Solo surf holidays at Swell surf camp

You've worked hard all year and you've got limited vacation time.

You're looking for a surf holiday/vacation but there's one issue preventing you from booking your surf holiday; you've got no-one to go with!

You are not the only one, 70% of the people that come to Swell are solo / single travellers.

That's why Swell is:

An ideal holiday for singles over 40

An ideal holiday for singles over 50

An ideal holiday for singles of any age...

It might just be the thing we are asked more often than any other: 'I'm a solo traveller, will I be OK?'

The truth is that you being single and looking for a single's surf holiday actually means you are in the majority these days: Think about how many people you know at work or amongst the community in their 30's, 40's and 50's who are divorced or separated and living alone; it naturally follows that they are also facing a single's vacation.

Being single and over 40, over 50, or even over 60 does not mean that you are less entitled to have fun than a younger person, or a couple travelling together. Quite the opposite in fact. In our experience, people travelling solo often have more fun rediscovering themselves, finding their inner child on a single's surf holiday than the couples who are travelling together.

"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer."

Setting out on a solo vacation is a daunting prospect; we understand that perfectly. As the owners of Swell surf camp, Jim and I know exactly how it feels to be travelling by yourself; we have both experienced that in the past. Arriving at a hotel, seemingly full of happy couples who you are quite sure are staring at you for being single, is an awful thought. Sitting in your room watching CNN and eating a room service because you don't want to be dining alone, yuk; noone wants to be Billy or Sally-no-mates.

Staying at Swell will give you a totally different feeling, we guarantee it!

Let's take Patrice, a regular client of ours as an example. He's 67 now, but first came to stay at Swell as a youthful 62 year old. He didn't feel his age at all and was still active. He'd never surfed before, but learning to surf was on his bucket list. He searched for single holidays, single holidays over 50, holidays for one and many more, yet he was still petrified at the thought of travelling alone.

Luckily for him and us, Swell came up in his searches, but naturally, he was still anxious: What if the driver didn't show up as promised? What if noone talks to me at Swell because I'm 'too old to surf' and I end up sitting in my room, alone? These are all natural thoughts which go through the head of a person on a single traveller vacation.

What actually happened to Patrice is what all our guests at Swell experience. He arrived at the airport as a single person, but within seconds, had seen his name on a sign in the arrivals hall at the airport and was with the first member of our amazing, friendly team, Franklyn the driver. Fresh off the 'plane, he was no longer by himself.

After a short taxi ride to Swell, he entered the camp. All his fears dropped away. Smiles greeted him at every angle. Not just our staff, but also from relaxed, fellow guests, the majority of whom had themselves arrived on a single travel experience a day or two earlier.

Patrice stays with us every year without fail; his preferred time to come is November. He's always to be found helping our lovely cooks, Arecelys and Esmeralda, wash the dishes up after dinner; don't worry, that's not part of our package, that's just how at home Swell makes him feel and he's not the only one.

Swell is unique. When we first opened, 9 years ago, we had bought separate tables for dining. Within a few days of being open, we noticed that our guests kept putting the smaller tables together so they could form bigger and bigger groups. It wasn't something we had thought of or made them do, it just felt natural. A group of mainly single people on vacation had bonded quickly and just wanted to have fun together. After a few weeks of watching the furniture moving, we had our wonderful, huge dining table designed and made. Seating 20, this is now the focus of Swell and of all those folks who had initially searched for a holiday for one and ended up in a holiday of many.

Singles vacations for people over 40 & 50

Our guests not only eat together at Swell, it's completely usual for them to go out as a group for dinner on the other nights, or on shopping trips, and many swell nights have been spent at the lively Karaoke bar in Cabarete, with people getting up to sing who would never have dreamed of doing such a thing. Swell gets you like that. In 9 years, we've never seen a guest arrive solo and stay alone for the vacation, it just doesn't happen.

Our guests are terrifically varied in their careers and come from some really interesting walks of life. We've had army majors, wealthy entrepreneurs, CIA operatives, NYPD detectives, psychologists, professional sportsmen and women, more doctors, dentists and lawyers than we could count + even people who have flown in on their own private jets. Those of us who have more 'normal' jobs don't need to feel inadequate, the mix just makes for some fascinating dinner conversations!

And please don't feel that you need to be particularly outgoing or 'interesting' to be part of this unique group of guests: You can also quietly join in. The shared experience of travelling to the beach together in Michel's van, with his Dominican music playing, learn to surf together, cheering together when a wave is caught and ridden, and returning to Swell for the best breakfast around our big table, will automatically bring you close to other members of the group.

Countless friendships have been made at Swell (and even a couple of weddings!) and we are proud to see the number of 'Swell reunions' which go on all over the world. It's even better when groups of people who only met at Swell, return to us for another round of surfing and fun.

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that damn mountain.”― Jack Kerouac

INTERESTED IN JOINING SWELL?

Have a look at our surf lessons course to see more deatils about how we teach our guests

Or have a look at our pricing page and / or contact us today with your questions or ask about the availability of your travel dates