Waves await! Hang ten with a bespoke board at these dynamic surfing destinations.
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and experiences in The Agency Magazine.
Oahu, Hawaii
Oahu’s North Shore, a mecca for surfers, is home to the Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience at the stunning Turtle Bay Resort. Here, local hero O’Brien and his team of experts offer experiences for everyone from seasoned surfers to newcomers looking to catch their first wave. Out on the water 365 days a year, the premier surf school offers small group and highly personalized surf sessions directly in front of the resort. The team also offers private Adaptive Surf Experiences for people with physical limitations—the only commercially available program of its kind in Hawaii. Lessons from $139, jobsurfexperience.com; rooms from $779, turtlebayresort.com
Bali, Indonesia
Located steps from one of the best breaks on Bali’s south coast, the COMO Uma Canggu resort partners with the luxury outfitter Tropicsurf to teach skills and provide guidance for catching and riding waves. The resort’s surf offerings range from one-hour beginner sessions to eight-hour Island Safari trips to nearby reef breaks. Private lessons offer personalized instruction, while the specialized learn-to-surf program is perfect for guests aged six to 12. Lessons from $115, rooms from $279, comohotels.com
Guacalito de La Isla, Nicaragua
Mukul Resort, a luxury boutique property within a 1,670-acre, low-density private beach community on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, is the ideal setting for those who want to feel like they’re the only ones out on the water. With novice-friendly beach breaks right in front of the resort, Mukul tapped luxury surf pioneer Tropicsurf to offer full-time guidance, including coaching sessions to master the resort’s challenging left-point wave, Manzanillo Point. The break, which is often empty except for a few lucky resort guests, is one of 17 surf breaks within 45 minutes of Mukul. Lessons from $95, rooms from $561, mukulresort.com
Laguna Beach, California
This coastal city, located in Southern California’s Orange County, is home to renowned surf spots and the famed Laguna surf culture. To offer premier adventure experiences, the bluff-top Montage Laguna Beach resort partners with Adventure IO, which provides excursions with professional athletes and experts. Learn how to surf or skim with Blair Conklin, a Laguna Beach native and local legend. On half-day, watersports-focused adventures, guests learn to navigate the waves with Conklin while hearing stories from his world travels with the pros. Lessons from $1,100, rooms from $1,190, montage.com
Sofitel Essaouira Mogador, Morocco
Consistently windy weather makes Morocco’s Atlantic coast ideal for surfing. Head to the Sofitel Essaouira Mogador, with its 135 luxurious accommodations and stunning nearly one-mile-long beach, and sign up with the surf school on-site. The hotel also arranges excursions to other renowned surf spots, like Sidi Kaouki, Moulay Bousselham, and Moulay Bouzerktoun. Lessons from $30, rooms from $108, sofitel-essaouira.com
In Shape
Design your own board with Bill Hamilton.
A seasoned surfboard maker with over five decades of experience, Bill Hamilton approaches every design with an eye for detail. Whether shaping a longboard or a shortboard, he emphasizes custom craftsmanship and the need for boards that perfectly balance buoyancy, paddling efficiency, speed, and maneuverability. “I am a tailor,” says Hamilton. “I need to extrapolate a number of answers from my clients in order to make a custom surfboard. No two are the same.”
Through his one-man operation in Kauai, he ensures each meticulously crafted board meets his clients’ needs. “At one point in my manufacturing life, I had five employees and was having hundreds of boards pre-shaped by computer for customers in Japan, Europe, and the East Coast,” he says. “Today, I am the only employee. I do everything by hand from scratch.” Those looking to meet with him can book an experience through 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay that includes a custom surfboard shaped by Hamilton, a one-on-one surf lesson with him, and a trio of spa services. billhamiltonsurf.com; rooms from $1,200, 1hotels.com
