The Dominican Republic has ideal surf conditions for learning to surf ; year-round warm water and mellow waves.

Ideal, beginner-friendly waves in the mornings, in shallow, clear and calm water. Two sessions each day give you just the right amount of water time.

The surf beach enjoys an offshore morning breeze and an easy entry to the water. You won’t need to worry about being out of your depth or a long way from the sandy beach.

We surf early, while the water is glassy and the sun is not too strong. Relaxing is saved for the heat of the afternoon.

What to expect

Ideal conditions for learning
or improving your surfing

Surfing is so much fun when you are taking lessons in the right place and in the hands of professionals. It’s also accessible for people of all ages with a basic level of fitness.

The Dominican Republic has perfect beginner and intermediate surf spots; water and air temperatures are warm all year, so no wetsuit is required. Unlike Costa Rica, we have no distinct wet season, so this truly is the ideal, year-round learn-to-surf destination.

Our beginner surf coaching program is specifically designed for people with no previous surf experience and gives you two daily surf sessions. The first one is your lesson and the second a practise (but surf coaches are on hand at all times). We can also cater for people with more experience, but send us an email with your requirements first to see about availability.

Our local surf beach is one of the most consistent surf spots in Central America; there are surfable waves all year so on average we can surf about 350 days each year.

As seen in

From the surf beach

How your morning looks

Your progression

Who benefits most from our
surf lessons

We have been teaching our guests how to surf in a safe and structured way since 2009. Since then we have taught more than 10,000 people of all ages this really fun watersport.
You can see where you may fit in with our surf lessons below.

Important to note: We specialise and excel in teaching people from beginner to progressive levels. Our focus is on giving fun, relaxed lessons that teach people how to paddle into a wave, stand up on a surfboard, experience those first exhilarating rides, before starting to work on skills like turning and trimming the board to ride down the line.

If you need more advanced surf coaching with video analysis, there are other far more expensive surf retreats better suited to you.

1 Beginner

Never surfed before

You have never surfed before or have very little surf experience (perhaps it's been a few years since you tried to stand up on a surfboard or you have taken a surf lesson in the past).

2 Novice

Some Experience

You have done some surfing; a handful of times over the last 5 years, not a complete beginner but definitely not confident to surf waves independently.

3 Progressive

Ready to progress

You've done a decent amount of surfing in the past, but could do with working on certain aspects of your surfing, pop-up, paddle technique, etc. working your way to becoming an independent surfer.

What’s included

Everything but the swimsuit.

Small groups
Small groups, unlike in Europe with groups that are far too large for efficient learning.
Rash guards
Swell lycras with built-in sun protection.
Surfboards suited to easy learning
Foamies, funboards and longboards — the right volume for your level and the day’s waves.
Glassy morning breaks
We surf the wind-protected breaks early, before the afternoon trades fill in.
Surf theory lessons
Forecasts, tides, line-up etiquette — the parts you need to know to really become a surfer.
Safety & surf etiquette
How to fall safely, where to sit, who has priority. Form the right habits from the outset.

A typical day at Swell

The right mix between being active & time to relax

Make the most of your time at Swell; early sunrise surf sessions, a choice of activities in the afternoons.

6:45

Get ready

A quick coffee or tea with a light bite at Swell before we all head to the beach

When to go

Year round
surf conditions

These are general month by month guidelines.

Cabarete by months

Jan–Feb

Mar–Apr

May–Jun

Jul–Aug

Sep–Oct

Nov–Dec

Beginner & novice wave suitability

Progressive wave suitability

Advanced wave suitability

Water sea temp

26^°C79°F

27^°C81°F

28^°C82°F

29^°C84°F

27^°C81°F

Air daytime high

28^°C82°F

29^°C84°F

31^°C88°F

32^°C90°F

31^°C88°F

29^°C84°F

Rain wet-season index

Wind trade & thermal

Wave suitability & power — more bars, more power

Wet-season index — showers are short and warm

Trade & thermal wind — peaks over summer

Zero. Most first-timers start in the whitewater on a soft foam board with a coach in the water beside them — by day three the majority are riding to the beach on their feet. We actually love beginner surfers most of all because noone’s taught you anything bad!

