Our handpicked surf experiences in Weligama — a super chilled place to learn to surf, with beginner-friendly options that are great for first-timers.

Surfing in Weligama: Our Top Picks for Beginners

Surfing in Weligama

Sample Itinerary (actual itinerary will vary depending on weather and tides of the day)
9:00 AM Morning surf lesson
10:00 AM Independent Practice 
12:00 PM Lunch with coaches and other surfers
2:30 PM Independent Practice 
4:00 PM Afternoon surf lesson 
5:00 PM Review of the day with instructors

Freedom Surf School, Weligama Bay

This is for beginners who are looking to learn how to ride the waves. Spend 5 days mastering the skills of popping up, balancing on the board. This includes two one-hour private lessons each day with an experienced coach, and practising on your own with unlimited use of the board.

Private 5-day beginner surf lessons with experienced instructors.

Personal surfing record and unlimited surfboard use included.

Friendly local staff and relaxed vibes at surf villa.

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Surfing

Learn to surf over 5 days with beginner-friendly coaching and two private lessons a day. Build your pop-up and balance, with unlimited board use.

5 Day Beginner Surf Lessons

Master the waves in 5 days with private coaching.

Amazing and and friendly trainer and people, can’t recommend them more

1 Hr Private Surf Lesson

Amazing and and friendly trainer and people, can’t recommend them more

There are so many surfing school along the beach and make me so confused where to choose. Freedom surfing seem have higher price than others place. 2000 rupee for 1 hour when the other place offer 2h from 1500 - 2000 rupee but i have great experience with Madu - my trainer. Even i told him I'm dont know how to swim and never surf before, he teach me slowly and remind me safety first.
 And he also really patient, encourage me and never get mad with me when I failed so many time and make he feel tired.
 After 2 lesson I feel confident to stand up in the surf and could able to do it so many times and it's was the great experience ever.

There are so many surfing school along the beach and make me so confused where to choose. Freedom surfing seem have higher price than others place. 2000 rupee for 1 hour when the other place offer 2h from 1500 - 2000 rupee but i have great experience with Madu - my trainer. Even i told him I'm dont know how to swim and never surf before, he teach me slowly and remind me safety first.
And he also really patient, encourage me and never get mad with me when I failed so many time and make he feel tired.
After 2 lesson I feel confident to stand up in the surf and could able to do it so many times and it's was the great experience ever.

Amazing place! The villa is great, Leomi is very professional and friendly, and made me feel like family. It is very close to the center but also quiet for those who want to enjoy a surf trip and relax. Surf wise, Gayan was an amazing coach, I improved a lot surfing with him! Definitely recommend!

Amazing place! The villa is great, Leomi is very professional and friendly, and made me feel like family. It is very close to the center but also quiet for those who want to enjoy a surf trip and relax. Surf wise, Gayan was an amazing coach, I improved a lot surfing with him! Definitely recommend!


I had the best time during my stay at the Freedom Surf Villa and during my 3 lessons at Freedom Surf School!

Leomi is super profesional and helpful. We had a great communication via e-mail and agreed on everything in just 2 messages. The villa is very close to the beach, rooms are very nice and spacious. And the breakfast! The smoothie bowls are amazing! Everyone are super nice and welcoming.

I had also scheduled 2 lessons with Gayan but I have booked one more cause I did not have enough! Gayan is one of the best surf teachers I have ever met. He explains everything very well and he is very patient. I can be a stubborn student but he manage to improve me skills!

Ruwan - the owner of the surf school is super nice, helpful and profesional. During my short stay everything went perfect!

Now I have to come back for a longer stay :)

I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

I had the best time during my stay at the Freedom Surf Villa and during my 3 lessons at Freedom Surf School!

Leomi is super profesional and helpful. We had a great communication via e-mail and agreed on everything in just 2 messages. The villa is very close to the beach, rooms are very nice and spacious. And the breakfast! The smoothie bowls are amazing! Everyone are super nice and welcoming.

