Bring a swimsuit, towel, water, sunscreen and, most importantly, a good mood!

We provide all the surf equipment you need for the lesson, including a surfboard, wetsuit and leash.

Not at all!

Our lessons are adapted to different experience levels, from complete beginners taking their first steps in surfing to more experienced surfers looking to improve their technique and surf green waves.

When booking, please be as honest and detailed as possible about your surfing experience. This helps us place you in the right lesson and provide the best and safest experience possible.

Our surf lessons last approximately 2 hours.

The lesson time starts from the moment we begin preparing and distributing the equipment and includes the briefing, warm-up, surf session and return of the equipment.

Yes. All the necessary equipment is included in the lesson price: surfboard, wetsuit and leash.

We select the equipment according to your level, size and the conditions of the day.

We choose the surf spot according to the ocean and weather conditions of the day.

The Azores are highly exposed to changing Atlantic conditions, so choosing the right location is an important part of providing a safe and productive surf lesson.

The meeting point is confirmed the day before your lesson, by email, SMS or WhatsApp.

No. We cannot guarantee a specific surf spot in advance.

Surfing depends entirely on nature - swell direction and size, wind, tides and other local conditions all influence where the best and safest conditions will be.

Our team checks the forecast and local conditions to choose the most appropriate location for each lesson.

Rain does not necessarily mean bad surfing conditions!

Surf lessons can take place in rain or cloudy weather. What matters most are the ocean conditions, wind, swell and safety.

We only cancel or reschedule a lesson when our team considers that the conditions are unsafe or unsuitable for a productive lesson.

Yes.

Because surfing is dependent on tides, swell, wind and ocean conditions, we may occasionally need to adjust the lesson time.

If a change is necessary, we will contact you as early as possible and suggest the best available alternative.

A little flexibility can make a huge difference when surfing in the middle of the Atlantic.

Safety and lesson quality always come first.

If we determine that the ocean conditions are unsafe or unsuitable for your level, we may reschedule, change the time or location, or cancel the lesson.

Whenever possible, we will offer you a suitable alternative.

If the lesson cannot take place and we are unable to provide a suitable alternative during your availability, you will receive a full refund for the cancelled lesson.

No. We do not provide pick-up or transportation services to the surf lesson.

Depending on where you are staying, we recommend renting a car, taking a taxi or using the local bus network.

Because the surf location can change according to the conditions, please wait for our meeting-point confirmation before organising your transportation.

Customer cancellations are different from cancellations made by Watergliders due to ocean or safety conditions.

If you decide to cancel your booking, the refund or rescheduling conditions depend on the notice period and the cancellation terms applicable to your reservation.

A cancellation by the customer due to personal reasons, travel changes, weather preferences or a change of plans should not be confused with a cancellation made by Watergliders for safety reasons.

Please check the cancellation conditions presented during your booking.

We will always do our best to help.

Changes are subject to availability and ocean conditions, so we strongly recommend contacting us as early as possible.

Last-minute changes may not always be possible, especially during busy periods.

Absolutely - surfing can be an amazing experience for children.

However, for safety, attention and teaching quality, children under 14 years old can only participate in private surf lessons.

This allows our instructor to provide closer supervision and adapt the lesson specifically to the child's age, confidence and ability.

Group lessons are a social and fun way to learn surfing alongside other surfers with a compatible level. You'll share the experience with other Watergliders guests, always within a group size that allows us to keep the lesson safe, personal and productive.

Private lessons are about more than individual technical attention - they are about having the experience to yourselves.

They are ideal for couples, friends and families with children who want to surf together without being joined by people outside their group.

Whether it's your first time surfing, a family experience, a session between friends or simply something you want to share with the people you came to the Azores with, a private lesson gives you your own space, rhythm and instructor attention.

From a surfing perspective, private lessons also allow us to adapt the session more closely to your individual level, confidence, goals and progression.

So, if your priority is privacy, a more personal experience, or focused progression, a private lesson is the right choice.

No - and we believe it's important to be completely transparent about this.

The Atlantic Ocean is beautifully unpredictable, and the Azores are a very special surf destination.