Yes. Plenty of our guests arrive with no interest in lessons. They come for the waves, the location and the company. You can book Swell as a surf hotel: room, breakfast, airport transfer, board hire and daily surf transport included, no coaching attached.

Our home break has a peak for every level. Playa Encuentro, a few minutes from the camp, is the most consistent surf beach in the Dominican Republic and breaks over several reef peaks within one bay:

The Main Peak: a long, forgiving right-hander. Ideal for intermediate surfers working on turns and wave selection.
Izquierda (the left): a fast, hollow left over shallow reef. Barrels on the right swell and tide, expert level only.
Coco Pipe: a punchy, powerful right-hander with a hollow inside section. Advanced and expert surfers.
Bobo’s and Destroyer: further along the beach and lighter in the water, good for escaping the crowd on busier days.

Beyond Encuentro. With a rental car or one of our drivers, you can surf a string of lesser-known reef and point breaks along the North Coast, from Sosúa to Río San Juan. Most see only a handful of surfers, even in peak season. Our staff surf them weekly and will tell you where it is working.

Best time to come as an experienced surfer. October to April is the season for advanced and expert surfers. Winter North Atlantic swells arrive on a regular basis, waves reach head-high to well overhead, and the left and Coco Pipe wake up. Mornings are typically glassy before the trade wind picks up after lunch. May to September brings smaller, cleaner waves, ideal for longboarding, fish boards and mid-lengths, and the beach is far quieter.

Boards and logistics. Bring your own quiver or use ours: we have shortboards, fish, mid-lengths and longboards for all levels. Daily transport to Encuentro runs every morning and we keep a wax and repair station at the camp.

No wetsuit, all year. The water sits warm enough to surf in boardshorts or a swimsuit and a rashguard, which we provide. One less thing to pack.

Whatever suits your level and the day’s waves — foam boards to find your feet, funboards as you progress, longboards to cruise. We grade the volume to you, not the other way round.

Not a chance. Our breaks have a lot of different waves to choose from to suit all levels. We will encourage you out back to paddle into green faces, work on trimming, etc. The most important detail to note if you are not a beginner is that we can’t control the forecast/waves. Intermediate surfers generally need chest to shoulder high faces. Whilst our surf coaches are very good at their jobs, we have no control over the conditions. It’s important to note that we do not push intermediate surfers into waves (we don’t agree with it because it won’t turn you into a real surfer). If you are an intermediate surfer, to get the best conditions and the most attention, stay with us from May to November.

Cabarete’s waves work year-round. Complete beginners can come any time. Intermediate surfers should come from May to November. Winter brings the more consistent swell for surfers who don’t need lessons. May, June, July & August and quieter and you will get smaller groups. Tell us your level and your goals and we’ll point you towards the right months.

Our water is blue, warm and clear. The Dominican Republic is not known for sharks and neither we or our guests have never had an encounter, close or distant with one. You may see Humpback whales passing by our surf beach (they migrate right along our coastline and pass around 500 to 1000 meters offshore) as they travel to breed on the Samana Peninsula early January to March, every year.

From our guests

Don’t take our word for it.
Take theirs

4.9 300+ Reviews

Megan S

Age: 43
From: San Diego
Level: Beginner
Travelled: Travelled solo

If I could give Swell 10 stars I would!! My partner and I visited Swell at the end of March 2026. We had an absolutely amazing trip. The rooms are clean and spaceship. The A/C works great and had warm water to shower. The WiFi is spotty in the upstairs rooms but works perfectly in the downstairs communal room. The staff is above & beyond!! The meals were some of the best I’ve had. The surf instructors are phenomenal.. they work with your experience and levels of surfing and join you for breakfast & dinner nights. The yoga is great mostly long holds and stretches which are great after 2 sessions of surfing. Haudy is the best. She runs the place and without her Swell wouldn’t be Swell. I highly recommend doing the canyon tour with Helmut. And last but not least the people that I stayed there with honestly became my family for the week. I honestly want to come back!

Tripadvisor April 2026

Aerial view of the cove at Swell, Cabarete

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Learn, Progress, Enjoy

The ideal surf holiday in the Caribbean: warm, shallow water and mellow waves

The Dominican Republic has ideal surf conditions for learning to surf ; year-round warm water and mellow waves.

Ideal conditions for learning
or improving your surfing

How your morning looks