I had also scheduled 2 lessons with Gayan but I have booked one more cause I did not have enough! Gayan is one of the best surf teachers I have ever met. He explains everything very well and he is very patient. I can be a stubborn student but he manage to improve me skills!

Ruwan - the owner of the surf school is super nice, helpful and profesional. During my short stay everything went perfect!

Now I have to come back for a longer stay :)

I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

We spent 2 weeks in Weligama at Freedom, the place is great! Super quiet but close to the center, the room is very spacious and clean and the common area are perfect to chill, cook and have fun with the host/staff and the other guest. You can also enjoy outside area in the terrace and rooftop (up coming). Surfing wise we had the best time, surfing one or two times a day with a very nice and professional teacher! We improved a lot in such a short time. I do recommend to go there! You won’t regret it :) thanks a lot for everything, I hope to see you soon ❤️

We spent 2 weeks in Weligama at Freedom, the place is great! Super quiet but close to the center, the room is very spacious and clean and the common area are perfect to chill, cook and have fun with the host/staff and the other guest. You can also enjoy outside area in the terrace and rooftop (up coming). Surfing wise we had the best time, surfing one or two times a day with a very nice and professional teacher! We improved a lot in such a short time. I do recommend to go there! You won’t regret it :) thanks a lot for everything, I hope to see you soon ❤️


I've been to Freedom Surf School twice: in April and October 2019. And I will come here again if I go back to Sri Lanka! Madu is an amazing coach! He explains everything, what and how to do during the lesson, how the waves work and so on. He watches you surf and then explains your mistakes, what you need to change to succeed. I am very happy that in April I came to Freedom surf school and Madu trained me. Thanks a lot!

I've been to Freedom Surf School twice: in April and October 2019. And I will come here again if I go back to Sri Lanka! Madu is an amazing coach! He explains everything, what and how to do during the lesson, how the waves work and so on. He watches you surf and then explains your mistakes, what you need to change to succeed. I am very happy that in April I came to Freedom surf school and Madu trained me. Thanks a lot!


Warm welcome, smiles, good vibes and super instructors, can't wait to be back Thanks you Leomi, Lili, Ruwan, Gayan, Anju &amp; all the others ❤️

Warm welcome, smiles, good vibes and super instructors, can't wait to be back Thanks you Leomi, Lili, Ruwan, Gayan, Anju &amp; all the others ❤️


My family, 2 adults and 2 kids ages 14 and 11, had a great time at Freedom Surf School. We stayed at their accommodation which was perfect. It was clean and laid back and an easy walk to the beach.
 We booked the surf intense package which consisted of 2 lessons in one day 3 days in a row. We had never surfed before and though 6 lessons was indeed intense, it was exactly what we needed so we could fit in a lot of practice.
 Our instructors (Sahan, Gayan, Madu &amp; Benja) were super patient and very helpful. I was happy each lesson we all had our own instructor (except for the very last one because one of our instructors was injured.) I never felt nervous about our safety in the surf and by the end we were all able to get up and ride the surf in.
 Weligama is a perfect place for beginning (and more advanced) surfers. Gorgeous beach.

My family, 2 adults and 2 kids ages 14 and 11, had a great time at Freedom Surf School. We stayed at their accommodation which was perfect. It was clean and laid back and an easy walk to the beach.
We booked the surf intense package which consisted of 2 lessons in one day 3 days in a row. We had never surfed before and though 6 lessons was indeed intense, it was exactly what we needed so we could fit in a lot of practice.
Our instructors (Sahan, Gayan, Madu &amp; Benja) were super patient and very helpful. I was happy each lesson we all had our own instructor (except for the very last one because one of our instructors was injured.) I never felt nervous about our safety in the surf and by the end we were all able to get up and ride the surf in.
Weligama is a perfect place for beginning (and more advanced) surfers. Gorgeous beach.

I was able to schedule a great last-minute trip with the owner. She was super helpful, flexible, and accommodating on my short stay in Weligama. I'm a dad, usually. So it was really important to maximize surf time during a brief solo vacation. Had a great overnight stay and surf lesson with the boys on the beach. Would definitely come back.

