Surfing/coasteering š š
It was my first time surfing, we had James as our instructor and he was excellent. He explained the techniques very well and gave us all tips individually whilst we surfed. We also did coasteering and loved the whole experience. We did sea swimming, jumps and some caving. It took me out of my comfort zone and glad I tried it all.
Went for a bodyboarding lesson with my nine year old son. Cannot recommend highly enough. We've had surf lessons before but this was different level of fun, expertise and individual detailed coaching. My (at the start very poor) bodyboarding was transformed by the brilliant Salvador. As was my son's - and Salvador pitched the teaching at both of us differently to really help us both get better. I went from catching maybe one in ten waves to basically catching most viable waves going. (And I'm an... erm... big boned... man in his 50s!) Transformational. And just a lot of fun - really relaxed and fun atmosphere. Thank you Salvador! And also thanks for the pre-booking communication, which was excellent - especially Dan for last minute phone call. I can totally see why this place is award winning and a solid 5 stars - me and my son WILL be back for sure to get the fins on and take it to another level!
Thank you, J! Itās amazing to hear how much you and your son enjoyed the bodyboarding lesson with Salvadorāand how much progress you both made! Weāre thrilled you found the coaching so personalized and the atmosphere fun and relaxed. Salvador and Dan will be over the moon with your kind words. We canāt wait to welcome you back to catch even more waves in Newquay next time!
Caloobrus2025.10.27
Verified
The best body boarding experience ever with the brilliant Salvador
Went for a lesson with my nine year old son. Cannot recommend highly enough. Weāve had surf lessons before but this was different level of fun, expertise and individual detailed coaching. My (at the start very poor) bodyboarding was transformed by the brilliant Salvador. As was my sonās - and Salvador pitched the teaching at both of us differently to really help us both get better. I went from catching maybe one in ten waves to basically catching most viable waves going. (And Iām anā¦ ermā¦ big bonedā¦ man in his 50s!) Transformational. And just a lot of fun - really relaxed and fun atmosphere. Thank you Salvador! And also thanks for the pre-booking communication, which was excellent - especially Dan for last minute phone call. I can totally see why this place is award winning and a solid 5 stars - me and my son WILL be back for sure to get the fins on and take it to another level!
Beginner surfing lesson with Harrison
Our experience with all the staff, especially Harrison couldnāt be better, my sisters and I had the best time and learnt so much. The great atmosphere made it even better, thank you so much!
Thank you, Ben! We're thrilled you traveled all the way from the Netherlands and enjoyed the Night Coasteer with James. It's amazing to hear your family had a great sessionāhe's fantastic at making coastal adventures unforgettable. We hope to welcome you back to Newquay for more experiences like kayaking, paddleboarding, or another coasteering adventure in the future!
Zak Siggery2025.10.22
Had a surfing lesson the other day with Heath, he was amazing! Super knowledgeable and very understanding, staff were very friendly too, canāt recommend enough!!!
Thank you, Zak! We're thrilled you enjoyed your surfing lesson with Heathāheās fantastic at what he does! Itās great to hear the team made you feel welcome too. If you're ever back in Newquay and fancy more surfing or even a coastal adventure like coasteering or paddleboarding, weād love to see you again. Thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you, Jacob! We're thrilled you had such an amazing time coasteering with James! Heāll be delighted to hear your kind words. Itās fantastic that you're already planning to visit us again next year ā we canāt wait to welcome you back for more coastal adventures in Newquay.
Charly Lester2025.10.21
Total rip off - we paid almost double for their 'Night Coasteering' - it wasn't at night. It wasn't dark. No torches, no glow sticks. The most basic out door activity I have ever done in my life. We spent most of the night queueing in a group which was far too big, and included very small children. Genuinely ruined our holiday as it was our one night away from our kids to do something just us - we'd have rather spent the money on dinner - over Ā£150! What a rip off. We tried to complain and have been ignored repeatedly - appalling customer service. Do not use this activity centre - lots of other lovely places in Cornwall to spend your money!
UPDATE - after 2 months we finally got a refund. And apparently the Company has changed their description of the class on their website based off our feedback. Over the last 2 months Newquay Activity Centre denied conversations we had had with them, and texts we had received from their staff. They told us we should have complained to the instructors during the class itself, not the next day, and that because no one else had complained we were in the wrong. When we were finally offered some form of refund, it was a partial credit, despite making clear we never wanted to come back, then a 50% refund, and finally a full refund, after repeatedly calling them to complain, and reading out messages one of the instructors had sent me about the class.
