Surf & Sound
July 5 - 11, 2025
Inviting passionate surfer musicians to join us for a week filled with sun, surf, and song.
Enjoy a variety of all-day offshore epic surf while expanding your knowledge, creativity, and passion for music. We’ll be hanging at Casa Soul Water, the SWS music studio and beach house music loft playing, writing and recording live music. We’ll of course be surfing a variety of epic waves via land and sea vessels, digging into some holistic avenues for mind/body/spirit health and enjoying down time in the tropics.
We encourage each guest to have a song or song idea they would like to work on and/or create while on the trip if they like. We will also be bringing some acoustic instruments outdoors to play at a variety of gorgeous locations. Feel free to bring your instruments along and/or utilize our array of instruments in our professional studio.
The SWS music studio houses a custom DW vintage drum kit, vintage electric/acoustic guitars and basses, tube amplifiers, 88 key weighted electric piano, 73 Nord Stage 2 piano/synth various percussion, and a full professional PA system. We also have the new Bose S1 Pro portable PA for amazing sound literally anywhere without electricity!
The Flavor
This retreat is for guests who want to:
*SURF A VARIETY OF EPIC WARM WATER, OFFSHORE, PRIME SWELL SEASON SURF VIA LAND AND SEA VESSELS.*TAP INTO CREATIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE WATER.
*PLAY, WRITE, COLLABORATE AND RECORD LIVE MUSIC.
*RELAX, REALIGN, AND RENEW THEMSELVES AROUND POSITIVE MINDS.
*EXPERIENCE A VARIETY OF THOUGHTFULLY INTEGRATED HOLISTIC MODALITIES BETWEEN SESSIONS.
*LEARN A VARIETY OF EXPANDING SONGWRITING TECHNIQUES FROM PROFESSIONAL SONGWRITER HOST DEREK THOMAS.
The Finer Details
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You will be staying at our luxury villa located in the utopian community of Hacienda Iguana along the Emerald Coast of Nicaragua with access to private surf breaks. Our villa has 4 rooms each with private baths, a yoga studio, and multiple social hangout areas on the property. Casa Soul Water is an idyllic holistic surf house boasting a gorgeous pool, custom cedar Sauna & Ice Bath, Yoga Studio, Gym and Light Therapy Room.
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Enjoy and enliven your being with nutrient-dense locally grown healthy meals prepared by our talented chefs as well as our favorite local restaurants. Our culinary team ensures that your dietary preferences and restrictions are taken into account while providing a memorable dining experience.
(During your stay you will enjoy a variety of super food delights such as, bulletproof coffee, cacao drinks, kombucha, and veggie juices).
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We will utilize a variety of professionally guided transformative tools for Mind/Body/Spirit: Breathwork, Yoga, Meditation, Qi gong, Contrast Exposure (Sauna & Ice Bath), Light Therapy and Strength & Mobility Enhancing protocols.
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We will be digging into the creative process through personal material, honing your skillset and collaborative jam sessions both in the SWS studio and various off-site locations.
Expand your unique skillset through sesions in various-witing and theory techniques.
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Everything from small friendly scenic waves for our beginners to peeling points and peaky beach break barrels for the intermediate to advanced surfer. There is no shortage of warm water offshore tropical surf break options. Whatever your skill level, we have skilled surf coaches and guides to make the most out your surf experience. Soul Water has on site a variety of quality soft top boards, ranging from 9’foot long down to 5’6 twin fins. These boards are especially ideal for the beginner surfer giving them the best opportunity possible for success and fun in the water.
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High quality professional transportation via both land and sea vessels.
Guests may choose to fly into Liberia, Costa Rica or Managua, Nicaragua. Both of the two Int. airports are the same ground travel distance, roughly 2 1/2 hours from our doorstep.
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(Additional Cost)
Relax and renew with a variety of world-class spa treatments to restore and revitalize your system for another epic day. Enjoy massage, facials, body wraps, reflexology, etc.
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Horseback riding on the beach, mountain biking, hiking, volcanic hot springs, turtle and monkey scouting, sand boarding and lounging at the beachfront villa pool.
Your Hosts
Derek Thomas
As a life long surfer/musician and avid traveler, Derek finds inspiration and balancein spending time in and near the ocean, practicing a variety of Eastern arts, and fostering his and other’s creative energy.
Passionate about the craft of songwriting, his body of work ranges in genres from Psychedelic/Ambient, to Americana/Alt. Country, to Hazey Post Rock, Singer-Songwriter, and Indie Rock. Derek’s music has heralded 4/5 star reviews from Rolling Stone Magazine and has been featured in Motion Pictures.
For the past decade and a half, he has been creating unique life-enhancing experiences for others curating his unique holidays in a wide variety of settings around the globe.
He is an internationally certified professional Breathwork, Meditation, and Contrast Exposure Facilitator, Professional Songwriter, Surf Coach, and is the founder of Soul Water Surf and Conscious Breath/Meditation Workshops.
Facilities
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Nourishing sessions for mind and body wellness. Re-connect to the deeper essence of your spirit through yoga, meditation explorative movement, sound, ceremony, self exploration and more - guided by our sincere professional facilitators and visiting resident guests from around the globe. Immerse yourself in a variety of guided sessions at both the beachfront shala and a handful of our coastlines most coveted sanctuaries during your stay.
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Minimize recovery time, maximize internal wellbeing and push past your limits within a supportive environment during professionally guided ice bath/sauna immersions in our 14 person volcanic stone cedar sauna.
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Immerse yourself in group & private sessions with PandoraStar, the worlds most advanced regenerative light machine.
PandoraStar offers a fast, safe and enjoyable way to reach deep altered states of consciousness, adjust ones emotional energy and shift perspectives. With only a handful of these machines currently available globally, we are grateful to have access to this very powerful transformative tool for all SW guests.
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Minimize recovery time, maximize internal wellbeing and push past your limits within a supportive environment during professionally guided ice bath/sauna immersions in our ozone-filtered comierical grade bath.
Occupancy
Single
$3900
Double
$2900
What people are saying
“Derek has an undeniable love for people, the ocean, and sharing his passions. His team were also all professionals, upbeat and stoked to share their knowledge and expertise. The guided Breathwork & Meditation sessions are powerful, unlike anything I’ve experienced. They were naturals at keeping us comfortable surfing new breaks, we especially appreciated all the assistance helping us in the line up with catching as many waves as we could each session. Derek knew how to keep the good vibes going!”
-Eddie & Jen Delaney - Austin TX/Costa Rica
“The experiences Derek creates stand out among the plethora of available options in both the remote surf travel and wellness retreat industry. He and his team are knowledgeable about all things surf related, a pleasure to spend time with, and all naturals in regards to crafting like long memories. Derek is also a very gifted musician and provided us with amazing live music under the stars on several evenings.”
-Cathleen & Greg Pecchia - Corona del Mar, CA
Enquire Now
Space is limited so enquire below and let’s go!
*Please
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Non-refundable deposit
$500 non-refundable initial deposit is required for all bookings
Full payment is required for any bookings made 1 month prior to Retreat date.
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If you cancel more than 90 days before your retreat start date, 100% of your payment may be applied to another Retreat hosted by Soul Water Surf within 12 months less $500 deposit.
If you cancel within 45 days of the Retreat, your payment is transferrable to any other retreat Soul Water Surf is hosting within a 12 month bracket, less $1000.
If you cancel within 14 days of the Retreat date, you will forfeit your entire payment.
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We recommend getting Travel insurance before you join us in Nicaragua incase of any travel disruptions or cancellations - to make sure all your costs will be covered.