I was able to schedule a great last-minute trip with the owner. She was super helpful, flexible, and accommodating on my short stay in Weligama. I'm a dad, usually. So it was really important to maximize surf time during a brief solo vacation. Had a great overnight stay and surf lesson with the boys on the beach. Would definitely come back.


Just returned from my Sri Lanka trip. First part of the adventure was surfing with Freedom Surf School in Weligama. I was lucky to get the best surf instructor Madu! Is a very good one! Explains all the mistakes, analyses them, give advice, supports! I had a fantastic time for sure!
 Highly recommend this school and instructor!
 All guys were very friendly and nice

Just returned from my Sri Lanka trip. First part of the adventure was surfing with Freedom Surf School in Weligama. I was lucky to get the best surf instructor Madu! Is a very good one! Explains all the mistakes, analyses them, give advice, supports! I had a fantastic time for sure!
Highly recommend this school and instructor!
All guys were very friendly and nice

I returned to freedom this year to take more lessons after my first visit in 2017.. my instructor this time was Kiri. He was so patient with me and got me back on the board in no time at all. I always had lots of fun on my lessons.

The Villa is so comfortable and has a really nice area to chill and socialize in. The host Leomi is super friendly and helpful and makes you feel right at home in her villa.

I will definitely continue to come back to freedom for a long time :)

I returned to freedom this year to take more lessons after my first visit in 2017.. my instructor this time was Kiri. He was so patient with me and got me back on the board in no time at all. I always had lots of fun on my lessons.

The Villa is so comfortable and has a really nice area to chill and socialize in. The host Leomi is super friendly and helpful and makes you feel right at home in her villa.

I will definitely continue to come back to freedom for a long time :)

I had such a wonderful time with freedom surfing school, that I stayed much longer than I expected.
 My instructor Sahan was a great teacher,very professional and patient and thanks to him I gain so much confidence in surfing. You can tell that these guys really care that you'll learn to surf properly, and they take their job very seriously.
 If you're looking for a place where you could get the proper tools and really learn how to surf by yourself in the end, this is the place for you.
 Besides that, the atmosphere is just lovely and this place really felt like home.
 Highly recommended !!!
 Thank you so much guys :)

I had such a wonderful time with freedom surfing school, that I stayed much longer than I expected.
My instructor Sahan was a great teacher,very professional and patient and thanks to him I gain so much confidence in surfing. You can tell that these guys really care that you'll learn to surf properly, and they take their job very seriously.
If you're looking for a place where you could get the proper tools and really learn how to surf by yourself in the end, this is the place for you.
Besides that, the atmosphere is just lovely and this place really felt like home.
Highly recommended !!!
Thank you so much guys :)

I stayed for five days in Weligama and booked in advance to stay in the Freedom Surf Villa - having my accommodation and lessons all with one company made life simple and therefore more enjoyable. A very warm welcome, great directions and refreshingly cold drinks made my arrival perfect after being met by the owners.
 Lessons were flexible and planned day by day with my individual instructor, Gayan and the instruction consisted of much more technical and analytical coaching rather than just shouting "get up" as each wave arrived. The boards and rash-vests were of a good standard and the school appeared to be one of the busiest, most professional and best branded on the beach with still being very good value. I did find it enjoyable although hard work and managing to progress to standing on to a hard board was satisfying. I would recommend you bring suitable gear (to cover upper legs and forearms) to minimise rash and discomfort as experienced by other learners.
 The Villa was set in a quiet part of town which was only 10 minutes walk from the beach/school and had a nice communal atmosphere without feeling like a hostel. En-suite bathrooms and private outside area were appreciated as was the well made and user-friendly mosquito nets over the bed. Daily breakfast consisted of smoothie bowls freshly prepared each morning. Everything was clean - towels and laundry service available..Bottled water available from a dispenser so bring a water bottle with you to save on plastic.

