- Wave height
- 1.3 m
- Period
- 9.3 s
- Sea temp
- 29.5°C
- Swell from
- SSW
Edava Beach · Varkala · Kerala
Your first wave is closer than you think.
A surf school accredited by the Surfing Federation of India, and a guesthouse on the quiet side of Varkala. Small groups, chest-deep water over sand, and a first wave closer than most people think.
- 50 stepsfrom Edava beach
- Max 5surfers per instructor
- 14beds in the house
- Includedbreakfast with every stay
Start here
Choose your way in.
Catch your first wave. Sleep beside the break. Join a fixed-date camp. Or bring your own group.
Surf
Catch your first wave.
Private and small-group lessons on a forgiving sand-bottom break, with an instructor in the water beside you.
Book a lessonStay
Sleep beside the break.
Five private rooms and a four-bed dorm, with Kerala breakfast upstairs on the rooftop every morning.
Check roomsCamp
Join the week.
Five days, four nights, daily surf and the same crew around the long table from the first evening to the last.
See camp datesRetreat
Bring your people.
Your group, your dates, and a week built around what you actually want from the water.
Plan a retreat
- Fifty steps from the water
- Max five surfers per instructor
- Ninety minutes is the whole lesson
- Five bedrooms. One big rooftop. One dog
- Kerala breakfast on the rooftop
- Accredited by the Surfing Federation of India
What we offer
Everything Kuma does,
and what it costs.
A surf school first, a house second, and a rooftop that turned out to be the reason people come back. Prices are what they say they are.
I surf
Ninety minutes
is the whole lesson.
Board, rashguard and beach transfer, all included. We start on the sand: warm-up, pop-up technique, paddle drills. Even the pros do this. Then roughly seventy minutes in the water with an instructor beside you the whole time.
- Private Session
- Up to 90 minutes · max 2 surfers
- ₹2,000per person
- Group Session
- Up to 90 minutes · small group
- ₹1,500per person
Prices exclude GST, which is added at the applicable rate.
All lessons & board rental
The water
01
You won't be a pro on day one. But you'll be hooked.
You don't need experience, or even to be a strong swimmer. The school is accredited by the Surfing Federation of India, lessons happen in max chest-height water, and the sand bottom below you is softer than your ego. What you will get from day one: a working pop-up, a first real read of the waves, and that specific feeling of riding something all the way in.
I stay
Five bedrooms. One big rooftop.
One dog.
Five private rooms. Large teak bed, A/C, en-suite bathroom. One dorm with four beds and a shared bathroom. That is the whole house, plus a new pool opening in the first week of November 2026. In season it fills from the dorm upward.
Prices exclude GST, which is added at the applicable rate.
The rooftop
The rooftop, and why
three nights becomes nine.
Kerala breakfast every morning. Fresh juices. Yoga on the roof, dance evenings, skate and slackline. The rooftop where strangers become regulars, and Pulli, the house dog and self-appointed feel-good manager, following you everywhere.
See the house
I camp
Five days. Four nights.
Fourteen people, maximum.
Six camps a year. Two hours of surf every morning, breakfast and dinner at the house, three ice baths, yoga, video analysis of your own sessions and a closing barbecue. One price per room, and a 50% deposit holds a place.
6-10 Nov 2026
5 days / 4 nights, 14 people maximum.
from ₹20,000
23-27 Dec 2026
5 days / 4 nights, 14 people maximum.
from ₹30,000
23-27 Jan 2027
5 days / 4 nights, 14 people maximum.
from ₹20,000
Prices exclude GST, which is added at the applicable rate.
Plan your trip
Ninety minutes, board and rashguard included, with beach pick-up.
Never surfed? Non-swimmers welcome, chest-height water, kids from seven.
What is in the price, and how a camp compares with a room and lessons, or a retreat.
A bed, Kerala breakfast and a lesson every morning, the break two minutes away.
Month by month, from the October to April season to the monsoon.
The breaks from Kappil and Edava to Papanasam, who each suits, and rip current safety.
Soft-tops, funboards and shortboards, by two hours or the day.
Lessons and first waves, the ice bath, skate evenings and sunsets.
Off the board: Yoga & Meditation, Kayak & SUP, Ice Bath & Recovery, Varkala Hidden Gems, Sunrise & Sunset Treks, Coffee & Music Evenings, Group & Studio Retreats, Corporate Wellness.
