Our surf instructors in Hendaye
Our surf teachers in the Basque Country
Passionate about the profession, our surf instructors give lessons to young and old from beginners to advanced. Their pedagogy will allow you to learn gently in private or group lessons at the Lehena Surf School.
Your most beautiful waves will be immortalized thanks to our photography service in Hendaye to leave you with an unforgettable memory.
JULIEN CASTE
- Date of birth: March 17, 1983
- Diplomas: State Surfing Certificate, BTS (Nature Management and Protection) and Specialized Educator.
- Stance : Goofy
- Favourite manoeuvre(s) : Roller, Tube and Reverse backside
- Inspiration(s): Mark Occhilupo, Shane Dorian, Rob Machado
- Favourite wave(s): Alcyons (Basque Country), Uluwatu (Indonesia), Lennox Head (Australia), Supertubos (Portugal) and of course Bidart!!
- Surf trips: Australia, Indonesia, Canary Islands, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Philippines.
- Where and when did you start surfing? It was in Hendaye, during the winter of 93, with the Bidarteko Surf Club. Talcum powder and plastic bag to put on the wetsuit… What happiness!
- Best session : Difficult there were many but the best is surely here at home with the buddies ! Bidart early one autumn morning with long lefts.
- Biggest scare: South Australia in solid conditions, I broke my leash and ate a few waves before managing to get out of the water.
- Best trip: Australia, as my first trip with many unforgettable experiences and encounters. It was also during this trip that I decided to become a surf instructor.
- Biggest trip mess: The arrival of typhoon Haiyan during my trip to the Philippines. Not much in the end on our island but a good scare!
- Why come to surf in Lehena : Because it’s the best surf school ☺ !
BATTITT CHAUDIÈRE
- Date of birth: July 21, 1987.
- Diplomas : Brevet d’État Surf and Rugby Licence STAPS (Education/Motricity and APA Health).
- Stance : Goofy
- Favourite manoeuvre(s): Snap, Floater and Tube.
- Inspiration(s): Owen Wright, Fred Patacchia and Rob Machado.
- Favourite wave(s): Chicama (Peru), Santana (Nicaragua), Lakey Pipe (Indonesia) and Hendaye Beach!
- Surf Trips: Indonesia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Canary Islands, Morocco and the Caribbean.
- Where and when did you start surfing : The summer I was 7 years old in this same surf school with the former owner Jean-Lou Le Guine. I quickly joined the Hendaye Bidassoa Surf Club before becoming an instructor and then co-manager of the Lehena Surf School with Julien.
- Best session: After 10 days of “flop” in Puerto Escondido in Mexico, we had tried the gamble of “Chacahua” a long right on the edge of a nature reserve.
The day we arrived there was not even 50cm. The next day the waves had tripled in size, we surfed this endless straight with less than 10 people.
We finally stayed 5 days to score and “saved” our trip! - Biggest scare: It was at Lafitenia, during solid winter conditions, I must have been 12 or 13 and there were only 3 of us in the water. There must have been 2m50 and I came out in tears!
- Best trip: My first trip to Indonesia in 2007 where we scored all the best waves. Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin on Bali but also Lakey Peak and Lakey Pipe in Sumbawa. 1 month and a half of surfing, surfing and surfing again.
- Biggest trip hassle: Leaving for Nicaragua, I got stuck at Madrid airport for a passport problem. Not having the authorization to transit through the United States I had to change my tickets, go through Costa Rica and especially wait 3 days in the Spanish capital!
- Why come to surf at Lehena? : Because the quality of our teaching is our trademark!”
Surf instructors on the Basque coast
Ione Lopez
- Date of birth: 04 April 2000
- Diplomas : Licence staps en education et motricité / master management actions et projets de sports, BPJEPS Surfing
- Stance : Regular
- Favourite manoeuvre(s) : Re-entry en surf and rollo en bodyboard
- Favourite inspiration(s): Jack Robinson / Tatiana weston webb
- Favorite wave(s): Les Landes.
