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Privacy policy

Last updated 25 October 2026

Who we are

Escape to Surf is a surf trip planning and booking agent based in Sri Lanka. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean Escape to Surf. You can reach us at hello@escapetosurf.com or on WhatsApp.

What we collect

  • What you send us. When you message us on WhatsApp or by email, we receive your name, phone number or email address, and whatever you tell us about your trip: dates, group size, surf level, budget and anything else you choose to share, such as an injury or dietary need.
  • Payment details. Payments go through a secure card payment link or PayPal. The payment provider handles your card or PayPal details. We receive a confirmation with your name, email and the amount, not your full card number.
  • Analytics, only if you accept. If you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics records which pages you visit, roughly where you are (country or city), your device and browser, and which WhatsApp buttons you tap. If you decline, none of this is collected.

The site has no forms and no accounts, so we collect nothing else.

Why we use it

  • To plan and book your trip. We need your details to answer your questions, prepare your itinerary pack and make the bookings you ask for.
  • To keep our accounts. We keep payment and booking records because accounting and tax rules require it.
  • To improve the site. We use analytics, with your consent, to see which parts of the site help people plan.

We do not sell your details, and we do not use them for advertising.

Our legal basis

If you are in the UK or the EU, data protection law asks us to say why we are allowed to use your details:

  • Planning and booking your trip: you ask us to, so we need your details to do it (taking steps towards, and carrying out, a contract with you).
  • Payment and booking records: accounting and tax rules require us to keep them (legal obligation).
  • Analytics: only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time with Cookie settings.

Who we share it with

  • The providers in your trip. The surf camps and surf schools you choose get only what they need to look after you, for example your name, dates, arrival details and surf level. We do not pass your details to drivers: if you want one, we give you their contact and you get in touch directly.
  • Payment providers. The card payment provider or PayPal, to take your payment.
  • The services that carry our messages. WhatsApp (run by Meta) and our email provider. Their own privacy policies also apply.
  • Google, for analytics, only if you accept analytics cookies.

Where your details are handled

We are based in Sri Lanka, so the details you send us are handled there, outside the UK and the EU. If you are in the UK or the EU, sending us your details means they leave your country so we can plan and book the trip you ask for.

Some of the services we use, such as WhatsApp (Meta), PayPal and Google, store data in the United States and other countries. They protect it under their own safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, and their privacy policies explain how. We only share what each service needs.

How long we keep it

We delete planning chats once we no longer need them for your trip. We keep booking and payment records only as long as accounting and tax rules require. Google keeps analytics data for the period set in our Google Analytics account.

Your rights

You can ask us to:

  • send you a copy of the details we hold about you,
  • correct anything that is wrong,
  • delete your details, unless we must keep them for our accounts,
  • stop using your details for a particular purpose.

Email hello@escapetosurf.com or message us on WhatsApp. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the data protection authority where you live, for example the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK.

Cookies

The first time you visit, we ask whether you accept analytics cookies. We save your answer in your browser's storage, which is not a cookie, so we don't ask again on every page.

If you accept, Google Analytics sets cookies whose names start with _ga to count visits. If you decline, no analytics cookies are set and Google Analytics does not load.

You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of every page.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update it on this page and change the date at the top.