Surf Science Retreats 2026
After several years away from running full programmes, I will be hosting two small group Surf Science Clinics at the Headland Hotel in 2026.
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The first clinic will run from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May 2026, and the second from Monday 5 to Friday 9 October 2026.
Each clinic will bring together six participants for an immersive experience in surf learning, built around my Surf Science methodology. We will combine neuroscience, breathwork, and practical ocean skills. If the sea is calm, we will use the time for freediving and coasteering, exploring how calm, awareness, and adaptability transfer between environments.
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These clinics are for adults who already surf and want to understand how to progress more effectively; not just through technique, but through physiology, mindset, and measured exposure to challenge.
Pricing, schedules, and booking information below.
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To register early interest please email dom@surfsanctuary.co.uk.
3 Day Surf Science Clinic Itinerary
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th May 2026
Price: £595 per person
Group size: 6 participants
Coaching ratio: 1 coach per 3 surfers
Equipment: all surfboards, wetsuits and safety kit provided
Accommodation and food: not included
Accommodation is available directly through the Headland Hotel, and I can advise on nearby self-catering options for anyone preferring to arrange their own stay.
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This clinic is built for surfers who want to understand how the brain, body and sea interact to shape performance. Each day combines structured learning, coached surfing and controlled exposure to stress. Numbers are kept to six so every participant receives tailored input.
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Day 1: Orientation and Calibration
0900: Welcome and kit chat
0930: Shake down surf and debrief
1200: Rule of Threes, goal setting and self audit
Lunch: light and hydrating
1330: Dopamine and its role in learning (stay curious)
1430: Breathwork (static apnoea) for surfers, land or sea based according to conditions
1530: Coached surf
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Day 2: Adaptation and Stress Inoculation
0900: Stress versus Performance, understanding the sympathetic and parasympathetic balance
1000: Coached surf
1200: Hormesis, going in even when it is rough
Lunch
1330: Land based movement, Tailpipe drill, pre-fatigue dynamic apnoea and controlled stress exercises
1500: Shake down surf, experiment with new boards and techniques
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Day 3: Integration and Application
0900: Rule of Threes revisited, creating your own action plan and designing mind changing surf sessions
1000: Coached surf
1230: Anatomy of a wipeout, understanding energy transfer, risk and recovery
1330: Shake down surf (optional early departure)
Each day is a progression: theory into practice, calm into challenge, structure into freedom.
Lunches are kept light to maintain focus, and the final session is a chance to apply everything learned with no pressure, just surfing for the sheer curiosity of it.
The Rule of Threes: the foundation of Surf Science.
The Rule of Threes is a framework I developed through years of surf coaching and ocean training. It helps surfers understand how progress happens across three connected domains: Knowledge, Technique, and Fitness.
By comparing the qualities a wave demands with their own abilities, surfers can identify precise areas to develop and build a personal action plan. The framework is simple, intuitive, and instantly graspable. It gives a structured way to progress without guesswork or vague coaching advice.
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Knowledge: cognitive and emotional understanding of the ocean and self. Reading rips, currents, tides, swell, bathymetry, and developing the mindset traits of focus, resilience, and humility.
Technique: neurological skill. Speed, timing, coordination, agility, balance, reflexes, and the ability to move efficiently and instinctively.
Fitness: physiological capacity. Cardiovascular output, breath-hold under stress, muscular endurance, strength, and recovery.
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These three domains constantly influence one another. Better technique reduces energy cost, allowing more practice and calmer learning; greater fitness supports longer sessions and better attention; sound knowledge keeps everything connected and safe. The Rule of Threes is the framework that underpins all Surf Science Clinics.
The Rule of Threes: a self-assessment model developed by Dom Moore to help surfers visualise how Knowledge, Technique, and Fitness combine in performance.
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Applying the Framework
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During the clinic, we use the Rule of Threes as a structured self-audit. Each surfer identifies a target surf break or performance level, rates their current ability in Knowledge, Technique and Fitness out of ten, and does the same for what that target demands. The difference between those numbers reveals the areas to work on.
From that starting point we build a personalised action plan. Below are three example strands, one from each domain. Real plans can be much longer and can include any element that limits progress, from breath control and focus to strength, balance or equipment choice.
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Cognitive and Emotional
We use a three-tier exposure system adapted from cognitive behavioural therapy. It helps reduce fear, build composure and replace avoidance with confidence.
Example Trigger: surfing in crowds
Desktop (completely safe): watching a crowded line up from shore and speaking to three people.