I stayed for five days in Weligama and booked in advance to stay in the Freedom Surf Villa - having my accommodation and lessons all with one company made life simple and therefore more enjoyable. A very warm welcome, great directions and refreshingly cold drinks made my arrival perfect after being met by the owners.
Lessons were flexible and planned day by day with my individual instructor, Gayan and the instruction consisted of much more technical and analytical coaching rather than just shouting "get up" as each wave arrived. The boards and rash-vests were of a good standard and the school appeared to be one of the busiest, most professional and best branded on the beach with still being very good value. I did find it enjoyable although hard work and managing to progress to standing on to a hard board was satisfying. I would recommend you bring suitable gear (to cover upper legs and forearms) to minimise rash and discomfort as experienced by other learners.
The Villa was set in a quiet part of town which was only 10 minutes walk from the beach/school and had a nice communal atmosphere without feeling like a hostel. En-suite bathrooms and private outside area were appreciated as was the well made and user-friendly mosquito nets over the bed. Daily breakfast consisted of smoothie bowls freshly prepared each morning. Everything was clean - towels and laundry service available..Bottled water available from a dispenser so bring a water bottle with you to save on plastic.

I came to Weligama hoping to get away from it all and had a great time! I stayed for three weeks at the Freedom Surf Villa and went out with the surf school every day.

Leomi and Ruwan couldn't have been more welcoming and the villa felt like a home away from home. The guys took me out a few times to some great bars and restaurants and introduced me to their friends, which as a solo traveller is always much appreciated.

The villa is in a quiet spot a short walk out of town and I loved walking down to the beach as the sun was coming up. The view along the river from the bridge is stunning. I always liked to stop for a few moments to take in the sounds of buddhists chanting or the muslim call to prayer, it's very atmospheric.

When I was there (October/November) it was fairly quiet with the season just starting so there were enough waves in Weligama bay for everyone without it getting too busy.

A big advantage here is it's cheap enough that I could afford one to one tuition/guiding and so was able to visit some other nearby breaks along the coast. I'd thoroughly recommend doing this, whizzing along in a tuk tuk with your board strapped to the roof is a pretty fun way to dry off after the beach.

I found the locals super friendly, pretty much everyone would greet me with a smile as a wandered around. If you ever get the chance to visit, in my humble opinion, it's well worth it!

I came to Weligama hoping to get away from it all and had a great time! I stayed for three weeks at the Freedom Surf Villa and went out with the surf school every day.

Leomi and Ruwan couldn't have been more welcoming and the villa felt like a home away from home. The guys took me out a few times to some great bars and restaurants and introduced me to their friends, which as a solo traveller is always much appreciated.

The villa is in a quiet spot a short walk out of town and I loved walking down to the beach as the sun was coming up. The view along the river from the bridge is stunning. I always liked to stop for a few moments to take in the sounds of buddhists chanting or the muslim call to prayer, it's very atmospheric.

When I was there (October/November) it was fairly quiet with the season just starting so there were enough waves in Weligama bay for everyone without it getting too busy.

A big advantage here is it's cheap enough that I could afford one to one tuition/guiding and so was able to visit some other nearby breaks along the coast. I'd thoroughly recommend doing this, whizzing along in a tuk tuk with your board strapped to the roof is a pretty fun way to dry off after the beach.

I found the locals super friendly, pretty much everyone would greet me with a smile as a wandered around. If you ever get the chance to visit, in my humble opinion, it's well worth it!

Came to Weligama with my two kids (15 and 10) - they had 7 lessons between them over 2 days. Super-impressed with instructors Anju and Kire. Calm, patient, knowledgeable and safety-conscious. The kids loved it. They've done a bit of surfing before but really built on their skills here. The waves are not huge but pretty consistent making it a great beach for beginners but still fun for those with more experience. If you're not surfing, there's a great little area with sun loungers and bean bags where you can hang out all day and watch. Bonus is that just next door is a beach bar serving, according to the kids, "the best chocolate milk shakes in Sri Lanka" and plenty of food to keep you fuelled up for the day. Also great to see that Freedom Surf hosts a weekly beach clean-up morning every Friday, with volunteers pitching up to pick up any rubbish they find, keeping Weligama Bay a beautiful clean spot to enjoy the ocean.

