Bodie's School of Surf
Bodie's School of Surf
5
About
The School of Surf is a mobile set up, which allows you to maximize your surf adventure by going to the locations with the most ideal conditions on any given day, with safety always being a priority. Bodie teaches all the surf lessons himself and brings along 30 yrs of teaching experience. Whether you are a total beginner or an eager intermediate you can sign up to join an open group lesson, book a private group class or take a private one on one session. All lessons are 2-2.5 hrs long and the cost includes transportation from Oistins and nearby accommodation, rash guards and use of a GoPro camera to capture pictures and videos of your waves, which are sent to you at no extra charge. We also provide hourly, daily and weekly board rentals as well as surf tours. Windsurfing lessons and rentals are also available at a quiet beach near to Oistins on the south coast.
Oistins, Barbados

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023

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(96 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles1,171 reviews
Excellent
1,168
Very good
3
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Chanelle B
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
The idea of surfing is pretty dreamy, but never in a million years did I think I’d actually be taught in a way that made it possible. It’s pretty surreal to think that in one session a group of 10 people were all able to ride numerous waves with great success! It takes a special kind of person and passion for what you’re teaching to excel in this kind of work. Bodie exemplifies everything you would want in an instructor. Directions right from the start were concise with a focus on technical skills to ensure success, constructive criticism showed he was paying attention to details in order for you to improve throughout the day, and he made sure you felt that it was okay to laugh at yourself whenever things didn’t go quite as planned. I went for surfing lessons one day and had such an amazing time I went two more times after that in two weeks, I think that alone speaks for itself. I would recommend his School Of Surf to anyone as the experience I had is one I will always remember.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CanadianOnt
Toronto, Canada80 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I visit Barbados yearly and this was my third year taking a lesson with Bodie. This time I took 2 friends who had never surfed before. We had an incredible experience and were all up and surfing on the first wave!!!! Bodie is thorough, patient, encouraging, and pushes you to do your absolute best. The first part of the lesson takes place on land where Bodie goes over technique and safety. You then get in the water and Bodie continues to coach you after each surf while working at everyone's individual levels.
Highly recommend Bodie if you want to learn how to surf in a safe and fun environment.
If you've never surfed before Bodie is your guy. I'll be back next time I'm on the island.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rooimanna
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
In this chaotic world we all live in, opportunities to connect and deliver meaningful experiences are what I continually search for. We spent the week in Barbados over the new year and I have literally been to Barbados 60 times.

I got Bodie's contact from a great friend and I said that to the family we should do it. My wife looked at me before we got there and said to us, "not sure I should be doing this!".

We had a good learning experience on the beach, everyone felt somewhat confident after the session. Bodie was able to keep everyone engaged understanding the different audiences. I was super anxious to get to the water to see what we could do. Guess what, we all got up, surfed numerous waves and had a blast. My youngest, 6 was a super star, easily stood up and conquered a fear. My wife crushed it.

With our family surfing experience, Bodie delivered a great experience and sparked a new passion with my kids. One even said - "Dad, can I enter a surfing contest?". Having been to Barbados so many times, this one will definitely stand out from the rest. Sitting in the airport we were able to look at the videos that were captured. We all had a good laugh.

Definitely look Bodie up, don't wait to the last day as like us you will want to do it again before you leave.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travel241077
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We had an amazing time surfing in Barbados with Bodie!

We first spent some time on land working on the basics and we really appreciated the time he took to explain the best techniques and to give us pro tips - I noticed that the other surf schools were giving a much shorter, less personalized intro. Having such a good lesson on land definitely helps out when you are out on the water.

Not only was Bodie an incredible instructor, but Freights Bay (Oistins) was also perfect for first-time/beginner surfers. The waves are gentle, but they'll bring you to shore with a bit of guidance from Bodie. Plus there are many sea turtles in the bay, which makes for an extra special experience.

As soon as the lesson was over, we wanted to know if we could do another lesson the next day. Bodie quickly got us set up and we had another great lesson with one of his colleagues. Both are hilarious and really make the lesson fun. You can definitely see their passion for surfing and their desire to share that passion with others. It's a fantastic sport and Bodie's teaching skills will help get anyone at any level or condition riding the waves in no time.

You will definitely want to continue practicing after your lesson at Bodie's School of Surf so try to book your lesson in the beginning of your trip :) We wish we would have done that!

Oh and if you do go to the Roti shop that Bodi recommends, make sure to try the Bajan Cherry juice - delicious :)

Thanks again, Bodie! We hope to be back soon!
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martin
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Bodie is a patient, super friendly, and understanding surf coach. My girlfriend was very uncomfortable in water and was afraid to fall off the board. Despite her fear, Bodie made her feel comfortable and safe. She surfed her first waves during the first individual lesson and took one more group lesson to ride many more waves, including a 20-second one!

Bodie also helped me (a beginner/intermediate surfer) by giving me some tips on how to improve my surfing.

If you want to try surfing for the first time, Bodie's school is definitely an excellent choice (and Barbados is a perfect place to start surfing!).
Written August 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cheryl
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Bodie’s School of Surf is so much fun and such a great experience. Bodie is very easy to get a hold of, very good at communication and logistics. He provides all the equipment and transportation to the gorgeous Freight’s Bay! Bodie is a fantastic teacher! Our group had 11 people and all of us were up and surfing within 3 goes. The go pro videos and pictures he provides are a fabulous souvenir and most of the time hilarious! I highly recommend you Choose Bodie for your surfing experience in Barbados. His expertise, coaching abilities and personality are all so beneficial in enabling a memorable experience! The added bonus of swimming near so many turtles 🐢 is magical!
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ryan P
New Smyrna Beach, FL2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Before landing in Barbados Bodie already went out of his way to maximize my surfing experience. He was able to locate a board with very similar dimensions to my standard short board and provide a step up for the larger days. He checked in with me daily to make sure I was going to best places given wind, swell direction, tide, etc. I could not have asked for a better connection! Thanks Bodie.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tanz
Bridgetown, Barbados7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
My 2 girlfriends and I went surfing for the first time with Bodie on Jan 23, 2020. We had no surfing experience therefore had no idea what to expect.
All of us were up and surfing very quickly because of Bodie’s amazing ability to teach and communicate in a very relaxed manner with the best sense of humour.

Hands down this was the highlight of my trip. I went back 3 more times to surf and each time leaned more and then even started catching waves on my own. I never thought I’d be doing all this so quickly.

Freights bay is a perfect place to learn to surf and nothing beats the warm, clear ocean with so many turtles!

We had an unbelievably awesome time, and I can’t wait to get back!

Thank you Bodie!!

Tanz
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert L
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021 • Friends
Bodie was great, immediately made us feel relaxed and comfortable and that we were going to have a good time! Spent a while talking us through the techniques before we got in the water, which was great because it meant the time in the water was better spent.

He put us on great waves and gave really useful feedback between each one, as well as some appreciated encouragement. Managed to stand up several times and having the gopros on the board meant we could milk it afterwards.

After the session he took us to a great roti shop to fill our well earned appetites.
Definitely recommend!
Written February 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Little T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
Bodie somehow managed to successfully teach 4 first time surfers to pop up and surf from the first attempt. He did so by explaining the required technique quickly and efficiently whilst keep the attention of 3 young children. It was an exhilarating experience.
Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Bodie's School of Surf - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)