Pool (controlled environment): paddling out on a busy small day on a foam board with no intention to catch a wave, speaking to three people.
The Wild (real environment with an immediate exit): paddling out on a busy small day, taking off on three waves, speaking to three people.
Cadence: Desktop twice a week, Pool once a week, Wild once a fortnight.
Adaptations here can happen quickly when exposure is structured and repeated.
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Fitness and Physiological
We focus on slower physical changes that require consistent stimulus over weeks or months.
Example Deficit: local muscular endurance in shoulders
Short term: develop correct stroke technique on a Concept2 Ski Erg
Medium term: build up to a ten-minute maximum effort
Long term: Tabata sprint drills or ten-calorie challenge, five rounds
Cadence: two sessions per week, typically part of a twelve-week strength and conditioning block.
These programmes are planned with my input as a qualified personal trainer.
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Technique and Neurological
Technical progress relies on repetition and precise feedback. Each phase builds on the last, with measurable gains in efficiency and reflex timing.
Example Deficit: duck diving
Short term: pool or flat water duck dive without a board
Medium term: stacking drill using a low buoyancy board in small non-breaking swell
Long term: paddle-out drills in three-foot surf using a longer narrower board
Cadence: two sessions per week, completing the three phases over roughly three weeks.
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Safety Note
Do not practise breath-hold drills alone, near hazards or drop-offs, or in water deeper than waist depth.
All clinic participants complete a medical self-declaration before taking part.
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Outcome
The clinic sets each surfer on their trajectory. You leave with a structured plan, the understanding to refine it, and the confidence to keep progressing. Ongoing coaching is available afterwards for those who want continued guidance.
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More about the science can be found on the Surf Science blog: www.surfscience.co.uk
Practicalities
The clinic runs from Surf Sanctuary, located within the Headland Hotel on Fistral Headland, Newquay. Parking is on site, and all classroom sessions take place on land, indoors if the weather turns poor.
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On site you will find changing rooms, showers, loos and secure overnight kit storage. It really does not get more comfortable than this.
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We have full stocks of 5 mm wetsuits, boots and gloves, plus a wide range of intermediate surfboards from 42 litres upward. All freediving and coasteering equipment is included at no extra charge.
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If you forget anything, do not panic; we keep spares here. If you are travelling by train or plane, let us know in advance and we can prepare a full kit for your arrival.
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Most sessions will take place at Fistral Beach and the Gazzle area; if conditions are better elsewhere, we have plenty of backup beaches within easy reach.
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Payment: full payment is due two weeks before the course start date.
Cancellations:
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Up to one week in advance: 50 per cent refund
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Up to 72 hours in advance: 25 per cent refund
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Inside 72 hours: no refund
I strongly recommend taking out travel insurance, as I cannot be responsible for personal circumstances that prevent attendance.
FAQ
I am not sure I am good enough, what level do I need to be?
If you can paddle out and catch unbroken waves independently, you will be fine. This is not a competition or a performance test. Much of the learning happens on land or in controlled conditions, with clear escape routes in every session.
What if I get scared, cold, or tired?
That is part of the point. You will be supported throughout, and everything has a threshold and a safe exit. Most fear management work happens in shallow water or from the beach. We do not put anyone into situations they cannot handle.
What if the surf is flat or too big?
If it is calm, we freedive or coasteer. If it is too big, we scale it down, move location, or take the opportunity to deepen the classroom and breathwork elements. Either way, you will always learn.
Will I need to bring any equipment?
No, all wetsuits, surfboards, and specialist kit are provided. You can of course bring your own if you prefer.
Can I stay at the Headland Hotel?
Yes, and many participants do. They offer five star comfort and secure storage. If you prefer self catering, I can suggest good local options.
Is this course right for me if I am nervous in the sea?
Probably yes. You will learn about control, exposure, and confidence in a structured way. Many breakthroughs happen standing on the sand, not in heavy water.
What happens after the clinic?
You will leave with a clear personal plan and the understanding to keep developing. Further coaching is available for those who want follow up input.
Next Steps
Places on each clinic are limited to six. To register your interest or ask any practical questions, please email dom@surfsanctuary.co.uk or call or WhatsApp 07540 155123.
Once your place is confirmed, I will send joining information and a simple self declaration form. Payment is taken two weeks before the course begins.
Accommodation can be booked directly through the Headland Hotel, or I can advise on trusted local options nearby.
Surf Science Clinics are designed to be small, purposeful and comfortable; everything is organised so that you can focus entirely on learning, surfing and understanding the sea.