Clare Mutsaars

Clare Mutsaars is the co-founder of Swell Active, the adult surf and wingfoil retreat she and Jeroen Mutsaars built from scratch in 2009 on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. They opened it after travelling the world in search of the ideal place for busy grown-ups, with no board-sports background, to learn a watersport safely and quickly. Fifteen years on, Clare still runs the guest side of the retreat and answers enquiries herself, usually within a day. Her expertise is experience, not theory: she has spent more than a decade watching first-time adults go from nervous on the beach to flying on a foil or riding their first green wave, which means she knows the real questions people have before they book.