Came to Weligama with my two kids (15 and 10) - they had 7 lessons between them over 2 days. Super-impressed with instructors Anju and Kire. Calm, patient, knowledgeable and safety-conscious. The kids loved it. They've done a bit of surfing before but really built on their skills here. The waves are not huge but pretty consistent making it a great beach for beginners but still fun for those with more experience. If you're not surfing, there's a great little area with sun loungers and bean bags where you can hang out all day and watch. Bonus is that just next door is a beach bar serving, according to the kids, "the best chocolate milk shakes in Sri Lanka" and plenty of food to keep you fuelled up for the day. Also great to see that Freedom Surf hosts a weekly beach clean-up morning every Friday, with volunteers pitching up to pick up any rubbish they find, keeping Weligama Bay a beautiful clean spot to enjoy the ocean.


Surfing with Freedom Surf school was a really good experience. Both of my teachers Kiri and Niro were really nice and helpful and thnaks to them my surfing got so much better during the week I spent in Weligama. Also had good tips on how to improve my surfing and choose the right board.
 Also really enjoyed my stay in the Freedom Villa! Leomi was super helpful and made my stay in the Villa very comfortable.
 I would highly recommend both Freedom Surf school and Freedom Villa to anyone staying in Weligama!

Surfing with Freedom Surf school was a really good experience. Both of my teachers Kiri and Niro were really nice and helpful and thnaks to them my surfing got so much better during the week I spent in Weligama. Also had good tips on how to improve my surfing and choose the right board.
Also really enjoyed my stay in the Freedom Villa! Leomi was super helpful and made my stay in the Villa very comfortable.
I would highly recommend both Freedom Surf school and Freedom Villa to anyone staying in Weligama!

Stayed here over New Years 2018 and it was great. Calm and relaxed feeling in the villa with Leo and Lily catering to you needs. Stayed in a AC-room and it was excellent. Unfortunately I got I’ll a day before coming here and could not go to surf as much as I wanted but the few times I managed was great. Instructors really pushed me to become better which was great. Sometimes you need extra motivation and these guys bring it - smiling!

Stayed here over New Years 2018 and it was great. Calm and relaxed feeling in the villa with Leo and Lily catering to you needs. Stayed in a AC-room and it was excellent. Unfortunately I got I’ll a day before coming here and could not go to surf as much as I wanted but the few times I managed was great. Instructors really pushed me to become better which was great. Sometimes you need extra motivation and these guys bring it - smiling!


This was my second time with Freedom surf school. I spent with them together 25h of individual surfing lessons. I am very satisfied. I could recomend trully two instructors: Niro and Kiri - both were very patient and interested in mine and my wife’s developement. Next year we will also choose them. Some of theor boards have GoPro mount and I could record my ride :)

This was my second time with Freedom surf school. I spent with them together 25h of individual surfing lessons. I am very satisfied. I could recomend trully two instructors: Niro and Kiri - both were very patient and interested in mine and my wife’s developement. Next year we will also choose them. Some of theor boards have GoPro mount and I could record my ride :)

Lesitha, Ashan, Niroush and Lani were the best instructors that we had in Weligama.
 Unlike many other surf-instructors on the beach, freedom surf school actually provides teachers that are professional surfers who are great at teaching. We really made progress in a couple of lessons and had the best time. You should definitely surf with Freedom, would recommend 5/5!

Lesitha, Ashan, Niroush and Lani were the best instructors that we had in Weligama.
Unlike many other surf-instructors on the beach, freedom surf school actually provides teachers that are professional surfers who are great at teaching. We really made progress in a couple of lessons and had the best time. You should definitely surf with Freedom, would recommend 5/5!

