Las Flores Escuela de Surf

A one-of-a-kind Surf School for Novices and Experienced Surfers

Playa Las Flores is the ideal venue for learning to surf or taking your surfing to the next level. The wave is located directly in front of the hotel so access is as simple as grabbing your surfboard each morning from your personal board locker and walking 50 yards directly in front of you to our surf school location. Las Flores is a unique sand bottom point break that combines the best features of a point break (a long peeling wave) with the forgiving sand bottom of a beach break. While many surf schools teach you to surf at a semi-closeout beach break at Las Flores you will actually learn to surf at a world class wave! Even novices can experience the pleasure of rides in excess of 50 to 100 yards long, which results in an accelerated learning curve because of the increased opportunity to maneuver on the waves. Year-round water temperatures above 80F mean no need to bother with cumbersome wetsuits here you'll just need trunks, a rash guard, and plenty of sun protection.

FAQ's

"Will the surf be too big for me?"

The point at Las Flores has a gradually sloped sand bottom so the wave progresses from bigger waves on the outside of the point (these waves break as far as 300meters out) to smaller waves and reforms on the inside of the point. So on bigger days while there are large sets on the outside the inside of the point sees smaller reform waves. While on smaller days the outside and inside breaks can be user friendly even for beginners. Tides also play a role Las Flores has a large tide swing of about 8feet. So at low tide the waves break faster and more top to bottom while at high tide the wave is softer and mushier (more beginner friendly).

"What is the quality of instruction?"

Billabong Las Flores instructors are all native products of El Salvador's rich surf culture. All of them are expert surfers and have spent many years guiding and instructing surfers of all ability levels and are intimately familiar with the waves of Las Flores. Yepi and Mauricio, raised in La Libertad and surfing all their lives, are now full time residents of El Cuco. Mauricio is also the head surf guide at Las Flores Surf Club. Antonio and Chepe Luis are homegrown Las Flores locals and were 2 of the first surfers to ride Las Flores and surrounding waves. Antonio and Chepe Luis are both boat captains who have been piloting trips to Punta Mango for years and experts at reading the waves and the ocean in general. Fisherman by trade they can put you onto a Dorado or a Yellowfin Tuna when you're ready to take a break from surfing. Chepe Luis is also a talented and prolific surf photographer and will do a great job of documenting your surf trip. Our surf school being staffed 100% by Salvadorian locals we don't have the turnover and inconsistency typical of surf schools who hire seasonal instructors.

"I already know how to surf but want to get better. Do you offer surf coaching?"

For surfers with some previous experience who want to take their surfing to the next level our program is uniquely suited for you. For the same reasons the wave at Las Flores is so well suited to novices it is also well suited for intermediate surfers who can select their optimal takeoff zone based on the day's surfing conditions. For waves we have everything available from carvable 3-4 ft open faces to fast lined-up walls, tubes, and bigger peaks on the outside going well overhead. For wave variety we offer boat trips* to Punta Mango (hollow right point break), Punta Bongo (fun right point break), and Toro de Oro (technically challenging righthand rock reef break), La Ventana (beach break-great high tide option during small swell). One of our surf coaches can accompany you on these trips so you can gain confidence reading and surfing different lineups and wave types. *Additional cost applies

"What kind of surfboards are available?"
For novices we use Longboards and mini-Longboards ranging from 8-6 to 9-2 with a variety of designs and dimensions available to suit surfers of different body types. While some surf schools use even longer boards than this we feel that the longer and heavier boards are too cumbersome to paddle, maneuver and turn in a high performance point wave such as Las Flores, and using shorter longboards will also accelerate your progression to being able to surf on smaller equipment and eventually shortboards. We also stock a range of high performance shortboards from 6ft to 8ft long so that surfers can experiment with boards of different lengths and designs during their stay to get a feel for what it is like to surf on various boards. This is particularly useful for experienced surfers participating in our surf-coaching program who may have limited equipment options at home or lack knowledge of surfboard design, and furthermore not want to pay airline excess baggage charges or hassle with transporting a quiver of surfboards. Surfboard rental is included in all of our beginner and coaching packages and we permit you to exchange boards during your stay. We also allow you to pre-reserve a specific surfboard in advance of your stay. For more info see: Surfboard Rentals

Billabong Las Flores Instructors:
Edwin Sander Recinos (Yepi)
José Luis Campos (Chepe Luis)
Gerber Antonio Torres (Toño)
Mauricio Luis Meardi

Billabong Las Flores Surf School packages include:
1-hour Private surf lesson per day
Surfboard, leash and wax
Photo CD
6 day program: $295.00
3 day program: $175.00
Additional 1hr Private surf lesson: $35 each