. That is that direct input that can help you finally figure out what you’ve been doing wrong for years.
More than that, a local coach has knowledge that you, obviously, could never get from a book or a YouTube video. They have grown up with these waves; they know the secrets of each break, you know? A good private coach can tell you, for instance, exactly where to sit for the best waves based on the tide and the swell direction that day. In my experience, this kind of local insight is literally the key to not only catching more waves but catching the right kind of waves for what you’re trying to practice. It’s almost like having a secret map to the ocean, which is an incredible advantage for any surfer visiting a new area.
Finding the Right Program: A First-Hand Look
Alright, so once I had decided on the Basque Country, the next step was, like, finding the right coach. As a matter of fact, I spent a lot of time online, reading reviews and looking at different offerings. I didn’t want a big, impersonal surf school; I was sort of looking for a smaller, more personal operation. Honestly, what I really wanted was an instructor who was a proven, experienced surfer themselves, not just someone who could teach beginners how to stand up. You want a coach who can, you know, actually surf better than you and can show you how it’s done. I found a few options that looked promising, focusing on people who offered one-on-one advanced training programs with video analysis.
The one I chose in the end had a booking process that was just very straightforward. Anyway, I sent an email explaining my current level, my goals, and what I felt my weaknesses were. The reply I got was, frankly, very encouraging and personal. The coach, a guy named Mikel, asked me to send him some video of me surfing if I had any. To be honest, I think that initial step was a really good sign. It showed he actually cared about my personal surfing and wasn’t just offering a one-size-fits-all package. We basically established my main goal right away: to generate more speed and connect my turns more smoothly, instead of having these sort of choppy, separate maneuvers. That conversation made me feel like my whole trip was set up for success before I even got on the plane.
The On-the-Ground Experience: Day One
Meeting Mikel in person was, you know, just like talking to an old friend. He was relaxed, confident, and clearly passionate about surfing. There was no big ego, just a genuine desire to help me improve. For the first session, he decided we shouldn’t go to a really challenging spot. Instead, he took me to a mellower, sandy-bottomed beach break, which was, like, the perfect choice. His reasoning was that he needed to see my natural surfing style without me feeling intimidated by the waves. This was, as a matter of fact, a really smart approach, as it allowed him to get a baseline understanding of my skills. He just told me, “Okay, just go out there and surf for a bit, don’t think too much, I’ll be filming from the beach.”
The Warm-Up and Initial Assessment
So, I paddled out and tried to do what he said, just surfing and not overthinking things. Meanwhile, he was on the beach with a camera that had a very powerful zoom lens. Even from that distance, I knew he was capturing every single detail. After about an hour, he called me in, and you know, that’s when the real work started. We sat on the sand, and he already had a few observations just from watching me paddle and sit on the board. He pointed out, for instance, that my body positioning was slightly off-center, which was apparently making me lose a little bit of paddle power. Honestly, it was a tiny detail that I would have never noticed on my own in a million years.
He didn’t just tell me what was wrong, though; he clearly explained why it was happening. He talked about how your body’s balance on the board, even before you stand up, sort of dictates everything that comes after. To be honest, this focus on the fundamentals was really refreshing. We often think that getting better at an advanced level is about learning fancy new tricks. Yet, Mikel showed me that it’s more about perfecting the tiny building blocks of good surfing. He gave me a couple of drills to do right there on the sand, adjusting my posture and the way I engaged my core. It was pretty much a physical reset before we even got to the main event: the video playback.
Video Analysis and Immediate Feedback
Alright, so then came the moment of truth. We huddled over his tablet, and he started playing the footage of my waves. As a matter of fact, seeing yourself on video is a really humbling experience, you know? The way you think you look and the way you actually look are often, like, two very different things. The first thing Mikel pointed out was my bottom turn, which is pretty much the most important move in surfing. My turn was, sort of, too hesitant and not using the rail of the board properly. It’s almost like you get a backstage pass to your own performance and can see every mistake. You might find more information on how video feedback can change your surfing if you do some research.
