Wakeboard · Wakesurf · Foil · Portugal
Where champions
are made
Europe's most exclusive wake academy.
Est. 2015
More than ten seasons on Castelo de Bode, coaching everyone from first-timers to world-class pros.
World champion coaching
Train with Roberts, World Wakeboard Champion and reigning Masters European Champion.
Every session tracked
Your riding time and progression update live in the Sidewake app, from your first set to your last.
All yours
We never take day riders. The boats, the coaches and the house are reserved for the few guests staying with us.
Riders we've hosted
- Harley Clifford
- Massi Piffaretti
- Shawn Watson
- David O'Caoimh
- Nikita Martyanov
- Maxime Roux
and many more
About Sidewake
Built by riders, for riders
Roberts built Sidewake around the training he always wanted for himself: a house right on the water, top boats, a chef who cooks for athletes and a limited number of riders, so nobody spends their days waiting for a set.
We coach wakesurfing, wakeboarding and foiling, and we care just as much about the week around it. First-timers and competing athletes get the same attention here.
The coaching
Every pull has a purpose
You're not here to buy a set, you're here to get better. Every pull is coached, so you go home with new tricks, cleaner style and a much better feel for your own riding.
Roberts leads the coaching himself. Janis Zalpeteris has trained with him since he was ten years old, and today he coaches our riders with exactly the same style and approach.
You ride the latest pro gear from Ronix, Phase 5 and Follow, so your focus stays on your own progression, not on tired rental kit.
The lake house
Live where you ride
A spacious, modern lakefront villa surrounded by pine-covered hills. Roll out of bed, grab a coffee on the terrace, watch the boat warm up at the private dock below, and be in your vest a few minutes later.
See the house →The lake
Flat water, whatever the wind
Castelo de Bode isn't one big open lake. It winds for kilometres through steep, pine-covered valleys, with arms and bays facing every direction.
The wind is predictable too. When it picks up, we simply take the boat into an arm the hills keep sheltered, so there's always perfect water somewhere.
100%
of daytime hours had sheltered water to ride on our stretch, five seasons running
460 m
is the furthest from our dock to sheltered water, whatever the wind
60%
of breezy daytime hours, the wind comes from the north‑west.
March to November, 09:00 to 19:00, with 15 km/h of wind or more. 2021 to 2025.
| Wind from | Share of hours |
|---|---|
| north | 5.1% |
| north-east | 1.4% |
| east | 9.6% |
| south-east | 4% |
| south | 5% |
| south-west | 8.5% |
| west | 6.9% |
| north-west | 59.6% |
49%
of daytime hours have less than 15 km/h of wind
69%
or more of our stretch stays sheltered, whatever the wind
108 km
of shoreline on our stretch
How we checked: all 15,125 daytime hours (09:00 to 19:00) from March to November, 2021 to 2025, each against the wind direction that hour. Sheltered water has less than 400 m of open water upwind and comes in patches of at least 10 hectares. Distances are measured along the water.
Our stretch of Castelo de Bode
Sheltered: less than 400 m of open water upwind
More open to a north‑westerly
Prevailing wind, from the north‑west
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Wind data: Open‑Meteo.
Private chef
Ride like a pro. Eat like one too.
Our private chef lives at the lake house, so your meals are as dialled in as your rope length. Fresh, colourful food that fuels long days on the water and actually tastes good. Nothing out of a packet.
Flagship · 2027 MasterCraft X23
Never just a boat
Our boats are the heart of everything we do. From the first season we decided: if we ask people to trust us with their riding, we owe them the best wake we can possibly give.
A day at Sidewake
Ride. Recover. Repeat.
You don't worry about anything except riding, recovering and having fun. Two coached boat blocks, video review, and trampoline, SUP, e-foil, basketball and table tennis in between.
Availability
Upcoming weeks
We keep groups deliberately small. Don't see your dates? Ask anyway. Every week is built to order.
Dates are built around you
Tell us when you'd like to come and how many riders you are. We'll check the boat and the house and come back with a plan.
Ask for dates@sidewake
Ready to ride?
Every Sidewake week is made to measure. Tell us your dates, your crew and your goals, and we'll build the week around you.