Stay In Cornwall’s Top 10 Surf Escapes

Stay In Cornwall’s Top 10 Surf Escapes

www.stayincornwall.co.uk

The North Coast is famed for incredible surf spots and whether you are an experienced pro or a total beginner, there is a location ideal for all abilities.

Cornwall is no doubt one of the most popular locations to take to the waves. There are many popular surfing destinations throughout the region that are particularly great for people learning this exhilarating sport. For those that know their messy waves to swell directions, Cornwall also offers an ideal spot to perfect your technique.

The summer season brings everyone out in their masses to capture a piece of the action but autumn is actually one of the best times to surf. The less crowded beaches mixed with relatively mild air and warmer sea temperatures (thanks to our relative proximity of the gulf stream pushing up water from the southern Atlantic Ocean) give you a great chance to catch those regular swells. So, if you’re heading to Cornwall on a surfing holiday or you’re looking to learn the basics on a family break, here are 10 fantastic family surf escapes in Cornwall’s finest locations.

The Light House

Bude

Experience luxury alongside North Cornwall’s coastline at a stay in The Light House in Bude. Get family and friends together, and take to the waves at the beautiful choice of nearby sandy beaches and discover a stunning contemporary coastal home designed and built by owners who have featured on the TV show Grand Designs. Indulge in this relaxing surf stay and feel the sand between your toes with just a short walk to the glorious Atlantic shores. 

For more info, click here.

Atlantic Bliss at Zenith

Newquay

For a stylish stay, just a stone’s throw from Whipsiderry and Porth beach, this cool coastal apartment is the ideal surf retreat. Here you’ll enjoy spectacular sea views, contemporary accommodation, and easy access to plenty of attractions and the best surfing spots in the county. Atlantic Bliss at Zenith also bases you in an ideal location to enjoy the surf hub of Newquay, home to Fistral Beach. The whole family will love this incredibly exciting stay with top conditions to take to your board.

For more info, click here.

Valley Breeze

Crackington Haven

Overlooking the bay of Crackington Haven, you’ll find this little gem just a short walk from the stunning sandy Cornish shores. Here you can enjoy a tranquil setting with a charming patio area to enjoy outdoor dining overlooking sea views. This idyllic surf spot is great as it offers a mix of family-friendly surf conditions to waves for the more experienced. Valley Breeze bases you in a fantastic spot to explore further afield too with the nearby locations of Bude and Widemouth Bay just a short drive away.

For more info, click here.

No 5 The Beach

Kennack Sands, The Lizard

Renowned for its surf school and beautiful sandy beach, Kennack Sands is the idyllic surf haven. So why not treat the family to stay just 900 yards from this stunning coastal spot. No 5 The Beach is a fantastic apartment offering a contemporary setting on the captivating west coast offering you a fantastic base to explore the surrounding area whilst taking to the board and enjoying those Atlantic waves.

For more info, click here.

Rosecott

St Ives

Just a short drive from the stunning sands of St Ives, you’ll find an idyllic bolthole offering spectacular uninterrupted views and boutique accommodation. Rosecott is a charming reverse level property providing the perfect spot to explore the west coast and the exhilarating surfing beaches that surround you. St Ives itself is a surfing mecca for families, with Porthmeor beach providing a large stretch to take to the waves. If you’re looking for some expert advice, head to the nearby surf school for equipment hire and lessons.

For more info, click here.

Perfect View

Falmouth

Although the south coast of Cornwall isn’t a premiere destination to head out on the waves, Falmouth is a brilliant place for beginners and families looking to enjoy a relaxed surfing break. Overlooking the harbour, Perfect View provides a beautiful stay enjoying contemporary accommodation with a spectacular decking area for perfect al fresco dining. This idyllic bolthole bases you in an ideal spot to enjoy the nearby surfing beaches of Swanpool, Gyllngvase and Maenporth which produce some half decent waves in the right conditions.

For more info, click here.

The Puffin

Mullion

Explore the exquisite west coast on a surf stay at The Puffin in Mullion. This south-facing property situates you at a stunning cliff-top location overlooking the ocean and bases you just a short drive from the beautiful National Trust beach of Poldhu. After a long day catching those west coast waves, you can relax in the tranquility of this comfortable accommodation and get the family together for an evening meal on the outside decked area.

