Surf’s Up in Morocco: Truro School Surf Trip

During the half-term break, our surfers visited Morocco for a week of waves, culture and excitement. Based in three villas near Mirleft, pupils and staff spent their days in the water, exploring the local area and building friendships beyond the classroom.

Surfers of all abilities made the most of the conditions, from the reef and beach breaks around Mirleft to a day trip south to Sidi Ifni, where our most experienced surfers found a beautiful left-hand peak with the lineup entirely to themselves. Ozzie’s most memorable moment was “surfing the right at Sidi Ifni”, while George explained, “Surfing at the right reef break was really good and better than the left.”

A highlight was the visit to Tiznit, where pupils explored the colour, sounds and aromas of a traditional Moroccan souk, practised their bargaining and bought souvenirs to take home. At lunchtime, the pace of the town slowed as local people attended midday prayers, giving pupils a glimpse of everyday Moroccan life. The afternoon brought sand surfing on the dunes, with pupils racing down the slopes and attempting jumps, spins and inventive tricks, accompanied by plenty of laughs, spectacular wipeouts and even more impressive successes.

Elsewhere in the week, the group enjoyed beach cricket, volleyball and shell hunting, and sampled Moroccan cooking, from fresh crêpes at Spot M to tagines and a traditional lunch of rice, turkey patties and salad. Evenings were spent relaxing by the villa pools and heading into town for dinner. Ezra said, “My favourite part of the trip was the orange party we had in our villa and the tagines,” and Vijetaa added, “The day we went to Legzira was really fun, especially the camel ride.”

The Morocco surf trip is just one example of the rich programme of trips and co-curricular activities that sets Truro School apart. At Truro School, learning does not stop at the classroom door, and our trips bring our ethos of Know, Challenge, Empower to life.

Know

Trips like this help pupils to learn more about the world and about themselves. Exploring the souk in Tiznit, trying new foods and spending time in a different culture gives pupils a broader perspective, while living and travelling together helps them to know their peers and staff in a new way. As Rosie put it, “I’ve enjoyed the shack at the surf beach and how funny our villa has been, and also the car rides to places with the speaker playing music and swimming at the beach.”

Challenge

Pupils are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones, whether trying new surf breaks, bargaining in the markets, throwing themselves down the dunes or coping with changing conditions. When the dropping tide over the sandbar made surfing more demanding, everyone kept going, showing resilience and some even more impressive surfing.

Empower

Experiences like this build confidence and independence. Working alongside their surf instructors and staff, and encouraging one another to try something new, pupils develop skills, take initiative and discover strengths they didn’t know they had, returning with a clearer sense of what they can achieve.

A huge thank you to all of the pupils and staff who made this surf trip such a memorable experience.