- Surf Trips: The Canary Islands (Lanzarote/Tenerife/Gran Canaria , Panama, Morocco, Portugal, Guadeloupe)
- Where and when did you start surfing? : I started at the age of 5 during a ‘baby surf’ course at the Hendaye surf club. Since then, I’ve never stopped and I’ve trained at the club until I was 18.
- Best session: My best session was at Nazare on the beach at praia do norte, the waves were quite big, I didn’t get many waves but this session was the best in terms of adrenaline and the sensations I got, with some very good surfers in the water.
- Biggest scare: My biggest scare was at the guancha in Gran Canaria, the wave didn’t really have much bottom, I didn’t really want to go in the water but my friends and my coach had motivated me to go. There was a big series of waves that came in straight away and I wasn’t really feeling serene. I didn’t catch many waves and I quickly got out of the water, which wasn’t easy getting out of the water over rocks full of sea urchins 😅
- Biggest problem on the trip: (I haven’t done many surf trips away from here, so I haven’t had too many problems).
- Why come to surf in Lehena : Lehena is located on the best beach on the Basque coast for beginners. The structure is perfectly equipped with the best equipment chosen by Battitt and Julien. On top of that, the team is dynamic, multilingual and superbly competent, thanks to instructors who are also great surfers! Good humour is always present, thanks to Julien’s great jokes!
ANANDA BAGALCIAGUE
- Date of birth: 27 July 1991.
- Diplomas : BPJEPS Nautical Activities (Surfing Option)
- Stance : Goofy
- Favorite maneuver(s) : Reentry and Nose Riding.
- Inspiration(s): Taj Burrow & Melanie Bartels.
- Favorite wave(s): Stimpy’s (Philippines) and the waves of the Medoc.
- Surftrips: Morocco, Canary Islands, Azores, Portugal, Spain and Philippines.
- Where and when did you start surfing? : In Hendaye, I was 11 years old, with the Bidassoa Surf Club. It took me a year to convince my mother to stop ballet, and… it was a revelation!
- Best session : It was at Cloud 9 (Philippines) early in the morning the tubes were on the menu of the day in crystal clear water and the sun shining over the coconut trees : the dream !
- Best trip: Carcans, foam boarding, the waves were powerful that day. And the famous series that shifts! I struggle to finish stranded on the sand, out of breath.
Antonin Patino
- Date of birth: October 8, 1995
- Diplomas: BPJEPS in Nautical Activities (surfing specialization)
- Stance : Goofy
- Favourite manoeuvre(s): Carves and tubes
- Inspiration(s) : Mick Fanning
- Favourite wave(s) : Uluwatu (Indonesia), Pavones (Costa Rica), and the left at “l’église” in Hendaye
- Surf Trips : Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Canary Islands, Portugal, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica
- Where and when did you start surfing? : From a very young age, I spent my afternoons on Hendaye beach with my parents. That’s where I discovered surfing. At the age of 8, I joined the Hendaye surf club, where I truly got into the sport. Since that day, I’ve never stopped. I spent my days in the water.
- Best session : During a surf trip in Indonesia, on the island of Lombok, it was a very rainy day. On a whim, we decided to go surf a spot only accessible by boat. After 45 minutes traveling in the rain, we arrived at a perfect, empty lineup. A right-hand wave just for us.
- Biggest scare : Also in Lombok, at another spot. The waves were quite big. A friend really wanted to go out, I was less convinced, but I eventually decided to join him. On my first wave, I did a top-to-bottom… then got caught in a heavy wipeout and had a big scare. I went straight back in.
- Best trip : In Mexico, driving along the coast, going from spot to spot in search of the best waves.
- Worst trip situation : I got bitten by a dog, which gave me quite a scare and led to several hospital visits for different vaccinations. Especially since I was heading to Indonesia afterward—I got to experience various Asian hospitals.
- Why come to Lehena to surf : Because the conditions allow everyone to have fun, and above all, because the team is simply the best.
