I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the surf camp in Portugal, but by the end of the week, it had easily become one of the best weeks of my life.
We arrived on Saturday, and the evening at the SURFinn Lisbon guesthouse set the tone for the entire week. After settling in, we all gathered for a welcome dinner. We started with the usual introductions: where we were from, what we did, how we ended up here. By the end of the night, the initial awkwardness had completely faded, replaced by genuine laughter and that familiar feeling you get when you realise you’re surrounded by like-minded people: physios from all over the world, all brought together by a shared curiosity for learning and surfing.
Our days started with a nice routine: We’d start with breakfast together, then we’d grab the bikes and all ride together to the course venue. The mornings were all about physiotherapy, and learning from Ian Gatt was a game-changer. Across four days, we covered everything: hand and wrist mechanics, elbow pathologies, shoulder assessment and rehab and real-life case studies and planning. It was hands-on, practical, and immediately applicable. The kind of stuff you go back home and start using straight away.
Once the “serious” part was over, that’s when real fun began. After the course, we’d head out for lunch at a local restaurant. Then we’d head to Costa da Caparica for surf lessons.
Surfing in Lisbon was honestly something else. As a complete beginner, I didn’t really know what to expect. There’s something about being out there in the waves, just trying to find your balance on the board, that’s both humbling and strangely addictive at the same time. Most of the time I was getting it wrong, falling off, and laughing at myself, but every now and then you’d catch a small wave, and that feeling made everything else worth it!
Some nights we had group dinners, either at the Surf House or at local restaurants but there was always good food, great conversation, and plenty of laughs. Other nights were more spontaneous: table tennis tournaments that got way too competitive, darts games, chill evenings at beach clubs watching the sunset, and one unforgettable night out partying in Lisbon!
That mix of structured time and space to do your own thing is what made the week feel so real. It wasn’t just attending a course, it was a full experience!
What made the camp special wasn’t just the surfing and it wasn’t just the learning, it was the combination and the perfect balance. Another thing that stood out was how manageable the course felt. Instead of cramming everything into long, exhausting days, the learning was spread across four mornings. You actually had time to absorb the material, and still have energy to enjoy everything else.
By Thursday morning, packing up felt so bittersweet! In just a few days, the routine had become normal: breakfast together, bikes, learning, surfing, dinners, laughter.
We were left with new clinical skills you’ll actually use, more confidence in upper limb rehab, a group of friends from across the world, and a strong urge to sign up for the next one.
If you’re a physio (or any MSK therapist) and the idea of combining education with travel, surfing, and genuinely good people sounds appealing, then this is one of those rare experiences that delivers on all fronts!