Short answer: A group surf lesson in Newquay costs £45 to £55. Fistral Beach Surf School charges £50 for two hours (minimum age 8, or 5 for private lessons). Quiksilver at South Fistral charges £45 and takes children from 7. Newquay Activity Centre is from £55, minimum age 8. Fistral Beach Surf School and Newquay Activity Centre both teach all year.
Newquay is where most people in Britain learn to surf, and Fistral is the beach they learn on. There are plenty of schools; here are three of the established ones, with what they charge and who they take.
Seven at Quiksilver, eight at the others in a group. Fistral Beach Surf School will teach children from five in a private lesson. For the youngest, see surf lessons for kids in Cornwall, by minimum age.
Yes. Fistral Beach Surf School and Newquay Activity Centre run lessons year-round, with winter wetsuits. The water is coldest from January to March; October and November are often the best months, with warm-ish water and quieter beaches.
Mostly Fistral, which picks up swell in almost any conditions. On big days, schools move to more sheltered beaches in town. See the best beaches in Newquay.
Try coasteering in Newquay: jumping, scrambling and swimming along the cliffs. Families new to it all: surf lessons in Cornwall for families and beginners.
Prices and minimum ages are the schools' own published figures when we checked (October 2026). They change with the season, so confirm when you book.
On 31 October: ride in the Earthwave world record attempt.
See the full Newquay guide, filtered by who's with you.
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