Mikel would pause the video at a specific frame and draw lines on the screen with a stylus, showing me exactly where my arms should be or how my head should be turned. He would then show me a clip of a professional surfer and compare it side-by-side. You know, this visual comparison was incredibly powerful. Suddenly, it all made sense. For example, I was looking down at my board during my turns, which was killing my speed and flow. He explained, “You have to look where you want to go, your body will naturally follow.” That piece of advice alone, frankly, was worth the price of the lesson. It’s a simple concept, but seeing the visual proof on the tablet was the thing that really made it stick.
Pushing the Limits: Advanced Wave Selection and Strategy
After that first day of breaking down the basics, the next sessions were all about putting those new skills to the test in more demanding conditions. As a matter of fact, this is where Mikel’s local knowledge became absolutely critical. He watched the weather charts like a hawk, you know? And he knew just the right spot to go to based on the slightest change in wind or swell. One morning, he told me we were going to a nearby reef break that was, frankly, a little more powerful and faster than the beach break. It was the kind of spot I might have been a bit too nervous to surf on my own. It just shows how local expertise can open up new possibilities.
Paddling out there, I was definitely a bit nervous, but Mikel was right there with me in the water. He wasn’t just coaching from the beach anymore. He was, like, pointing out where the rip currents were and which waves on the horizon would peel the best. He taught me to read the ocean’s texture, to spot the subtle signs that a good set was approaching. This was so much more than just physical technique; it was, in a way, about developing a strategic mind. He would yell, “Okay, this next one is yours, paddle now, a little to your left!” His guidance was so precise that I ended up catching one of the best waves of my life that day. This direct in-water coaching is honestly something you just cannot get from a regular lesson.
I remember one specific wave where I was working on my cutback, which is a turn back towards the breaking part of the wave. Anyway, I had a tendency to do it too late, losing all my speed. Mikel saw it happen and paddled over. He said, “You are waiting for the wave to give you the perfect section. Instead, you need to make the section yourself.” It was, like, a total shift in thinking. He encouraged me to initiate the turn earlier and with more power, trusting my rails to hold the line. On my very next wave, I tried it his way, and the feeling of accelerating through a turn, rather than stalling, was absolutely incredible. It was a real breakthrough moment, and I could, like, literally feel my surfing progress to a new level.
Beyond the Surfboard: The Cultural Connection
But you know, the experience wasn’t just confined to the water. A huge part of what made the trip so memorable was, like, the time spent on land. Mikel was a fantastic guide to his own culture. After a long morning surf, for example, he would take us to a small, local bar for *pintxos*, which are basically the Basque version of tapas, but honestly, so much better. Standing at the bar, surrounded by locals, pointing at delicious bites of food on a slice of bread, you really felt like you were a part of something. That’s a side of a place you rarely get to see on a typical package holiday. You should definitely learn more about the local food culture to fully appreciate it.
We would talk about everything, from the history of the region to the finer points of surfboard design. He shared stories about growing up surfing these exact waves, which gave me, like, a much deeper appreciation for the place. One evening, he even invited me to a *sidrería*, a traditional cider house, which was just an amazing cultural experience. You eat a huge steak cooked over an open fire and catch cider straight from a giant barrel. To be honest, these moments were just as important as the surfing itself. They helped me understand that surfing in the Basque Country is an expression of the place itself—it’s rugged, it’s generous, and it is full of life. It’s an experience that really makes your whole adventure feel more complete.
As I packed my bags to go home, I knew I was leaving with more than just a better cutback. Frankly, I was leaving with a new mindset. I learned that real improvement comes from paying attention to the small details and from stepping out of your comfort zone, you know? And I learned that the best way to experience a new place is through its people. The one-on-one coaching was, of course, the reason I went, and it delivered more than I could have hoped. But it was the combination of intense surfing and genuine cultural connection that, pretty much, made the whole thing unforgettable. It’s a feeling that will, obviously, stay with me every time I paddle out, no matter where I am in the world.
