About
20 years on the Atlantic
A surf school built by people who love the ocean - and want you to love it too.
Meet our founder
João André
Lisbon Wave School is the work of one man's lifelong relationship with the ocean. A Magoito waterman through and through, João André is one of Portugal's respected big-wave bodyboarders - a slab and heavy-water rider who has chased swells from Hawaii and Indonesia to Mexico, Morocco, Costa Rica, Australia, the Azores and Madeira, and earned the Portuguese Surfing Federation's recognition for extreme-wave (onda extrema) bodyboarding.
But João is as much a psychologist as a waterman. Through the Plano de Evasão association he spent years using surf and bodyboard as tools for personal growth - helping young people build confidence and stay clear of risk. That work is the seed of our Good Wave project. In 2017 he guided adaptive surfer Nuno Vitorino to a 4th-place finish for Portugal at the World Championship in California.
In 2005 he turned a lifetime of waves into a school at Magoito - Mag8 WaveSchool - which grew into today's Lisbon Wave School. Learn with us and you're inside a culture built by someone who knows these waves better than almost anyone, and who believes the ocean changes lives.
Our story
From Mag8 to Lisbon Wave School
Lisbon Wave School emerged from Mag8 WaveSchool, founded in 2005 at Magoito beach in Sintra. Keeping the same structure and the same crew, we grew and innovated into this new school.
Along the way we added team building sessions, holiday clinics and two new projects we're particularly proud of: Good Wave and our Erasmus programs.
Our beaches
Two beaches, every season
Magoito Beach
Our summer home - wide sandy bay framed by dramatic cliffs, perfect beginner waves and a wild, protected feel.
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Carcavelos Beach
Our winter playground - Lisbon's most accessible surf beach, with a long sandbar and consistent waves all year round.
Get directions →Good Wave
Surfing as a force for good
Good Wave was born from João André's years as a psychologist with the Plano de Evasão association, using surf and bodyboard as tools for personal growth - building life skills and preventing at-risk behaviour in children and adults.
Today we run it hand-in-hand with partners like the ACP and the Colégio de S. José - Ramalhão.
Your wave awaits
Ready to catch your first wave?
Tell us a few details and we'll get back to you with the best dates, times and pricing for your group.
Prefer to chat? WhatsApp us at +351 935 815 770.
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