Improve your surfing in empty lineups in the Indian Ocean
Improve your surfing in empty lineups in the Indian Ocean
Simon and Dale don't run surf camps. They offer the ultimate surfing experience for competent surfers, following the swells from Sumatra's uncrowded tubes to the Maldives' coral reef perfection. While other operators chase Instagram moments, Renegade built something different: a coaching operation that treats surfing like the technical sport it is.
Simon and Dale don't run surf camps. They offer the ultimate surfing experience for competent surfers, following the swells from Sumatra's uncrowded tubes to the Maldives' coral reef perfection. While other operators chase Instagram moments, Renegade built something different: a coaching operation that treats surfing like the technical sport it is.
From January to February, the operation is based in South Sumatra. February through October, they move to the Maldives, working through the Southern, Central and Malé atolls as the seasons shift. Trips are split into Level 2/3 and 3/4, so you share lineups with people who surf roughly like you. No beginners. These waves break over reef or barrel on sand, and that requires competence.
Renegade has been described multiple times as "the most hassle-free surf trip on earth." From the moment you land, everything's handled: transfers, wave selection, coaching, food, lodging. When your biggest daily decision is whether to surf three or four sessions, hassle becomes a distant memory.
Nearly 200 surfers from 21 nationalities joined in 2025. The return rate (over 33%) suggests they're getting something right.
From January to February, the operation is based in South Sumatra. February through October, they move to the Maldives, working through the Southern, Central and Malé atolls as the seasons shift. Trips are split into Level 2/3 and 3/4, so you share lineups with people who surf roughly like you. No beginners. These waves break over reef or barrel on sand, and that requires competence.
Renegade has been described multiple times as "the most hassle-free surf trip on earth." From the moment you land, everything's handled: transfers, wave selection, coaching, food, lodging. When your biggest daily decision is whether to surf three or four sessions, hassle becomes a distant memory.
Nearly 200 surfers from 21 nationalities joined in 2025. The return rate (over 33%) suggests they're getting something right.
Rooms
Sumatra: Your base is Mandiri Beach Club, right in front of world-class sand-bottom A-frames. Up to nine surfers per trip, housed in beautifully appointed standalone bungalows with air conditioning, both private and twin options available. The setup is simple: wake up, check the banks from the infinity pool, grab a board and coffee, then decide whether to surf out front or jump in the van for one of the many phenomenal waves up and down the coast.
Maldives: The vessel changes with the region, but the idea stays the same: comfortable cabins with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; a communal lounge and roof deck; and a support boat for quick access to the surf.
In the Southern Atolls the crew uses Assidha, a cosy, charming boat with four private cabins and two shared. For trips around Malé and the Central Atolls they move onto Theia, a larger boat with four decks, spacious cabins and two support vessels. Although Theia can technically sleep 20, Renegade caps trips at around 10 surfers to keep both the lineup and the boat relaxed.
The real living space is the roof deck, where guests gather between sessions, at sea, after dinner, or for yoga. It often turns into long, easy conversations with new friends.
Sumatra: Your base is Mandiri Beach Club, right in front of world-class sand-bottom A-frames. Up to nine surfers per trip, housed in beautifully appointed standalone bungalows with air conditioning, both private and twin options available. The setup is simple: wake up, check the banks from the infinity pool, grab a board and coffee, then decide whether to surf out front or jump in the van for one of the many phenomenal waves up and down the coast.
Maldives: The vessel changes with the region, but the idea stays the same: comfortable cabins with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; a communal lounge and roof deck; and a support boat for quick access to the surf.
In the Southern Atolls the crew uses Assidha, a cosy, charming boat with four private cabins and two shared. For trips around Malé and the Central Atolls they move onto Theia, a larger boat with four decks, spacious cabins and two support vessels. Although Theia can technically sleep 20, Renegade caps trips at around 10 surfers to keep both the lineup and the boat relaxed.
The real living space is the roof deck, where guests gather between sessions, at sea, after dinner, or for yoga. It often turns into long, easy conversations with new friends.
Food & Drinks
Food on Renegade trips is built to satisfy even the hungriest surfer (and after multiple sessions, everyone becomes the hungriest surfer). Portions are nutritious, balanced, and plentiful enough. Think loads of veggies, beef, chicken, and tuna, served with sides of pasta, rice, sauces, and often a cheeky dessert too.
