Spot-M Surf Camp crew unloading surfboards from a 4x4 on the Morocco coast, preparing for a morning session near Mirleft

22 May

🌊 “I Booked Separately and Nearly Ruined My Surf Trip” A real guest story – from chasing shadows to the surf trip of a lifetime with Spot-M.

🌊 From Frustration to Flow – My South Morocco Surf Trip

By Tomáš, Czech Republic (living in London)

I’d been dreaming of Morocco for a while.

Two weeks solo, board bag packed, warm water, pointbreaks, and mint tea. I imagined myself waking up late, chasing waves along the coast, eating tagine under a burning sky.
I’d done a few solo surf trips in Europe before and figured this would be the same—if not better.

I booked an Airbnb in Mirleft. Hired a car. Had a list of spots and a solid sense of adventure.

What I didn’t realise was how different—this coastline is, gold everywhere but so much of it is hidden without the knowledge of spots, tides and conditions.

Finding Spot-M In Mirleft was the key to unlocking my surf trip and my week spent with them was truly unforgettable. A lesson learned for the future for sure.

🗺️ Week One: Surfing in the Dark

Every morning started the same: coffee, Surfline, Windguru, some spot notes from Reddit and old blog posts. I had done weeks of research before my trip and was confident I had more than enough information to find decent waves each day. The forecast looked good, plenty of swell, lots of sun and a mix of winds.
I’d scribble down names, check the tide, and head off down the coast and no doubt would be scoring Moroccan perfection thanks to my hard work and would be able to give myself a pat on the back for a job well done.

But nothing quite worked.

One day the swell was there but the tide was too high for the point. The next, the wind turned cross-shore just as I paddled out.
A few of the popular breaks were rammed with surf schools.
Others needed a 4×4 or were just… gone. Sand shifted. Access blocked if I was even on the right track, I just didn’t know.

I did stumble across one perfect little right-hander on day four.
It was head-high, glassy and peeling beautifully when I arrived—but I only got twenty minutes before the wind switched to the North West and trashed it.
The two French guys getting out told me it had been perfect all morning.

“You should’ve been here at first light,” one of them said. “We’ve been scoring for hours.”

That hurt.

💥 Everything Was a Hassle

Board rentals from a guy in the Souk was very cheap but the board was crap and had not noticed the Spot-M surf shop before it was too late. Fuel was more expensive than expected. Spot advice from the people I asked was vague. Every decision I was making I was now questioning.
I wasn’t on a surf trip—I was on a logistical mission with waves occasionally thrown in, at least that’s how it started to feel.

But I kept seeing this same crew most evenings— Brits and Germans in their 30s and 40s—coming back into town around sunset, sunburnt, buzzing, sharing stories over beers at the local café.

One evening I finally asked where they were staying.

“Spot-M,” said Mike, from Cornwall. “We’ve been getting waves every day. These guys have it dialled.”
“If you want to actually surf,” he added, “Spot-M and Youba is your man.”

I asked why they booked with Spot-M and Hannah who was on her 3rd trip with Spot-M said “I was recommended these guys from 2 friends 5 years ago and have been coming back ever since, when you find a good thing like this it’s hard to resist”

📲 A Message That Changed Everything

That night I messaged Spot-M in Mirleft.
Duncan replied fast—friendly, honest, no pressure. He asked what kind of waves I was chasing, how my week had been, and what I was hoping for in the second half of the trip.

“We’ve got a room free. If you’re keen, we’ll pick you up in the morning.”

That was it. I was in.

🚙 Week Two: Surfing with the Right People

The next morning, the 4×4 rolled up.
Inside were three guys already grinning, boards strapped up, music playing. The guide introduced himself—Youba.

It took me about five minutes to realise what everyone had meant.

Youba is without question the guru of South Morocco surfing.
Twenty-five years surfing this coast. Fifteen guiding. Knows every corner, every current, every access track.
And not just where to go—but when, why, and who it’s for.

We pulled off down a dusty, rocky trail I never would’ve driven in my rental car.
At the end: a long, flawless point with no one out.
It stayed clean until mid-morning. We surfed it until our arms gave out.

That night I moved into Villa Numidia—simple, stylish, ocean air, and that quiet you only get in the desert.
Dinner was ready when we got back—Zara’s beef tagine with hand made chips and roasted veg. Genuinely the best meal I’d had all week.

🤝 The Vibe That Changed It All

What stood out immediately was the crew.
Yassine, one of the other guides, was all smiles and surf energy—constantly checking in, making jokes, and giving solid tips in the water.
Zara, the chef, was a magician. Breakfasts were bright and fresh. Dinners were the kind of thing you dream about mid-session.
Duncan checked in via WhatsApp every couple of days to make sure everything was running smooth.

What really stood out—and what made the whole experience feel different—was that the Spot-M crew clearly love what they do. From Youba to Yassine, Ahmed and Samir, Duncan to Zara, everyone brings this energy that’s warm, proud, and genuinely excited to share what they know. It’s not a surf factory. It’s a crew of people who care—about the waves, the guests, and the whole rhythm of the trip. And honestly? That made all the difference. You cant fake that kind of energy and enthusiasm, its authentic and infectious!

Nothing was too much hassle.
Need a different board? Sorted.
Want to skip dinner one night and try the village? No worries.
Questions about the forecast? They’d already looked at four models and knew what was coming.

🏄‍♂️ And the Waves? Worth the Wait

We surfed a different wave almost every day—sometimes points, sometimes little hidden coves that worked for just two hours at a certain tide.

It was never about chasing the biggest waves.
It was about knowing where the good ones would be, and getting there before anyone else.

That’s where Spot-M really earns its name.

But here’s something I respected even more:
Some of the spots we surfed? They asked us not to name them.
No social posts. No tags. No stories.

“These are our quiet places,” Youba said. “We only take people we trust—and we ask the same respect back.”

And they meant it.
No ego, no elitism—just protection of what’s still unspoiled.

🧭 Looking Back

My first week in Morocco was frustrating.
Not because the waves weren’t there, but because I wasn’t in tune with them.
I was reacting, guessing, second-guessing.

Week two was different.
Not because the conditions changed—but because I was with people who understood the rhythm of the place.

If you’ve got a month and a van, sure, chase it. But if you’ve only got a week or two and want to surf, not scramble?
Find someone who knows the coast. Trust them.

Youba and the Spot-M crew didn’t just fix my trip—they showed me what it could’ve been all along.

I just booked my next trip for November in 5 minutes thanks to Duncan!