BERTIERE AGUIRRE UNAX
- Date of birth: October 21, 2003
- Diplomas : BPJEPS Sports Instructor – Surfing specialization
- Stance : Goofy
- Favorite maneuver(s) : Tube, floater, cutback
- Inspiration(s): Andy Irons, Gabriel Medina, Mick Fanning
- Favorite wave(s): Mundaka (Spain), Landes (France), Greenbush (Indonesia)
- Surftrips: Mentawai Islands and Sumbawa (Indonesia), Canary Islands
- Where and when did you start surfing? : I discovered surfing at a very young age, around 7 years old, at the Hendaye surf club. I started by taking part in summer camps, which gave me my first taste of the sport and immediately hooked me. The connection with the ocean, the feeling of gliding, and the surf atmosphere made me want to go further. Very quickly, I decided to surf all year round. Over time, what began as a discovery became a true passion, which I chose to pursue until turning it into my profession. Today, I’m a surf instructor, and I’m passionate about passing this love for surfing on to others.
- Best session : My favorite session was without a doubt the one at Mundaka, a legendary wave located about 1.5 hours from Hendaye. Known for its perfect barrels, Mundaka delivered exceptional conditions that day, with waves reaching up to 2.5 meters. I was in the water with Battitt, in an atmosphere that was both intense and magical. During that session, I had the chance to catch one of the best waves of my life—an unforgettable moment that will stay with me forever as a surfer.
- Biggest scare : My biggest surfing scare happened at Lafiténia when I was around 11 years old. That day, I took a wave on the head that slammed me to the bottom. As I tried to get back to the surface, I realized my leash was stuck on a rock. For a few seconds that felt endless, I knew I had to stay calm. I had no choice but to detach my leash to reach the surface. It was a powerful experience that taught me, at a young age, the importance of self-control and safety in the ocean.
- Best trip : So far, my first real surf trip will always remain the one in 2025 to the Mentawai Islands, with Battitt and Julien. It’s a dream destination for any surfer, famous for offering some of the most perfect waves on the planet. I was lucky enough to go there at the age of 21 and surf these legendary waves—an experience that still feels almost unreal because it was so incredible. Looking back, I realize how unique that opportunity was, and one thing is certain: I’ll go back.
BERTIERE AGUIRRE UNAX
- Date of birth: June 18, 1968
- Diplomas : BPJEPS in Nautical Activities (surfing specialization)
- Stance : Goofy
- Favorite maneuver(s) : Top turn and the five (longboard)
- Inspiration(s): Mark Richards, Rob Machado, Duane De Soto
- Favorite wave(s): Mark Richards, Rob Machado, Duane De Soto
- Surftrips: Indonesia, Africa, Latin America, Europe
- Where and when did you start surfing? : I started surfing at the age of 10, following my brother and sister who were already surfers at the time. I quickly developed a true passion for the sport and never stopped. I began with shortboarding, then moved on to longboarding (French Masters vice-champion in 2010 and 2013), before later discovering stand-up paddle and foil. I was president of the Hendaye surf club and was elected to the Aquitaine Surf League (judging commission), became a national judge with the French Surfing Federation, and started teaching in 2002.
- Best session : Far too many to choose from!
- Biggest scare : It was also in Lombok, at another spot. The waves were quite big. A friend really wanted to go out, I was less convinced, but I eventually decided to join him. On my first wave, I did a top-to-bottom… then got caught in a heavy wipeout and had quite a scare. I came straight back in.
- Best trip : In Mexico, driving along the coast, going from spot to spot in search of the best waves.
- Xhu come surf at Lehena ? : First of all, from the welcome to the instructors, it’s a friendly team passionate about surfing and eager to share that passion with you. Their professionalism and enthusiasm will give you unforgettable moments. Ideally located right in front of Le Caz (the home spot), you just need to gear up, cross the road, and you’re in the water ready to surf. See you soon for some sessions 🤙
Our surf lessons & equipment hire
