Basic
7 nights package
€349 / per person
- Daily surf lessons
- Surf equipment
- Daily transport
- Video analysis
The camp
Layback sells a week you do as a group, Sunday to Sunday. A welcome dinner the first night, Doctor's House on Wednesday, Thursday off, a farewell dinner on Saturday: you leave with the same faces you arrived with. The owners are local, the camp opened in 2017 at 247 Main Street, in town, and the Swim Club sits across the road with its saltwater pool and its roof.
Coaching is where it is strongest. Groups split by level, down to a longboard group, with two or three beginners per coach and three or four once you can surf. About ninety minutes in the water early each morning, then video, theory and pool training in the afternoon. Beginners stay on the bay's sand, where you can stand a long way out and the wave works at every tide. Everyone else goes where the conditions point, towards Mirissa, Midigama, Ahangama or Madiha.
Dinner is not served every night, on purpose. On the other evenings the team takes guests out to local restaurants. Plenty of people come alone, and the mood is sociable without turning into a party camp. On Basic or Standard only two breakfasts and two dinners are included; Premium adds breakfast and lunch every day, a cooking class and a batik workshop.
For a first week alone, with a structure and familiar faces by Monday, this is the right house. For a party week, it is not.
Packages
Choose the experience that fits your trip.
Standard
7 nights package
€399 / per person
- Daily surf lessons
- Yoga classes
- Surf equipment
- Daily transport
- Video analysis
Premium
7 nights package
€699 / per person
- Daily surf lessons
- Yoga classes
- Breakfast
- Surf equipment
- Daily transport
- Video analysis
Compare packages
| What is included | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily surf lessons | Included | Included | Included |
| Yoga classes | Not included | Included | Included |
| Breakfast | Option | Option | Included |
| Dinner | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Surf equipment | Included | Included | Included |
| Daily transport | Included | Included | Included |
| Video analysis | Included | Included | Included |
| Airport transfer | Option | Option | Option |
Accommodation
Rooms designed for rest between sessions.
Women's dorm, four beds
Air-conditioned, bathroom in the room with a hot shower, a locker and two sockets per bed.
Two large bunks
Private bathroom
Mixed dorm, eight beds
Air-conditioned, a big balcony over Weligama, bathroom in the room.
Bunks
Private bathroom
Women's dorm, nine beds
Air-conditioned, a big balcony over Weligama, bathroom in the room.
Bunks
Private bathroom
Private room
Private bathroom with a hot shower, a desk, air conditioning or a fan depending on the room.
Queen bed, no twins
Private bathroom
Swim Club room
Across the road: a fridge, solar hot water, an outdoor shower, the saltwater pool and the roof. €200 more a week on Standard, €100 on Premium.
Private bathroom
Amenities
- Wi-Fi
- Pool
- Yoga
- Lessons
- Coworking
- Shuttle
Surf experience
- Coaching
- Two or three beginners per coach, three or four after that
- Lessons
- Five mornings, about 90 minutes in the water, Thursday off
- Video
- Video, theory and pool work in the afternoon, footage to keep
- Spots
- The bay to start, then Mirissa, Midigama, Ahangama or Madiha
Perfect for
- Travelling alone and seeing the same faces all week
- A couple at different levels: each in their own group
- Starting out with one coach for two or three
Not ideal for
- Flexible dates: arrival and departure on Sundays only
- Everything in the price: on Basic and Standard most meals are eaten out
A typical day
- 06:00Out to the surf lesson or yoga, depending on your group
- 08:30Breakfast, shared on Monday and Friday
- 14:00Video, theory and training
- 16:00Sunset surf or yoga (Premium)
- 19:30Welcome dinner on Sunday, farewell dinner on Saturday
- 20:45Wednesday: a night at Doctor's House
Location
What is within reach of the camp.
- Weligama Bay5 min walk
- Colombo international airport (CMB)150 – 180 min transfer
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be able to surf already?
No. There is a group for people who have never tried, with two or three students per coach, on the bay's sand. The groups above run from green-wave progression to longboarding. A couple at different levels is split, each in the right group.
What is not included?
On Basic and Standard, most meals: five extra breakfasts cost €50, five lunches €70. Yoga is not on Basic. The airport transfer is extra, and board insurance is optional at €20 or €50 a week. Transport to the coached sessions is included.
Can two people share a private room?
Yes, in a queen bed: there are no twin rooms. On Standard the room is €999 a week for two, against €799 alone; on Premium, €1,499 for two. The Swim Club rooms across the road add €200 on Standard and €100 on Premium.
How much is the airport transfer?
€70 each way per car for up to three people, and €80 in a van for four to six. Allow two and a half to three hours on the road from Colombo. Check-in is on Sunday from 3 pm, check-out the following Sunday at 10:30.
You might also like
Join the Bookawave adventure
Get our exclusive guides, good deals and surf trip inspiration.
No spam, just surf.