A Surf Retreat For the Ageless: Live Well & Surf Hard on Fiji’s Island Paradise

Nathan Hedge is a different man from the lad who went huge on the night of his 23rd birthday. In the middle of the night, the Aussie screw-foot solo kayaked the roughly four miles journey from the island of Namotu to the Cloudbreak tower. Sleeping in the tower the rest of the night, he awoke at dawn to surf draining, empty lefts. 

But these days, Hedgey is not so much focused on peak moments as he is on maintaining health and longevity in the water. Last year, at age 45, he caught one of his largest, most wide-open tubes to date at a heaving Australian slab. And he still makes regular sojourns to Fiji, which is what brings us here today. 

Next month, Nathan is partnering with Tavarua Island Resort to offer a new weeklong holistic surf and wellness retreat in one of the most scenic and storied wave destinations in the world. It’s not so much a retreat as a full mind and body immersion. Everything, from the meals to the forums to the ice baths, is designed to make you surf better and feel better while doing it. 

Some of the offerings include: Yoga and meditation with two-time world champ and sage oracle Tom Carroll. Foundation Training with John Gannon (Taj Burrow’s former Championship Tour trainer) and body whisperer to many high-level pros. Breathholding courses from specialist Augusto Vegas. Equipment, lineup breakdown and surfing analysis from Nathan, and a deep-dive into the history of Cloudbreak with Tavarua’s Managing Director Jon Roseman. You can learn more about the program and make a reservation here (The retreat runs from September 6-13).

“Growing up, I never thought I’d be running things like this,” Nathan said. “But I am really inspired and motivated by people who don’t buy into the ‘I’m too old for this.’ It’s about breaking the mold of what’s achievable. Stepping into this space is empowering, and it’s a privilege to be able to have people come along for the journey.”

The icing on the proverbial cake is the expertise that will be on the island for a full week. The surfing knowledge congregated on Tavarua is impressive and diverse. Nathan will pump you up in the surf, while Tom will demonstrate the value of slowing down and having mindful moments. Augusto will help you not drown in big surf, and John Gannon will make sure you recover from each session and prepare for the next.

As referenced from the start, Nathan’s history with Fiji runs deep. His first trip came as a teenager in 1995 (15 years before Cloudbreak opened to the public) to compete in a specialty tube-riding invite where he rubbed shoulders with Hawaiian heavies like Johnny Boy Gomes, Pancho Sullivan and Liam McNamara. During his stint on the Championship Tour in the early 2000s, he went blow for blow with Luke Egan and Mark Occhilupo. 

Related: Celebrating 40 Years of Tavarua Surfing History

But this new retreat isn’t solely meant for hardcore, lifelong surfers vying for a Cloudbreak set. Nathan and the staff will take guests to a variety of waves depending on skill level and preference.

“The beauty of Fiji is that there are lots of different waves,” Nathan said. “Namotu lefts is a soft, playful wave. Tavarua rights on the high tide. There are waves for beginners straight out front of Tavarua. It caters to everybody. I’ve had groups that are intermediate and beginners and groups that want to get the best waves of their lives and charge.”

At the end of the day, Nathan hopes a program like this, and shared insight, at the very least gets people thinking about how to new ways to enhance their time in the ocean no matter their level or age. 

“I think it opens up some different pathways toward longevity,” he said. “Getting better at something and doing it for longer means more fun. Having this kind of enhanced awareness, plus skills and tools to take away, that’s what it’s about. 

“If you stay in a comfort zone, you only know what you know,” he continued. “With these added learning, they can help unlock some untapped potential. Maybe an opportunity, like take off on a bigger wave or sit deeper in the lineup or surf longer. Or even more radical turns. It depends on where your surfing journey is at, and where you want to take it.”

To learn more about Hedgey’s Wellness and Surf Retreat on Tavarua, click here.