Yes! Most girls travel alone and we couldn’t recommend it more! On an Oumono Club retreat you’ll be immersed in lots of group activities and therefore surrounded by a community of wonderful women. You may start the week as strangers but you’ll leave with lifelong friends. That being said, we of course welcome those travelling together - if you are travelling with someone be sure to book the same room option.

Most of our guests have never surfed before and we welcome all levels with open arms!* We have created a safe and supportive environment so we can all learn and progress together. We have curated a week to help you with your surf progression - our team of surf coaches will start with the basics, teaching you everything you need to know to catch your first wave safely and confidently. We have also included workshops which will help us learn the theory and safety behind it, as well as activities like surf skate and yoga so we can train our bodies on land.

* Some selected experiences will be curated for specific skill levels and will be clearly communicated here on our website.

Yes! We provide the surfboards and wetsuits for your surf lessons and the surf skates and safety equipment for your surf skate workshops - yoga mats will also be included. Below is our recommended ‘what to pack’ list:  

• Surf wear, shorts, bikini, rash vest, leggings (if you are prone to a rash) etc.

• Swimwear

• Beach towel

• Waterproof sunblock and zinc

• Sun hat and sunglasses

• Yoga gear

• Water bottle

• Light clothing

• Some long-sleeved tops in case it gets chilly

• A personal first aid kit containing disinfectants, band aids, and any medication you require

• Comprehensive travel insurance that must include water sports

Yes, all of our retreat accommodations provide speedy wifi so you can stay in touch with loved ones, post those instagram highlights and keep up to date with any work bits. Although, we have a feeling the fun on the retreat is going to cause us to forget our phones exist.

We include 2 fixed-time airport transfers on Sunday from Biarritz Airport to the Villa in Hossegor*. However, if you would prefer to make your own way to us - you can fly into Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Bilbao or Paris airport and from there you can catch a bus, train or BlaBlaCar closer to Hossegor. For more recommendations on how to get here, please email us directly and we can help you find a suitable option. 

*As the transfers are fixed to a set time, please expect to wait for the other girls to arrive if you are earlier than the time slot, or if you are outside of this time slot, you will need to make your own way to us.

We will collect any dietary requirements and allergies before the retreat begins and adjust the menu accordingly so everyone can enjoy the yummy food. You won’t go hungry!

Requests by the Customer for cancelling or changing a trip must be submitted via email to hello@oumonoclub.com at least 60 days prior to the retreat. Within this time frame, Oumono Club offers a 50% refund in credit for the customer to apply to an alternative retreat. If you cancel with less than 60 days before the trip Oumono Club has the right to keep 100% of the payment. Please note the deposit is nonrefundable under any circumstances.

Our retreats typically include a variety of activities designed to enhance your experience:

• Surfing Lessons: Daily surf sessions with qualified instructors (excluding day trip,  arrival and departure days).
  
  

• Surf Skate Lessons: Two surfskate workshops 

• Yoga and Wellness: Daily yoga classes, workshops and mindful practices to rejuvenate your body, mind and soul (excluding day trip, arrival and departure days).
  
  

• Group Activities: Group meals, video analysis and evening outings so you can connect with fellow guests.

Even though the week has been designed for you to connect and get to know each other - it is not mandatory to join in on all activities. There will be downtime for you to unwind and reenergise either as a group or on your own, that being said it is perfectly ok if you feel you need to sit out from some activities. 

Check in on Sunday  21st will be from 3pm and you can checkout anytime before 11am on Sunday 28th. 

Full travel insurance is a requirement when booking onto an Oumono Club retreat. Please ensure your insurance covers ‘disruption to travel’, ‘cover for cancellations’ and ‘sickness’. You may need to add ‘surfing/watersports’ as an additional cover. We recommend you purchase a quality travel insurance with a well-known company - you can compare insurance companies online. Additionally, lots of credit cards offer coverage for short holidays therefore, we advise you to check with your bank beforehand.

Fortunately, we have created a quiz on our website to help you with this. We will also ask you some questions on this topic in your pre-trip enrolment form; however, if you’d like some advice from us then please feel free to send us any of your surf footage to hello@oumonoclub.com and we can see where you’re at. Below we’ve included a little breakdown of each level for you to read through:

Beginner:

Either you’ve never surfed before or you’ve given it a go just a few times. Perhaps you struggle to paddle and navigate your way in the water. Maybe you still have some issues with the pop up, use your knee when standing up or easily lose balance and you feel you need to go through the basics again. If you are a first time surfer or a very early beginner then this level applies to you. 

Progressor:

You’re new to surfing but you wouldn’t describe yourself as a beginner anymore, instead you’re focusing on new techniques to progress your early surfing skills.

You have the basics locked in and are starting to catch green waves. You’re thinking about trimming left or right along the face of the wave.

Intermediate:

You’ve spent a fair amount of time in the ocean with a surfboard and are comfortable even when slightly bigger sets arrive. You manage your board with control, you can catch waves on your own most of the time, your pop up is often smooth, and you can ride along the green waves with ease. If you are starting to make small turns and attempting pumping, we’d recommend this level for you. 

Advanced:

You are now looking for more challenging waves and are comfortable on your shortboard/mid length and/or longboard. This level is for those of you who know your way around the line up and can take waves totally independently. If you are now wanting to work on more advanced skills, such as bottom and top turns, cutbacks, cross stepping etc. we advise this level for you.

We love that you're keen to surf as much as possible and totally understand the addiction! During our retreat, there will be 5 x 90-minute surf sessions. Each surf day, we will choose the best time to run the lesson, depending on the conditions, tides, wind, etc. We want you to have the best session possible and get as much out of this week as you can. So, rather than tire ourselves out with multiple sessions or paddle out as many times as possible just to clock up the minutes in the ocean, we recommend sticking to one epic session per day, instead of two average ones.

However, if you still feel you haven't had enough surfing in a day, you are welcome to venture out to practice on your own. Please note, any free surf sessions will be unsupervised with no instructor present and board hire outside of lessons will be an extra charge. Please make sure you are comfortable on your own in the water and have observed the conditions before paddling out (see our safety tips for surfers post on Instagram for further advice).

We’ve specifically chosen to run the Hossegor retreat in September, a time of year when the waves are more reliable and the water is less crowded. We've spent countless Septembers in Hossegor and have never been disappointed, it’s very rare that the conditions don’t allow us to get in the water at all. However, the ocean is unpredictable so it is important to remember the waves change on a daily basis and depend on various factors (swell, wind, weather conditions) therefore, we are unable to guarantee clean perfect waves. 

Included in the itinerary is a day trip to one of our favourite cities in the Basque Country. We’ll organise this trip around the surf conditions or see it as an opportunity as a midweek rest day.

If on the rare occasion there are two days with no surf we’ll try to make it up to you the next day with an extra surf so you don't miss out.

We set the surf schedule a day ahead in accordance with tides and changing conditions. Once we know the surf time, we schedule the other activities around the lessons. We’ll constantly keep you posted with daily plans and any changes to our itineraries. Welcome to the adaptable life of a surfer!