I stayed for 3 weeks in the Freedom villa on the surf package. Freedom also organised and booked a 10-day tour for my Dad and I before arriving in Weligama (Negombo, Pinnawala, Sigirya, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Nurawa Eliya, Ella). Leomi was absolutely amazing. She answered every question we had, dealt with all our requests promptly, and was so accommodating of any budget query, suggestion or change of heart we had along the way. We felt free to do our own thing and also very well looked out for. Leomi also arranged for Suren to drive us from place to place, who was professional, lots of fun and full of recommendations - we were always stopping off at food stalls or unexpected places, hearing about Sri Lankan history, culture, religion, and so on. He was an amazing tour guide! My Dad even got to play a bit of cricket with him at the bottom of Little Adam’s Peak (a real highlight for him so I thought it deserved a mention…) All in all we had an incredible time and it was really all down to Freedom’s careful planning and recommendations - very grateful to Leomi for making it happen!

I also had a great few weeks staying with Freedom in Weligama. The teachers are fun and encouraging - the school is really accommodating in terms of how fast you want to progress, how regularly you want lessons etc. The villa is ideally placed and very relaxing - it's light and breezy, and so nice to come back to in the afternoons if you’re a bit knackered from the surf. It’s also a great place to meet people if you’re a solo traveller. Leomi and Rowan both go out of their way to make sure every one of their guests has the best time possible - from delicious breakfasts, to sorting laundry service and bike hire, to lifts to the local doctor if you’re a bit clumsy and manage to cut yourself on your own surfboard fin... They’re also full of recommendations for restaurants or nearby day-trips for days when you feel like exploring. I felt seriously lucky to find them and whole-heartedly recommend Freedom as a school and accommodation to anyone visiting Weligama - such a special place!

I stayed for 3 weeks in the Freedom villa on the surf package. Freedom also organised and booked a 10-day tour for my Dad and I before arriving in Weligama (Negombo, Pinnawala, Sigirya, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Nurawa Eliya, Ella). Leomi was absolutely amazing. She answered every question we had, dealt with all our requests promptly, and was so accommodating of any budget query, suggestion or change of heart we had along the way. We felt free to do our own thing and also very well looked out for. Leomi also arranged for Suren to drive us from place to place, who was professional, lots of fun and full of recommendations - we were always stopping off at food stalls or unexpected places, hearing about Sri Lankan history, culture, religion, and so on. He was an amazing tour guide! My Dad even got to play a bit of cricket with him at the bottom of Little Adam’s Peak (a real highlight for him so I thought it deserved a mention…) All in all we had an incredible time and it was really all down to Freedom’s careful planning and recommendations - very grateful to Leomi for making it happen!

I also had a great few weeks staying with Freedom in Weligama. The teachers are fun and encouraging - the school is really accommodating in terms of how fast you want to progress, how regularly you want lessons etc. The villa is ideally placed and very relaxing - it's light and breezy, and so nice to come back to in the afternoons if you’re a bit knackered from the surf. It’s also a great place to meet people if you’re a solo traveller. Leomi and Rowan both go out of their way to make sure every one of their guests has the best time possible - from delicious breakfasts, to sorting laundry service and bike hire, to lifts to the local doctor if you’re a bit clumsy and manage to cut yourself on your own surfboard fin... They’re also full of recommendations for restaurants or nearby day-trips for days when you feel like exploring. I felt seriously lucky to find them and whole-heartedly recommend Freedom as a school and accommodation to anyone visiting Weligama - such a special place!

Freedom Surf's friendly local staff is what makes this place shine, as they are eager to make your surfing experience memorable. If you have time, stay at the surf villa here for its great, relaxed vibes, and to meet and bond with the staff and other surfers.

Freedom Surf Sri Lanka

Freedom Surf's friendly local staff is what makes this place shine, as they are eager to make your surfing experience memorable. If you have time, stay at the surf villa here for its great, relaxed vibes, and to meet and bond with the staff and other surfers.

5 Day Beginner Surf Lessons

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Day 1:

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