On the boats in the Maldives, meals are usually buffet-style, with several different dishes laid out at each sitting so you can load up your plate the way you like. The local crew fish most evenings, which means the seafood is absurdly fresh. When they hook a yellowfin, dinner plans change immediately, and this will probably be the freshest sashimi you will ever eat.
At Mandiri Beach Club, the food is more a-la-carte and a touch more “chefy”, while still firmly aimed at surfers who are burning through calories. Meals are substantial without feeling heavy, and you eat overlooking the sandbars out front.
Chefs adapt easily to dietary requirements without making anyone feel like a burden. Guests gather like family around communal tables. There’s no pretence, just well-executed food that fuels the next session. Between meals, there's always coffee, snacks, and water.
Food on Renegade trips is built to satisfy even the hungriest surfer (and after multiple sessions, everyone becomes the hungriest surfer). Portions are nutritious, balanced, and plentiful enough. Think loads of veggies, beef, chicken, and tuna, served with sides of pasta, rice, sauces, and often a cheeky dessert too.
On the boats in the Maldives, meals are usually buffet-style, with several different dishes laid out at each sitting so you can load up your plate the way you like. The local crew fish most evenings, which means the seafood is absurdly fresh. When they hook a yellowfin, dinner plans change immediately, and this will probably be the freshest sashimi you will ever eat.
At Mandiri Beach Club, the food is more a-la-carte and a touch more “chefy”, while still firmly aimed at surfers who are burning through calories. Meals are substantial without feeling heavy, and you eat overlooking the sandbars out front.
Chefs adapt easily to dietary requirements without making anyone feel like a burden. Guests gather like family around communal tables. There’s no pretence, just well-executed food that fuels the next session. Between meals, there's always coffee, snacks, and water.
Activities
Renegade trips are surf-intensive by design, built to maximise water time. The cadence is blunt: early nights, pre-dawn wake-ups, a quick loosen-up, then straight into the ocean. Waves are the star; everything else fits around them.
On the Maldivian boats, it’s two, three, sometimes four sessions a day. When the ocean isn’t cooperating or while cruising between atolls, downtime is unpretentious: a line in the water, a swim off the stern, a quick wander on an empty sandbar, or simply shade and conversation.
In Sumatra, recovery happens within sight of the break. Lean on the infinity pool's edge and watch sets bend in. Or head to the skate ramp for surf drills when energy remains, or for lazy carves when it doesn’t.
After ten days most guests are happily cooked. Evenings are quiet. After dinner, it’s time for group video analysis with your coach. Most guests crash early after a big day, though some stay up to play cards, watch a surf movie, and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Renegade trips are surf-intensive by design, built to maximise water time. The cadence is blunt: early nights, pre-dawn wake-ups, a quick loosen-up, then straight into the ocean. Waves are the star; everything else fits around them.
On the Maldivian boats, it’s two, three, sometimes four sessions a day. When the ocean isn’t cooperating or while cruising between atolls, downtime is unpretentious: a line in the water, a swim off the stern, a quick wander on an empty sandbar, or simply shade and conversation.
In Sumatra, recovery happens within sight of the break. Lean on the infinity pool's edge and watch sets bend in. Or head to the skate ramp for surf drills when energy remains, or for lazy carves when it doesn’t.
After ten days most guests are happily cooked. Evenings are quiet. After dinner, it’s time for group video analysis with your coach. Most guests crash early after a big day, though some stay up to play cards, watch a surf movie, and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Surfing
This is the entire point. Renegade is for intermediate and advanced surfers who want to make visible progress rather than simply collect stamps in a passport. There are no beginners.
Coaching is where Renegade earns its reputation. Three staff per trip means a coach in the water giving real-time positioning feedback, while one guide films (camera and drone) and another shoots pictures. By trip's end, you'll have tons of videos to take home (some left with 150+), plus a clearer understanding of what you're doing wrong (and also right). It's coaching at a standard rarely seen outside competitive surfing.
Sumatra (January-February): The focus is Mandiri Beach during the so-called “off-season,” which is, in truth, prime. Think clean, chest-high and often bigger, sand-bottom A-frames that let you practice pulling in, over and over, building confidence in hollow waves. The spot is right in front of your bungalow, with barely another surfer around. Fifteen minutes south: one of Indonesia’s longest lefts. North: a friendly barrelling right. These trips are reserved for competent Level 3 and 4 surfers.