Explore Varkala
The Varkala the guidebooks
have not found yet.
Everyone finds Varkala Beach and the Varkala Cliff on their own. These are the places to visit in Varkala that it takes a local to point out, all a short ride from Edava.
Kappil Beach
Where the backwaters meet the sea. About ten minutes north, best at sunset.
Flow Cult
Brand new skatepark down the road. Surfers, locals, free souls, every evening.
Mamma Champos
Off the beaten path, and the best fish in the area. No contest.
The toddy shop
A Kerala classic. Ask us which one, not all of them are equal.
Kuma Surf Blog
From the Coast
Surf tips, Varkala guides and local knowledge for people who would rather be in the water.
Local Life · 6 min read
Surfing · 6 min read
Varkala Guide · 6 min read
The wall
Photographs, not renders.
All of it shot here, on this beach, in this house. Tap any frame to see it properly.
On Instagram
The week, as it happens: reels from the water, stories from the rooftop.
First waves, flat-day skate sessions, the long table after dark. It goes up on @kumasurfsvarkala before it goes anywhere else.
Follow @kumasurfsvarkala
- 4.9/5Googlefrom 68 reviews
- 9.9/10Booking.comfrom 13 reviews
- 4.9/5Justdialfrom 29 reviews
- 4.7/5MakeMyTripfrom 16 reviews
Don't take our word
We could write our own
reviews. We haven't.
Every guest who has stayed here has had somewhere to say what they thought. Go and read those instead. They are more useful than anything we would put on our own website.
Also listed on
- Google
- Booking.com
Accredited & in good company
A surf school accredited by the Surfing Federation of India.
Renewed every year, with the certificate published for anyone to check. Add a founder with the ISA and ILS water-safety award, and the partners we work with up and down the coast.
International Life Saving Federation
About us
When your name is on the door,
you keep the door worth walking through.
Kuma is a nickname that stuck since school. Long before there was a surf school or a guesthouse, there was simply Kuma, known up and down Varkala for a radiant smile and a big head of curly hair. The name grew on its own. No marketing, no plan.
Meet the houseBefore you book
The questions everyone asks.
What kinds of rooms do you have?
Five private rooms, each with a large teak-framed bed, A/C and an en-suite bathroom, plus one dorm with a shared bathroom. That is the whole villa. Kuma is a house, not a hotel, and in season it fills from the dorm upward.
Why does the room price change with the dates?
Because the season does. The quiet weeks in October are the cheapest nights of the year, the house fills from mid-November, and Christmas and New Year are the dearest nights we sell. Rather than quote one average price and surprise you at the end, every date is published on the rooms page and the booking form adds up the nights you actually pick. A stay that crosses a change is priced night by night.
Is breakfast included?
Yes. Every room and bed comes with the homemade Kerala breakfast, served on the rooftop. Fresh fruit, appam, eggs, juice, coffee. Not staying with us? You're welcome at the table for ₹250, chai or juice included.
Can I do my laundry at the house?
Yes. ₹15 a piece. Hand it to Kuma and it comes back dry and folded, which after a week of saltwater is a bigger deal than it sounds.
What are the house rules?
Short list. Pet-friendly, though Pulli isn't allowed in the guest rooms, a rule he disputes. Parties and drinks are welcome, just keep the volume reasonable. A lost key or damage may cost you.
Where can I rent a scooter?
Just ask. There are several places within easy reach and we know which ones look after their bikes. Having one turns Kappil and the cliff from a plan into a whim.
How do I get to the beach from the house?
Edava beach is about 50 metres away, a two-minute walk. For lessons we run a beach transfer anyway, and it's included in the price.
Book a surf session
Board, rashguard and beach transfer included. We confirm within 24 hours.
1 surfer, ₹2,000 per person₹2,000
Prices exclude GST, which is added at the applicable rate.
Request this sessionBook a room
Five bedrooms and a dorm, Kerala breakfast on the rooftop. Check-in 1pm, out 11am.
3 nights, breakfast included₹9,000
Prices exclude GST, which is added at the applicable rate.
Not sure which fits?
Send your dates, headcount and surf level. We'll point you toward the right room, session or week.
Ask Kuma on WhatsApp+91 99953 38248