There are incredible days here, but surfing in the middle of the Atlantic means that swell, wind, tides and weather can change quickly. Sometimes everything aligns - and boom, amazing waves!

Other times, nature simply has different plans. That's part of the magic of surfing in the Azores.

We strongly recommend coming with an open heart and flexible expectations. Appreciate the quiet days, because they make the great days feel even better.

Good forecasting and local knowledge are extremely important, and our team will always do its best to find the safest and most suitable conditions available for your level.

However, we cannot guarantee waves, wave size, wave quality or a particular surf spot.

If conditions do not allow us to safely run your lesson and we cannot offer you a suitable alternative, we will provide a full refund.

At the end of the day, it's the ocean. It's nature. And that's exactly what makes surfing special.

For groups of friends who want to surf together, we recommend a maximum of 4 people per private group whenever possible.

Smaller groups allow the instructor to provide more individual feedback, maintain better safety control and create a much more productive surfing experience.

For larger groups, please contact us directly so we can recommend the best setup depending on your experience levels and the conditions.

Choose the level that reflects what you can currently do in the ocean independently - not how many surf lessons you have taken or how many times you have been on a surfboard.

And please, be honest with us about your experience. This is not about labels, and there is no prize for choosing a higher level. Your level helps us decide where, when and in which conditions we can safely take you surfing.

Five lessons don't automatically make someone an intermediate surfer. Neither do 10, 20 or 30. The number of lessons helps, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

Surfing experience is built through time in the ocean, independence, wave knowledge, positioning, paddling ability, board control, decision-making and understanding how to react when conditions change.

If you're still learning to paddle independently, control your board, position yourself correctly, catch waves consistently or make the transition from whitewater to green waves, you may still be a beginner or advanced beginner. And that's completely fine. Progress in surfing takes time.

Intermediate surfers should be genuinely independent in the ocean: able to paddle out, understand positioning and priority, select and catch green waves without assistance, control their direction and make safe decisions around other surfers.

It's also important to understand that surf experience is not the same everywhere.

You may have surfed in Morocco, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica or other incredible surf destinations, and that experience absolutely counts. But every coastline teaches you something different. Wave setups, currents, swell energy, access, bottom contours and local conditions can be completely different from one destination to another.

The Azores sit exposed in the middle of the Atlantic, and the ocean here has its own character. Conditions can change quickly, swell can carry a lot of energy, and a wave that looks manageable from the beach may feel very different once you're in the water.

That's why we ask you to leave the ego on the shore and be honest about your ability.

Not because we want to hold you back, but because we want to put you in the right conditions to move you forward.

Overestimating your level can compromise your learning, your safety and the safety of the people around you. Giving us an accurate picture of your experience allows our team to make better decisions and give you a much better surf session.

If you're unsure about your level, tell us what you can actually do in the water and where you've surfed before. We'll take it from there.

Respect the ocean. Trust the process. Progress will follow.

Yes. We offer surfboard and wetsuit rentals directly from our Watergliders Surf Shop.

But there is one important thing to know first: we do not rent surfboards to beginners or advanced beginners. Rentals are available for intermediate and experienced surfers who are independent in the ocean.

Why? Because renting a board means surfing without an instructor, and with that independence comes responsibility.

The process at the shop is simple: you choose the most suitable board and wetsuit from our available equipment, sign our rental terms and responsibility agreement, make the payment, go surf and return the equipment afterwards.

Wetsuits must be returned clean and free from sand - they can be wet, that's absolutely fine.

More importantly, we ask every surfer renting equipment from us to know their limits, respect the ocean, respect the beach and respect the local surf community.

Being able to stand up and catch a wave doesn't necessarily mean you're ready to surf independently in a lineup.

You should understand positioning, priority and basic surf etiquette, be able to control your board at all times and know how to behave safely around other surfers. Sometimes people simply don't realise that what they're doing is creating a dangerous situation - for themselves and for everyone around them.

At Watergliders, respect in the water matters to us. A lineup works when everyone understands that they're sharing the ocean.

If our team considers that your experience is not yet suitable for an independent rental, we may recommend a surf lesson instead. It's not about keeping you out of the water - it's about helping you get into it in the right way.

Know your limits. Respect the locals. Respect the lineup. Respect the ocean.