Maldives (February-October): Renegade moves with the season and swell. February through April, they focus on the Southern Atolls, surfing's so-called last frontier. These breaks need minimal swell to come alive (they've scored on 1.4ft @ 9s swells), and the light winds of early season make them remarkably accessible. When trade winds arrive around late April, Renegade moves back towards Malé and the Central Atolls. This is where some of the Maldives’ most famous breaks fire, but also plenty of unnamed corners. The route adapts to conditions, sometimes starting with a session straight off the airport before sailing south.
This is the entire point. Renegade is for intermediate and advanced surfers who want to make visible progress rather than simply collect stamps in a passport. There are no beginners.
Coaching is where Renegade earns its reputation. Three staff per trip means a coach in the water giving real-time positioning feedback, while one guide films (camera and drone) and another shoots pictures. By trip's end, you'll have tons of videos to take home (some left with 150+), plus a clearer understanding of what you're doing wrong (and also right). It's coaching at a standard rarely seen outside competitive surfing.
Sumatra (January-February): The focus is Mandiri Beach during the so-called “off-season,” which is, in truth, prime. Think clean, chest-high and often bigger, sand-bottom A-frames that let you practice pulling in, over and over, building confidence in hollow waves. The spot is right in front of your bungalow, with barely another surfer around. Fifteen minutes south: one of Indonesia’s longest lefts. North: a friendly barrelling right. These trips are reserved for competent Level 3 and 4 surfers.
Maldives (February-October): Renegade moves with the season and swell. February through April, they focus on the Southern Atolls, surfing's so-called last frontier. These breaks need minimal swell to come alive (they've scored on 1.4ft @ 9s swells), and the light winds of early season make them remarkably accessible. When trade winds arrive around late April, Renegade moves back towards Malé and the Central Atolls. This is where some of the Maldives’ most famous breaks fire, but also plenty of unnamed corners. The route adapts to conditions, sometimes starting with a session straight off the airport before sailing south.
The People Behind
Simon started Renegade in 2017 after years running surf camps across Europe for university surf societies. His first Maldives trip convinced him this was the ideal lab for progression: consistent swell, warm water, empty waves, endless potential.
That same year he met Dale in Portugal. They shared a similar view of what a good surf trip should feel like and stayed in touch. In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, Dale joined as co-owner, bringing deep experience in surf hospitality and coaching. The pair navigated travel restrictions haven’t looked back since.
Their philosophy is almost annoyingly straightforward: run the trips they themselves would want to go on. It is a coaching trip disguised as a dream retreat, or maybe the other way around. Either way, progression sits at the centre, and everything else is designed to get you there. This approach has created something genuinely different in the surf travel space.
Simon started Renegade in 2017 after years running surf camps across Europe for university surf societies. His first Maldives trip convinced him this was the ideal lab for progression: consistent swell, warm water, empty waves, endless potential.
That same year he met Dale in Portugal. They shared a similar view of what a good surf trip should feel like and stayed in touch. In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, Dale joined as co-owner, bringing deep experience in surf hospitality and coaching. The pair navigated travel restrictions haven’t looked back since.
Their philosophy is almost annoyingly straightforward: run the trips they themselves would want to go on. It is a coaching trip disguised as a dream retreat, or maybe the other way around. Either way, progression sits at the centre, and everything else is designed to get you there. This approach has created something genuinely different in the surf travel space.
Booking
Prices
Sumatra (10 nights)
Shared room: US$ 2,950
Private room: US$ 3,850
Non-surfer: US$ 1,460 / guest (must be travelling with a surfing guest in a private room)
Maldives (10 nights)
Single occupancy cabin: from US$ 4,320
Double occupancy cabin: from US$ 7,780
Non-surfer: from US$ 2,190 / guest (must be travelling with a solo surfer)
Contact
Book directly here.
Instagram: renegadesurf
Prices
Sumatra (10 nights)
Shared room: US$ 2,950
Private room: US$ 3,850
Non-surfer: US$ 1,460 / guest (must be travelling with a surfing guest in a private room)
Maldives (10 nights)
Single occupancy cabin: from US$ 4,320
Double occupancy cabin: from US$ 7,780
Non-surfer: from US$ 2,190 / guest (must be travelling with a solo surfer)
Contact
Book directly here.
Instagram: renegadesurf