Surfing
The surf season, October to April, is the kite season in reverse. From October to January the wind falls to 8 strong days a month, against 20 in July. The bay teaches, Sidi Kaouki moves you on 26 km south, Imsouane holds the long wave 99 km away. A wetsuit all year, in water of 17 to 19 °C.
Essaouira surfs from October to April, not in summer. The west-north-west swell arrives as the trade wind drops. The bay is enough to learn in. Sidi Kaouki, 26 km south, is where you progress. Imsouane, 99 km south, holds the long wave, and it takes a whole day.
The surf season is the kite season in reverse
This is the thing to understand before booking. From April to September, the wind that made the town a kite address chops the surface. It tops 15 knots one hour in eight at 06:00, and four hours in ten between 14:00 and 17:00, by our calculation over ten years of hourly data. When it drops, North Atlantic winter swell takes over. On the 1991-2020 normals, the wind goes from 20.1 days above 15 knots in July to 8.4 in October and 7.6 in January.
A surf week in July is not absurd, but it happens in the morning. Our pick is October and November. The swell is running and the wind has gone. February and March bring the biggest swell and the coldest water, 17 °C on average. Offshore, the average wave height then reaches 2.3 to 2.4 m, against 1.7 m in October, by our calculation over ten years of data.
Four stretches of water, four levels
The bay is a learning beach. Sandy bottom, short waves, and beach schools 18 to 34 minutes’ walk from Place Moulay Hassan, depending on the school, by our route calculation. It is also where the kiters ride: surf the medina end, not among the wings.
Sidi Kaouki, 26 km and 26 minutes south by road, is an open beach with no shelter. Real waves, shore break and currents: this is the next level, and it is where the surf camps cluster. Moulay Bouzerktoune, 29 km north, is a rocky wave spot for experienced surfers, and windsurfers got there first.
Imsouane, 99 km south, is worth the drive for its bay right-hander: a long wave that every level can hold. Part of the village, built on the maritime domain, was demolished in January 2024. Ask what is open before booking anything on the spot. The road, the taxi and the time to head back are in our day trips section.
What it takes, and what it costs
A wetsuit, all year. The water averages 17 °C in February and March and 19 °C in October, by our calculation on Open-Meteo’s marine model for 2023 to 2025. Nobody surfs here in boardshorts.
Three schools list a two-hour group lesson at €30: Explora, on the bay (330 MAD), Ocean Vibes, at Sidi Kaouki, and Surf Twins. A board costs €17 to €22 a day there. Ocean Vibes includes the wetsuit with a lesson and charges €3 a day for it only with a rented board (the schools’ own sites, read on 16 and 25 October 2026). The rest of the trip is costed in our Budget section.
Without a car, Sidi Kaouki is a grand taxi ride from the Bab Doukkala rank. With boards, hire the whole taxi rather than a seat.
Stay-plus-lessons packages sit in Surf & kite camps. Before you drive anywhere, check the wind spot by spot in Weather & wind and the journey times in Distances from Essaouira. Between April and September, read Kitesurfing instead, or windsurfing at Moulay Bouzerktoune. Beaches says where to put the towel.
All places
Surf school
Tafoukt Surf School
Tafoukt Surf School teaches surfing in Imsouane, 99 km south of Essaouira, with no address given: ask where to meet. €30 for a group of five at most, €45 per person as a duo, €50 private, board and wetsuit included, prices on show since May 2025 (checked on 25 October 2026).
Imsouane
Surf school
Ocean Vibes Morocco
Ocean Vibes Morocco (Ocean Vibes Surf Club) is a surf school in Sidi Kaouki, 26 km from Essaouira, for every level and for children from age 4. A two-hour group lesson costs €30 per person with wetsuit and board, and rental starts at €7 an hour (prices checked on 25 October 2026).
Sidi Kaouki
Surf school
EasyRide Surf School
EasyRide Surf School teaches on Imsouane bay, 99 km by road south of Essaouira: 350 MAD in a group (five students per teacher at most), 450 MAD semi-private, 550 MAD private, board and wetsuit included (prices checked on 25 October 2026). Ask for the length and time of lessons.
Imsouane
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to surf in Essaouira?
October to April. The west-north-west swell arrives as the trade wind drops. On the 1991-2020 normals, October has 8.4 days of wind above 15 knots, against 20.1 in July. In summer, surf in the morning.
Can a complete beginner learn to surf in Essaouira?
Yes, in the bay. The bottom is sand and the schools are a walk from the medina. Come in the morning, before the wind gets up, and stay at the medina end, clear of the kites.
Do you need a wetsuit to surf in Essaouira?
Yes, all year. The water averages 17 °C in February and March and 19 °C in October, by our calculation on Open-Meteo’s marine model. At Surf Twins, one comes with the lesson.
How much does a surf lesson cost in Essaouira?
Three schools list €30 for a two-hour group lesson, Explora on the bay among them, at 330 MAD. A board costs €17 to €22 a day (the schools’ own sites, read on 16 October 2026). Ask whether transport to Sidi Kaouki is included.
Is Imsouane worth the drive from Essaouira?
Not for a first lesson: the bay is enough. For the long wave, yes, but Imsouane is 99 km away, 1 hour 35 each way without stops: give it the whole day. Our day trips section covers the road and when to head back.