This week someone from the Centre whatsapped me to ask me to delete this review now the issue is closed. They made clear they had Googled me and knew my job (???) in the weird whatsapp. When I replied saying how inappropriate the whole message was, I was sent two lengthy emails in a 24 hour period telling me how damaging my review is to their company. I wouldn't have updated this review if I hadn't been sent the second email. I have emails and screenshots of the conversation to prove all the above and have had to ask Newquay Activity Centre to not contact me again and remove all my data under GDPR.
We are genuinely sorry to read this and regret that your Night Coasteer on the 6th of August did not meet your expectations. We made several attempts to resolve your concerns directly and in good faith, as we always aim to handle feedback professionally. However, as your review remains public and includes a number of inaccuracies, we feel itās important to clarify key points for future customers.
1. Booking the Session
This Night Coasteer was put on especially for you. Normally, this activity requires a minimum of four guests due to the higher costs of running a night session, but we made an exception to accommodate your booking for two.
2. Group Session Format
Our Night Coasteer is clearly advertised as a group session, meaning other members of the public can join. This particular event filled quickly as it was the only one scheduled in August. All group sessions are open to ages 8+, for guests wanting a tailored or advanced experience, we also offer private sessions.
3. During the Session
You completed a full coasteering route including multiple jumps, climbs, and Newquayās largest sea cave. Two of our most senior instructors, each with over five yearsā experience, led the session. They, along with every other participant, reported excellent feedback. We were therefore disappointed that you described it as āthe most basic outdoor activity I have ever done.ā Our sessions are designed to be inclusive and suitable for mixed-abilities, when you shared your concerns, we immediately offered a full-value credit voucher for a smaller, more advanced private session.
4. Response and Communication
Your first email arrived at 23:22 on 7th August and we replied at 09:40 the next morning, having already spoken to both instructors and other participants. Despite universally positive feedback, we still offered a credit and a phone call to discuss further. You did not respond to our response for 20 days. In that response you claim to have been attempting to call our Bookings Manager on his personal phone. We have clarified multiple times that the number you were contacting is not connected to any of our staff working here hence the lack of response. Our correct contact details are on our website, social media, and booking confirmation. We have no record of missed calls to our official line (01637 877722). Once communication resumed, both our Bookings and Operations Managers replied promptly, often within hours. To state that we āignored repeatedlyā is simply untrue and misleading to future guests.
5. Follow up and Resolution
After your review was posted, our Operations Manager made several polite attempts to arrange a call to resolve things. When contact was finally made on 10th October, we explained the steps taken, offered a further apology, and processed a FULL REFUND immediately after the call. Both parties agreed the matter was settled.
Unfortunately, the review remained online. When our team politely followed up to ask if there was a reason, the response received was unnecessarily hostile. For clarity, WhatsApp is a legitimate business communication tool we use across our companies; however, we switched to email as soon as you requested.
While everyone is entitled to an opinion, we do ask that reviews are factual and fair. The language used here, alongside a pattern of similar 1 star reviews left for other businesses, raises doubts about its accuracy.
We are a family run business working hard to deliver safe, inclusive, and exciting experiences for all guests. Weāre proud supporters of the RNLI, local schools, youth groups, and the military, and we regularly host beach cleans and fundraisers. Our reputation matters deeply, and while we welcome constructive criticism, we cannot allow false or damaging statements to go unchallenged.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support and trust Newquay Activity Centre we remain fully committed to providing outstanding adventure experiences for all.
The Newquay Activity Centre Team
Alexandra Hussenot2025.10.20
This was my third time to Newquay and loved the Activity Centre. First of all James our instructor was super pedagogic and thought us aspects of wave and conditions observations. He is also the first instructor to ever suggested to teach us the turtle roll (which for a big foamy board use would be useful for a while!) and he was simply very patient, taking time with each of us individually.
The Activity Centre also has showers which is handy at the end of the session and so much better than in Fistral beach.
Finally, we got to surf on both Great Western and Towan beach which I had not yet tried. And we really enjoyed.
Thank you and we ll be back!
