Take a Surf Trip to Matosinhos with Surfing Life Club

Take a Surf Trip to Matosinhos with Surfing Life Club

Matosinhos is one of the largest cities in the Porto district, located in the north of Portugal. It stands out for its gastronomy, contemporary architecture and immense coastline. If you want to discover the North of Portugal and catch some waves, Matosinhos is the ideal destination to start or even end your trip; a great location with sandy shores and rolling waves, Matosinhos beach is an ideal spot, perfect for learning and practicing water sports.

In Matosinhos beach you can find Surfing Life Club (SLC), a school with more than 25 years of history. Read below our recent chat with SLC…

ASI: When was Surfing Life Club born, what is its history?

SLC Team: Founded in 1994 with over 25 years of experience in the Tourism Entertainment sector and under the name João Diogo Surf School, SURFING LIFE CLUB received the title of the first Surf School in Porto. In 2014, due to the storm Hercules and the rise of the tide, a wave was formed and consequently caused the total renovation of the structure of the surf school.

João Diogo, the founder, has been a surfing lover since 1980, a surfing competitor at national and international level but, ultimately, a freesurfer who toured the beaches of the four continents and islands.

Since its beginnings, Surfing Life Club has been dedicated to teaching Surfing, from beginners to competition level for all ages. Other sports include Stand Up Paddleboarding, Bodyboarding, Surf and Skate, while offering a wide range of opportunities and experiences for practitioners and sports enthusiasts.

After several years of surfing in Australia, where he also met up at Bondi Beach with ASI directors, and with the aim of contributing to the development of the sport, João Diogo brought his expertise to Northern Portugal, introducing several programmes, such as the launch of the SURF EDUCA® program in Portugal. 2004 also marked the beginning of the SURF ESPECIAL project, in partnership with associations such as APPACDM, AAJDUDE, APPC and RUMO A VIDA, with the aim of integrating young people into the sport with different types of mental and physical disabilities, opening a new activity with the practice of surfing as therapy.

It was also the first school at national level with the Pick Up service, transporting passengers to the beaches and carrying out Surf Safaris / TaxiSurf, which allowed the teaching and practice of the sport throughout the year.

More recently, Surfing Life Club had the opportunity to develop a partnership and belong to the Hurley Surf Club, a Hurley Club network that sponsors champions from around the world.

ASI: Where can we find the Surfing Life Club?

SLC Team: The head office is located at Matosinhos Beach. In addition, we are also based in the municipality of Ovar, close to São Pedro de Maceda Beach, with our Hostel and Surf Camp where hundreds of tourists and elite surfers are accommodated and have direct contact with nature. They essentially practice activities that aim well-being, such as surfing and yoga.


- Surfing Activities -

ASI: What modalities do you teach at your school? For what levels?

SLC TEAM: Surfing Life Club offers a wide variety of programs and classes for all ages and for different surfing levels.

In addition to the practice of Surf, SLC offers adaptation classes to the aquatic environment with the Surf Educa program, Stand Up Paddle, Bodyboard and Surf Skate lessons. Classes can be in group or individual, available throughout the year, every day.

SLC also offers a range of activities, namely: Surf Safaris, that consist of tours along the beaches of Portugal with the aim of taking the students to see the National and International Championships; Holiday Camps that take place both during the summer and at Easter; Surf, Bodyboard and Stand Up Paddle lessons for Special Surf teaching; Team Building Events with the After Surf Drink program for companies; Birthday parties; Bachelor Farewells; Classes for Erasmus Students, among others. They also have numerous partnerships with City Councils, Hotels, Hostels, Associations, Schools and Universities.
 

- Rentals -

ASI: Do you rent material? If so, for which modalities, just surf?

SLC TEAM: At Surfing Life Club, the rental material extends to various water sports, such as Stand Up Paddle, Bodyboard and Surf. All this material is available for rent at our headquarters, in Matosinhos, and also at Maceda, our surf camp.

- Surfing Family Activities -

ASI: Can all family members participate in classes?

SLC TEAM: Yes, there is no age limit in our classes 😊

- Lessons -

ASI: What is included when booking a class?

SLC TEAM: At SLC, the classes last 1h30 and include the isothermal wetsuit, board, insurance, identification lycra and a qualified instructor prepared to evaluate, help and provide proper feedback for students' evolution in Surfing.

- Facilities -

ASI: What are the facilities at your surf school?

SLC TEAM: At SLC you can find bathrooms, a lounge area in the deck area located on the beach and a current partnership with the bar "Vaguinhas"
 

 - Getting there -

ASI: What is the closest airport?

SLC TEAM: The nearest airport is called Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro, which is 20 minutes by car from SLC school and 40 minutes by metro (where a change of line is necessary).

- Where to stay? -

ASI: Any recommendations on places to stay, maybe close to the school?

SLC TEAM: The best place to stay would be in the Center of Porto, as it is full of transport options to get to the Surfing Life Club. If you want to have a more complete and engaging experience of SLC services, we advise you to stay at their Surf Camp and Hostel, in Maceda.

- Gastronomy -

ASI: Where to eat?

SLC TEAM: The most traditional dishes in Matosinhos mainly include seafood, as Matosinhos is known as a fishing village. In this sense, our recommendations will be the Restaurant "O Vagas" and "Fernando", both of which are very close to their headquarters in Matosinhos.

- Best time to visit -

ASI: What is the best time of year to visit you?

SLC TEAM: The best time to surf in Matosinhos would be after the end of the bathing season. During the summer, it is more advisable to practice SUP and teach enthusiasts to have their first contact with the practice, since the sea is not so challenging.

For those who already surf regularly, we advise during the summer season to visit the Surf Camp in Maceda, due to the good swell that is found there. The autumn and winter season are great in Matosinhos, which is the time when we prepare our surfers, from beginners to advanced, for level evolution and greater achievement of goals. In addition, we give intermediate and advanced athletes the opportunity to experience other beaches such as Maceda and Leça de Palmeira.

We also offer our athletes equipment that covers the various levels of evolution, from soft boards to hardboards, from sizes 5"8 to 9', as well as quality suits provided by our official sponsor, Hurley.

In the summer, you can also find Summer Camps at our school, welcoming hundreds of children every year who get involved in both Surfing and Stand Up Paddle.

- Local Tourist Attractions -

ASI: What can we visit in Matosinhos? What is the tourist attraction not to be missed?

SLC TEAM: In Matosinhos, close to our headquarters, you can find “Parque da Cidade”, with a large expanse of green spaces, ideal for family walks, sports, among other activities.

As Matosinhos is a fishing area, we advise you to visit the famous streets where you can smell the incredible seafood as you walk down the street. We also recommend taking a nice walk along the walkways that extend to the famous “Ponte D. Luís”, always along the banks of “Foz”, that joins the Sea to the Douro River. When arriving in the center of Porto, you cannot miss visiting the "Torre dos Clérigos", "Miradouro da Rua das Aldas", "Kittie Rock Point" and "Miradouro da Serra do Pilar". Another famous attraction is the boat trips to Pinhão to visit the cellars of the famous Port wine and a true journey through time on the “Comboio Histórico do Vouga a Vapor", which is a World Heritage Site with several privileged landscapes.
 

Surfing Life Club
+351 937 567 092 | +351 939 270 732
https://www.surfinglifeclub.com/

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