For more info, click here.

Well House Barn

Boscastle

This boutique-style retreat is ideal for soaking up the best of the North Cornwall coastline. Placing you within easy reach of top surf spots including Polzeath and Widemouth Bay, this tranquil cottage offers the ultimate rural and coastal mix. Nestled in the Valency Valley yet just a few miles from the Atlantic Coast, this contemporary barn creates a warming ambience and relaxing surf escape for the whole family.

For more info, click here.

Miners

Portreath

Treat family and friends to the ultimate indulgent surfing retreat with a stay at Miners in Carharrack. Basing you just a few miles from the golden sands of Portreath and Porthtowan, this breath-taking spot offers a relaxing stay with an idyllic mix of rural and coastal experiences. You’ll enjoy spacious accommodation with a contemporary vibe and take advantage of a relaxing hot tub, warming log burner and spacious balcony with seating overlooking amazing countryside views.

For more info, click here.

Martins Place

Newquay

If you’re looking for a secluded spot nestled in the Cornish countryside yet want to take advantage of North Cornwall’s best surf beaches, a family break in this spacious and contemporary farmhouse is the idyllic choice. You’re only a few minutes’ drive to the sandy shores that adorn the coastline including the family-friendly surf beaches of Fistral, Crantock, Holywell Bay and Perranporth. With comfortable accommodation and large outside space for al fresco dining, Martins Place is a great place to get the whole family together on an adventurous surf escape.

For more info, click here.

To find out more visit stayincornwall.co.uk

How to Become a Surf Instructor

Being a Surf Instructor is possibly one of the best jobs you can have as a surfer.

Not only do you get to spend every day on the beach, you can manage it so you work during summers and escape the winters travelling. You can also get jobs abroad, or in surf camps right across the globe. On top all that you get the rewards of seeing the faces of super stoked pupils who you have helped get to their feet. It’s the perfect job for students at college or university or during their gap year.

We asked the people in the know what’s involved in becoming a surf instructor and take a look at courses on offer.

Chris Bond

Ticket to Ride

Chris, how do you become a surf instructor?
There are several different elements to becoming a surf instructor. Firstly of course you need to be a good enough surfer. The basic requirements are to be able to ride left and right on unbroken waves in 1 – 1.5m waves with control. Next up you have to sign up for both a surf coaching course and a lifesaving course. The most popular Surf Coaching course is the ISA Level 1 course which is a two-day course incorporating both theory and practical elements of the course. After completing the course you will need to do 20 hours of coaching at a surf school during which you will practice delivering the lesson and be observed completing a surf lesson at the end by the head coach. You will also need to complete either a Lifeguard course or Surf Lifeguard course as stipulated by the ISA.

Steve Bowens

H20 Training

Steve, do you need any experience before you take a course?
You need to be a competent and confident surfer and to love see others learn and develop. You can get this by spending time in the water surfing a range of different types of breaks and areas.
It is a good idea to get some experience teaching surfing, the best way to do this is to assist on some lessons at your local break (be sure to choose a recognised surf school who are teaching to a syllabus and maintaining high standards of instruction). You will get an idea of how a lesson is broken down and what sort of help and support beginners really need when they are learning. You should then book onto a surf instructor course, there are a number of different organisations who offer courses but in essence they are all fairly similar. During the course you will learn how to plan and deliver a surfing lesson and how best to teach a range of surfing related subjects. Depending on the qualification you take you may then need to log a number of hours working alongside an experienced coach, confirm when you have done this then spending the summer on the beach in the waves teaching the sport you love.

Tania Nesbitt

The Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI)

Tania, what qualifications do you need?
To be a surf instructor you need a minimum Level 1 Surfing Instructor, current surf rescue, current first aid certificates.  An ASI Level 1 Surfing Instructor qualification enables you to deliver, plan and assess beginner to intermediate surfing sessions in beginner level surf locations: surf no larger than 1½ft (½ metre) and Intermediate level surf locations: surf up to 3ft (1 metre).
In the UK and some countries you can hold a Surf Lifesaving certificate which includes both surf rescue and first aid. And in some countries, like Australia you may also need to hold a Working with Oxygen certificate. If you are working with children, you need to hold a working with children background check. But only a few countries worldwide have this, like UK and Australia. The minimum age to take the courses is 16 years old.  However, instructors under 18 years cannot deliver lessons to adults on their own. There must have another adult instructor, supervising or nearby.