Thank you, Alexandra, for such a thoughtful review! Weāre thrilled you enjoyed your surf lessons with Jamesāheāll be so pleased to hear your kind words. Itās great you found the tips like the turtle roll helpful, and itās wonderful you got to experience both Great Western and Towan beaches! We canāt wait to welcome you back for another coastal adventure in Newquay.
Edward C2025.10.17
Verified
Fantastic day coastering and surfing
I did a morning of coastering and afternoon of surfing, both of which I was a total beginner. Our instructor Amy was very friendly and did an excellent job guiding us around the coast at a good pace for us. I definitely improved my surfing skills significantly in the time we had and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I would definitely try it again.
Amazing experience with James š
Had a class morning surfing with James. He's the perfect guy for managing military groups! Conditions were perfect and managed to stand up and catch a few big waves
Coasteering day
Really good coasteering afternoon. James showed us some cool caves and gave a little history behind the uses of some of the manmade caves too. Some big jumps included but felt very safe. 10/10
One of the things to do in Newquay
If you could give a 6-star review, we totally would!!! From the minute we visited the centre to discuss what we wanted, the staff member was helpful, informative, and offered excellent advice. When we arrived for our session, we were greeted by Amy. She was clearly experienced and loves her job - and who can blame her!! She led our group expertly along the coast line offering tidbits of local knowledge and bags of opportunities for cave swimming and exploring and the graceful getting off and on of an XL paddleboard š she was a great coach and clearly loves what she does - we had an incredible session and would throughly recommend for novices and experienced alike.
Great couple of days in autumn Newquay
We had an awesome couple of days with NAC as we tried four different activities. James our instructor was brilliant, adapting the activities to make sure all of our group had a great time and we made the most of the changing conditions. Thanks very much. Loads of fun and some good character building experiences too. Will definitely be coming back next year.
Great morning out Coasteering with James!
James was very friendly and professional and we had a blast! The coastline has it all, jumps, caves, climbing and history!
Old guys do well
Amy was a great guide.In and out of caves and the sea.Jumping off rocks into the sea. Lots of swimming and rock climbing.Good group activity So much fun.
Had an amazing surf lesson with Elly!! Arrived at the shop made very welcome, all safety explained and great teaching methods. I got up and was riding šš¼āāļø
Thank you, Emma! We're so pleased to hear you had an amazing surf lesson with Elly and felt welcome from the start. Itās fantastic that you were up and ridingāwhat an achievement! We hope youāll join us for more coastal adventures in Newquay next time youāre in Cornwall!
Helen Lin2025.10.08
The team at Newquay Activity Centre were very welcoming and friendly from day 1! I completed the 3 week intensive surf coach program recently and really enjoyed my experience. It is a very well put together program. Jacob, the Course Manager did a great job communicating, accommodated our needs, and supported the students along the way. He is truly a superstar and great at his job! Alan, Alex, and Baz were great teachers and instructors that really went above and beyond to make sure we were prepared for our surf coach assessments. And Rob, Sarah, Randi, and Rachel appreciate your support along the way. Also, shoutout to the surf instructors that let us shadow their surf lessons as part of our course.
The overall program was very rewarding, fun, challenging at times with the weather conditions & surf and ocean rescue portion, but the staff were so positive and encouraging which helped us push through. They provided all the kit you need from boards to wetsuits and even take you to the Bristol Wave Pool on the last day. The course also providing high quality videos and photo from our surf analysis.
Definitely met some lifelong friends in the program and felt supported. We were from all walks of life, backgrounds, nationalities, but had the best experience together. Literally laughed, cried, trained, and now bonded instructors for life.
Really appreciate their partnership with Women + Waves and seeing the support they have behind female surf coaches. Almost half of the program were women of the coed course, which was super cool! Thanks for a great 3 weeks in Newquay! Traveling all the way from the U.S. it was a great experience and one I will never forget!
Thank you so much, Helen, for sharing your incredible experience! Itās amazing to hear how much you enjoyed the surf coach program and felt supported by the team throughout. Your kind words about Jacob, the instructors, and everyone involved mean a lot. Weāre thrilled you made lifelong friends and embraced the coastal adventure here in Newquay. Wishing you all the best in your surf coaching journeyākeep riding those waves!
Callum C2025.10.08
Verified
Surfing lesson
Amy was brilliant, she gave great instruction and went from not knowing how to surf to standing consistently in one session.
Verified Company
Verified
