Popular Surfing Destinations in the UK

Over the past decade, extreme activities and sports have enjoyed an explosive growth in popularity. More and more people are looking for the ultimate adrenalin experience at the weekends and when on holiday. Extreme activities can include anything from sky diving, rock climbing, bungee jumping, kite surfing, white water rafting, abseiling, indoor sky diving through to, of course, surfing.

Surfing first became popular in the 1970s and has attracted an ever wider global audience. Surfers are constantly hunting for the perfect wave. UK surfing fans don`t have to travel too far to experience a variety of excellent surfing conditions and no matter what their surfing skills, there are waves for beginners, intermediates and experts alike.

Perhaps the best known surfing area in the UK is Newquay on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, known as the UK`s surfing capital. Here, Fistral Beach has consistent hollow waves and holds a good swell, boasting 20 foot wave breaks requiring no wind to swell. Nearby, other good surfing venues include Great Western, Tolcarne, Towan, Crantock and Watergate Bay. Autumn is the best time to find big waves, with July and August most suitable for beginners.

Perranporth has a 3 mile long beach and is located 10 miles from Newquay. It offers a variety of waves and makes a great place for beginners to practice their surfing skills. There is a surf school as well as a lifeguard on the beach and it is not as crowded as the beaches in Newquay.

Also along the Cornish coast is Sennen Cove, where the beach is well protected from the swell and winds. It gets its maximum swells with a westerly wind. There is a surf rental shop on the beach for those who require the right gear.

Ireland also has some great surfing locations such as Lahinch in County Clare. It offers the surfer fantastic waves, but does have strong currents and so is not suitable as a destination for beginners. Donegal has several popular surfing locations such as Bundoran which hosts surfing championships. People come from around the globe to surf at Standhill in County Sligo, Tramore in County Waterford and Achill in County Mayo.

For novices, the best way to learn to surf is by acquiring the basic skills with the help of a surf school, with instruction as to how to sit and stand on a board as well as how to paddle a surfboard. Safety is essential. Beginners should wear a leash or leg rope tied to the board and a nose guard to avoid impact with the board. Keeping a safe distance from other surfers of around 15 feet is essential and beginners should always surf with a buddy.

Suitable surf gear and equipment is available for surfers at all levels, with a large range of boards for beginners, experts and children. Wetsuits and drysuits both protect and keep the body warm in cold conditions and thermal clothing can be worn beneath suits. Surfing has long driven some of the coller fashion trends, with firms such as Volcom UK offering beach wear including cargo shorts, t-shirts, caps and water friendly sandals.

Type of Break

Beach Break
The Beach Break is where the waves break on the sandy seabed.
This type of wave is the best to start surfing on.

Point Break
The Point Break is a wave that breaks onto a rocky point.

Reef Break
The Reef Break is a wave that breaks over a coral reef or a rock

Wind Direction

Onshore
An Onshore Wind is the worst wind for surfing. The wind blows from out to sea and ensures that all the waves crumble and have no shape, making the waves un-surfable.

Cross Shore
A Cross Shore is not desirable either, not giving shape to the waves.

Offshore
An Offshore Wind is the best wind for surfing. It ensures that the waves rolling in are well formed and break cleanly.

email: carve@paddleout.co.uk