Does this sound familiar?
You can catch your own waves. You can get down the line and even do a little wiggle here and there. But somewhere in the last year you stopped getting better… and you know it.
The waves at home are cold or inconsistent (or both!). And that’s assuming you have access to surfable waves in the first place.
Then you land somewhere like Lombok. The water’s warm, the waves are consistent and you realise this is the best practice ground you could ask for.
Xanadu’s Advanced Surf Progression – Level 4 program is a week-long advanced surf coaching retreat in Lombok for independent mid-length and shortboard surfers. It combines in-water coaching, video analysis, technique drills, wave-reading skills, equipment guidance, mobility and mindset training. Level 4 is a week built to turn your every surf into a real opportunity for progression and for building confidence.
Not just more waves. Better ones, ridden properly, with someone watching what you can’t see yourself. Sound like something you’re interested in?
What do we mean by “advanced” and who is the advanced surf coaching program for?
Advanced surfing isn’t tricks and showy maneuvers. It’s doing simple things well and anticipating the wave.
At Xanadu, you’re knocking at the Level 4 door if you recognise any of the following:
- You are a mid-length or a shortboard rider who can paddle into waves on their own and hold position in the lineup
- You can catch your own waves (without a push)
- You’re chasing more challenging waves and working on more advanced maneuvers like cutbacks, snaps and floaters
- You want to push limits, refine your style and stay composed in tougher conditions (bigger/steeper waves, shallower reefs)
Not there yet? Our Surf & Yoga Retreat for Levels 1-3 is where to start.
Technique: The fundamentals that matter the most
Most surfers who feel stuck aren’t missing an advanced skill.
They’re missing a fundamental one.
The usual technical culprit is surfing from the legs: arms static, shoulders locked and everything muscled from below.
Good surfing starts at the top: eyes, head and shoulders. Then the hips. The board follows. Three things worth having dialled before you land:
- Paddle position and takeoff timing: A big part of surfing better is catching better waves earlier and being in the right spot on the peak
- Reading the wave: Seeing where it walls up and where it fattens, so you set up the turn before you need it instead of scrambling once you’re already there
- The bottom turn: It’s the hinge that everything else hangs on
Equipment: Because your board should work with you, not against you
Advanced surfers keep a quiver for a reason.
Low volume for the bigger days. More foam for the mellow days. A step-up for when it gets serious. So bring the board you actually ride.
You can pull one off our racks, for sure, but the best coaching will happen on your everyday board (chiefly because it’s the board you’ll be riding when you get home).
That is, provided you’re on the right board in the first place and not reading the litres wrong.
Recovery: Post-surf saunas, savasana and mobility training
Coaching can be hard on the body… especially if you’re not used to surfing in tropical conditions or surfing often.
Recovery is just as important as what you do on the wave. If you don’t recover properly, tired becomes sloppy and sloppy is where technique goes to die. Recovery isn’t the wind-down after the surf. It’s part of the training program
- Sauna & ice bath: At Xanadu Retreat, you’ll have access to an on-site infrared sauna and ice bath. They’re ideal for unwinding, cooling down and resetting between surf sessions.
- Mobility: Injury prevention and performance. Wakes up the muscles, gets your body surf-ready
- Yin yoga: Slow, supported poses give tired muscles time to release and help you shift out of surf mode. Each session ends in savasana, giving your body and mind space to reset before the next day’s training.
- Healthy food: You can’t rely on nasi goreng and Bintang. What you put in decides what your body has to repair with, which we get into here
- Sleep: The unglamorous one doing most of the work. Our beds are stupidly comfortable and you adapt while you rest, not while you grind
How it all funnels into Level 4. What does Xanadu’s Level 4 surf program include?
Four stages, each feeding the next:
- Diagnose: In-water coaching and frame-by-frame video. The gap between what you think you’re doing and what the footage shows is usually a shock and it’s where the week starts
- Drill: Land sessions and video analysis to create muscle memory before you go in the water
- Apply: Forecasting and wave energy, so you can do it alone
- Reset: Mindset and mobility. Because faster waves raise the stakes and staying calm under pressure is also a skill
Frequently asked questions about Advanced Surf Progression (Level 4)
Q. How do I know if I’m ready for Level 4?
You can paddle for and catch your own waves, do a basic bottom turn and ride down the line on a shortboard or mid-length with control. If that’s not you yet, the Level 1-3 retreat is the better fit.
Q. Do I need to already do cutbacks?
No. Experience with cutbacks is helpful, but not required. You bring the fundamentals. We build the manoeuvres on top. The turns come from the foundations, not the reverse.
Q. Should I bring my own board?
Yes. Use our quiver if you have to, but your own board gives you feedback you can take home. If you can’t travel with one, tell us and we’ll sort it.
Q. What if I freeze up in bigger waves?
Then this week’s for you. Composure is trainable, which is why the mobility and mindset sit next to the surf coaching, not off in a corner.
Q. How big are the groups?
Groups are capped at six surfers.
The point of the basics
The surfers who break through at Level 4 respect the fundamentals hard enough that the manoeuvres turn up on their own. They stop chasing. They start feeling and doing.
Technique gives you the movement. The board gives you the platform. Diagnosis and honest video footage do the rest. Give our Level 4 program a try by hitting the button below.
