Private surf coach in Agadir: one coach, one wave, your pace.

Group lessons are great — you learn together, you laugh, you share the session. But at some point, you want to go faster, or go further, or simply have the coach's full attention on you. That's exactly what a private lesson is — or what I call here private coaching.

The principle is simple: you're alone, or you're two, or you're four — you decide. I'm with you, in the water or watching from the beach depending on what we're working on, and every minute is geared to what you need today. Not a generic programme: yours.

How it works

1. We talk first

Before the first lesson, we exchange messages on WhatsApp. Tell me your honest level (beginner, intermediate, you can stand up and want to go further, you're stuck on the take-off, you want to start tackling bigger waves, etc.), your dates in Agadir, and your real goals. No need to embellish — the more frank you are, the more useful the lesson will be.

2. I pick the spot of the day

The morning of the lesson, I check the conditions — swell, wind, tide, time window — and I pick the spot that suits you today. In Agadir, I've had time to name a good portion of the region's surf spots: I know where the wave will be good this morning for your level. That's the opposite of a school stuck on one fixed spot regardless of conditions.

3. We work on one specific point per session

An hour and a half isn't long. I'd rather we work on one real subject per lesson and settle it, than skim ten things. The take-off? We spend the session on it. The paddle that's not driving? We break it down stroke by stroke. Moving up to more powerful waves? We go to the right spot and look at where it breaks down.

4. The photos are there to help you understand

I shoot during the session. After the lesson, we look at the photos together (or I send them to you, as you prefer). That's the moment many students actually understand why I was telling them this or that during the session: they see themselves. The biomechanics of a botched take-off jump out when the image is frozen.

Biomechanical analysis, what does it actually mean?

Many coaches will tell you: "bend your knees", "look ahead", "move your front foot further forward". That's correct — but it's the tree hiding the forest.

What I try to make you understand is why you bend your knees. What forces act on the board at the moment the wave pushes you, how your centre of gravity needs to settle so the board glides forward and not sideways, the precise moment in the take-off when your gaze must shift from the board to the line of travel. Surfing is applied physics. When you understand the physics, you stop searching for recipes and you start to read the situation and adapt.

That framework is what allows you, after a few private lessons, to correct yourself — without a coach. That's the goal. I'm not trying to keep you on a subscription — I'm trying to make you autonomous.

Who it's really for

• The surfer who plateaus. You stand up, you catch waves, but you feel you've been going in circles for two years. This is where we unblock things. See also the progression page.
• The student who wants intensive. You're in Agadir for a week, you want to progress meaningfully, not waste time in a group.
• The couple or the group of friends. You're 2, 3 or 4 and want your own coach. Flat rate for the group, so split among you: at 4 = 100 Dh per person per hour.
• The beginner in a hurry to understand. You don't want to learn in the whitewater for two hours in a group. You want the proper explanations right away. See also beginner lessons.
• The family. Parent + children, group rate is very favourable. See the family page.

The price, flat for the group, not per head

This is the specificity of my private lesson, and it surprises people at first because nobody does this: 400 Dh per hour, that's for the whole group, whatever the size.

The more of you, the less it costs per head — without losing anything in quality, because the group stays small and I get to know each of you personally. Cash payment on site, at the end of the lesson. See the full pricing page.

The coach

Hervé Pignoges — Doumdacoach. Coach since 1982. Former coach of Morocco's national team (1991–2002), Morocco's representative at the ISA over the same period. Pioneer of school surfing in the country (introduced into PE classes from 1994). Author of three books on Moroccan surfing.

For a private lesson, that means concretely: forty years observing hundreds of different students, and identifying in under five minutes the move that's blocking you. Most of the time, your sticking point isn't a mystery to me — it's a case I've seen a hundred times. What changes everything is the way we unblock it for you. More about the coach →

Frequently asked questions