Building a Surf Camp

[danclark]

Hi Guys,
My name is Dan and i'm a 30 year old British surfer with a dream of building and operating an Ecological Surf Camp in Nicaragua. My reason for posting this topic is simple: I am looking for a like minded person/people to share this with! I am in the stages of drawing up a business plan and i would welcome help and input from people in the surfing community.

To be honest, what i was thinking when researching this project was...There must be people out there who have the same aspirations or dreams as i do, and i want to find them so i can share my ideas.

If anyone wants to get in touch, be it like minded individuals, business partners...INVESTORS?? please get in touch at: danclark79@fsmail.net

I have been researching my idea for several months now and have some great plans already drawn up, so get in touch asap!!

[Liquid Peace]

What region of Nicaragua are you considering?

I dig your idea, Nicaragua is still a viable, inexpensive surf destinations with many undiscovered breaks.

Good luck.

[danclark]

Hi

I'm looking at the region of Managua close to the border of Carazo.

Thanks!

[Liquid Peace]

Check out the area west of Tola from Playa Gigante to Las Salinas, which includes Popyo. Waves are a little more consistent & the offshores are better!

[pjkl]

Hi,
When do you expect your camp being operational ?

[perusurf]

so you want to run a surfcamp where you're not local, have you thought about that? do you think they'd like it? i do wish your idea comes true, but locals might not, some places live of tourism and people might not like the idea of some foreigner to come and take those few bucks away from them. Another thing is that locals will know what the waves will be like and which spot to surf depending on conditions, knowledge that only comes from experience, from living there long time,things like the best time of the day, winds, tides, swell directions, difficult access secret spots, or even worse, places where localism can be tough and kick people out of the breaks, don't really know what nicaragua is like, but those are things you should also have in mind, a local will be a better host, wouldn't you like to stay at a place run by a local rather than one run by a foreigner?
in the end i guess it all depends on the location, the comfort, the vibes of the place and the host and his staff/help, also offer other options to have a good time when out of the water, i wish you luck

[danclark]

Firstly can i just thank you for your constructive comments. Secondly, can i add, that i have lived in Nicaragua for over 3 years, and have made some great local friends and contacts. I totally understand what you mean when you talk about taking things like localism, knowledge of certain areas and tourism into consideration. My plan is to create as many jobs for local families as possible. Everything from construction professionals, local surfers, maids, cooks, right down to buying all fresh produce from local fisherman. My camp would totally rely on the cooperation of the local population, and i want to give as much back to the community as i can. With all this in mind, i believe i can work closely with Nicaraguan locals to create a truly unforgettable break for surfers, back packers and eco tourists alike.
Thanks again for your comments.

[Barefoot Traveler]

Hi I would like to know more about your ideas and plans. I am in industry and I am always looking for new options and partnership. Nicaragua is a hot destination for surfing right now...

[Liquid Peace]

Firstly can i just thank you for your constructive comments. Secondly, can i add, that i have lived in Nicaragua for over 3 years, and have made some great local friends and contacts. I totally understand what you mean when you talk about taking things like localism, knowledge of certain areas and tourism into consideration. My plan is to create as many jobs for local families as possible. Everything from construction professionals, local surfers, maids, cooks, right down to buying all fresh produce from local fisherman. My camp would totally rely on the cooperation of the local population, and i want to give as much back to the community as i can. With all this in mind, i believe i can work closely with Nicaraguan locals to create a truly unforgettable break for surfers, back packers and eco tourists alike.
Thanks again for your comments.

Right on, sounds tight-good luck, shoot me an email when you are ready to open, I will link you to Liquid Peace & write a piece about your digs!

[vimela]

Hey Dan,

I have a friend who is selling his hotel. Let me know if your still interested. The hotel is located in tola. I also have some land in quizala, close to carazo and would be interested in joint venture to make something out of it.

regards,

[WaveHunter]

I just noticed this is an older post... Did it work Dan, are you in Nicaragua? Would be interesting to get some follow up.

Speaking about Nicaragua, the guy who owns Buena Onda Surf Resort made a really good job. As far I remember he is from Austria. It's not a surf camp, but something similar: http://www.buenaondaresort.com

so you want to run a surf camp where you're not local, have you thought about that?

Legitimate comment, but in reality successful surf camps are often run by foreigners who know what their clientele is looking for. A good example for that is Witches Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo.