Want to escape from the cold but can’t actually leave town? Looking for something to do when the kids have a day off school? Well if you’re in the Laval area I highly suggest you try surfing at Maeva Surf Laval at the Centropolis Complex.
Since the surfing is indoors, rain or shine surf’s always up at Maeva. Even if your downtown Montreal it’s worth the 20-minute metro ride.
Who is Maeva Surf Laval for?
Maeva Surf is great for adventure seekers young and old alike! To be honest, it looks a bit intimidating at first when you see the waves going, but once you try it, you see it’s really fun. Best thing of all, you don’t need to be an experienced surfer and no need for helmets or protective gear required. All you need is a swimsuit, towel and if you’re like me and scared of shower germs, flipflops.
Founded in 2010, Maeva Surf’s’ claim-to-fame’ is that it’s the only and most exciting indoor surf center in Canada, with double wave platform. This means you can have either the entire wave to yourself, or there will be a divider and you share the wave with another person or another group. No worries, even if it’s with a group it’s small and under 6 others. All the times we have gone there are usually only 1-2 others in their group.
How much is Maeva Surf Laval?
For first timers you can choose between 3 cleverly named options: The initiation, beginner or beach bum package.
The Initiation Package is $50. Geared towards children under 13, it’s still an option for anyone. It’s 1h30 minutes and you really do get an introduction to indoor surfing, the boards and how to get onto a wave to ride it. The time is broken down into 30 minutes of information session, 30 minutes lesson and 30 minutes surfing.
The Beginner Package is $80 and lasts 2 hours. It includes 30 minutes of recording, 30 minutes of training and an hour of surfing. This is great for kids and adults who are physically adept and catch on quickly… so my kids but not me!
This is the session my kids have gotten a few times, especially when it’s been awhile since they last surfed. That and they like to try the different boards and have enough time on the water to try some tricks.
The Beach Bum Package is the only one we haven’t tried, but will likely get next time. For $95 you get all the things of the Beginner, but you can get an extra 1 hour of surfing without an instructor.
Once you have done one of the packages you are an ‘intermediate’ surfer and you can get a ‘JAM’ session. You can get 30-60 minute sessions of semi-private surfing with an instructor and you can buy them in booklets so you can surf more and pay less ($55 for a two-hour period).
For busy moms, it’s very helpful too that you can book your sessions online.
One of the best things is the location. It may seem pricey, but you can also take advantage of the activities Centropolis has going on throughout the year. In winter there is skating. In summer there is a fountain and a ton of festivals. And there is always a wide selection of restaurants for even the pickiest of kids.
Is Maeva Surf Laval Safe?
My kids have now been there a few times and LOVE it. I would highly suggest the lesson. In fact, I would suggest if you don’t go often to get the lesson the first few times. My kids didn’t always surf so the first few times they went it was months apart and they always got a lesson.
As my kids got better, they tried different techniques in addition to surfing like body boarding. Even with trying new things, my accident-prone kids never got hurt (check out the video above), so I think I can say it’s safe. Even wiping out a BUNCH of times my kids never even got so much as a bruise! It helps that the wave surface is made of a trampoline surface so it’s super cushiony when you fall and get swept up the wave!
What if you don’t want to Surf?
If you’re a parent and your kids are the ones doing the surfing then you can grab a bite to eat with a coffee or better yet a beer or drink. Be prepared for humidity. If your there in winter you’ll want to take off a few layers. Honestly, it’s nice to just sit there in the moist air and relax as the kids are surfing.
There is also a shop which is a great place to grab swim suits all year round, especially if you are looking for a board shirt in winter before going on vacation! Or you can be like my kids they just loved riding the wave.
If your looking for a holiday activity idea, a trip to Maeva surf will help get any winter snowboarders ready for the slopes.
Protip: Check out Tuango or Groupon for deals. You can usually find a deal on a package on one of coupon sites.
Follow Maeva Surf on Facebook.
Check out their YouTube Channel
Address: 2005, boul. Daniel-Johnson, Laval, Qc H7T 1H8, Canada
Have you been to Maeva Surf Laval? Let us know how you liked it!
