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Madeira Surf
Madeira Surf

About

About Madeira Surf

Independent reviews of every Madeira surf spot + school, written by an ISA-certified surf coach with 12 years coaching across Madeira's surf spectrum. No advertorial, no school pay-to-play, no inflated skill ratings.

Who we are

Lead reviewer is Rafa Gouveia, a Jardim do Mar-based ISA Level 1 surf coach and Portuguese Federation surf judge. Rafa coaches across Madeira's surf spectrum — from Porto da Cruz beach-break beginners to Jardim do Mar advanced sessions — and writes every spot review himself after a current-season session, in current conditions.

Editorial oversight, fact-checking, and pricing audits are coordinated by the same independent Madeira-based editorial team that covers boats, jeeps, diving, biking, fishing, and wine touring across the island.

Why this exists

Most Madeira surf content is either outdated (Jardim do Mar pre-seawall) or beginner-only (no honest take on advanced point-break access). And most school listings are commission-ranked, not quality-ranked.

A first-time surf trip to Porto da Cruz with the right school is one of the easier "I caught a wave!" experiences in surfing. The same trip booked at the wrong school in winter swell is a cold flailing miserable day. We tell you which is which.

How we work

  • Quarterly spot sampling across skill tiers — beginner (Porto da Cruz, Machico), intermediate (Madalena, Fajã), advanced (Jardim, Paul).
  • School audits as fee-paying client lessons, never disclosed in advance. Instructor competence, group ratio, equipment quality, water-safety practice assessed from the buyer's seat.
  • Conditions reports cross-checked with Surfline + MagicSeaweed + the local Madeira Surf Forecast group.
  • Pricing refreshed quarterly from school websites + our own bookings. Last-verified date on every spot, school, and price page.
  • We never accept hosted sessions without disclosing them.

How we make money

We earn affiliate commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this site. The commission is paid by the platform, not by you — your price is identical whether you click through us or go direct. We disclose this on every page that contains affiliate links.

For private group lessons, surf camp packages, or advanced spot guiding, contact us via WhatsApp. We don't sell ad placements, accept comped lessons for placement, or rank schools by commission rate.

Trust + accuracy

Every spot, school, and guide page shows a "Last verified" date and the verifying author. If you find something out of date — pricing changed, school closed, link broken — we want to know.

Email hello@madeirasurf.org or message us via WhatsApp. We update verified content within 7 days.

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