SURF INSTRUCTOR courses

ASI – Academy of Surfing Instructors

The ASI is the world’s leading professional membership, education and accreditation body for surfing, SUP and bodyboarding. Operating in over 20 countries, instructor careers range from Level 1-Level 5 Master Coach with continuing professional development. ASI accredited instructors attain skills and competencies to work in any location throughout the world.

Dates: From March – November in the UK, March – December in Portugal, late April in Netherlands
Prices: From £240 – £260
Location: Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Devon, Wales, Portugal, Netherlands, Israel, Australia, USA, Canada and the Americas. For more information on courses available and where head to: www.academyofsurfing.com/surfing/courses

www.academyofsurfing.com
[email protected]
or [email protected]

STOKED SURF ADVENTURES

We’ve hand sourced the best Surf Instructor Training courses across the world including South Africa, Morocco, Bali, Sri Lanka and Australia so you can go live the dream with a world recognised certification! Most of which are suitable whether you’ve only had a few lessons or are already confident in the water – the Bali option also includes a FREE flight too for the first 6 spots each course!
Plus save £65 on any surf instructor training course (4 week +) using the code CARVE65

Dates: Bali – Year Round (4, 8 and 12 week options) / Morocco – Jan and Sept / South Africa – Jan and Sept / Australia – starts every Monday, year round/ Sri Lanka – Nov and April (1 week option) / UK – April to Oct start dates
Location: Bali, Morocco, South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka and UK
Prices: From £550

H2O Training Ltd

We run high quality courses including Surf Lifesaving Awards, Outdoor 1st Aid and specialist safety and rescue training for coasteering and kayaking. If you love watersports as much as we do and are looking for supportive, professional education from people with years of industry experience then please get in touch.

Dates: SLSGB Surf Coach Lifesaving, Outdoor 1st Aid and Coasteer Safety & Rescue courses are available from March – August in Cornwall and Scotland. Head to: www.h2otraining.co.uk/calendar/
Location: Cornwall and Scotland
Price: 1st aid courses from £80 and Surf Lifesaving course from £250 (all prices include NGB membership and registration fees).

www.h2otraining.co.uk/
[email protected]

Mojosurf Academy

Become an accredited surf instructor with Mojosurf Academy and open up the opportunity to live and work by the beach around the world. There is no better place to develop your surf skills than at Mojosurf Spot X Surf Camp where you will eat, sleep and breathe surfing with some of the best surf instructors in Australia.

Dates: The 5 Day Great Aussie Surf Adventure is included in all Surf Academy programs which run every Monday from Sydney, Byron Bay or Brisbane to Spot X Surf Camp (transfers included)
Location: Australia
Prices: 1 month surf
development $3360 AUD
2 month surf development $5950 AUD
3 month surf instructor course $7950 AUD + $1000 AUD local payment for certification & accreditation
10% off bookings april-june 2017/2018

www.mojosurf.com
[email protected]

Oyster Worldwide

This Australian surf development programme caters for complete beginners – pro surfers who want to develop their surfing skills to a level where they can take on surf instructor courses. Enjoy learning from professional instructors and experience practical sessions, theoretical sessions and fitness training. Develop pre-existing surf skills or learn something new within a friendly, family atmosphere.

Dates: You can take part from between 2-12 weeks throughout the year.
Location: Australia
Prices:
14 Day Surf Camp £1380
4 week course £2126
8 week course £4127
12 week course £5998

www.oysterworldwide.com
[email protected]

Surf Berbere

Surf Berbere Surf Instructor Course in Morocco is an amazing way to experience a fantastic culture. Throughout the 12 week course in Taghazout, you will train to become a surf instructor, learn French, teach English in local schools, and qualify to be a Level 1 Surf Coach.

Dates:
9th September – 2nd December, 2017
6th January – 31st March, 2018
Location: Morocco
Prices: £4,500 or £4,275 with early bird discount
surfberbere.com/packages-courses/surf-instructor-course/

www.surfberbere.com
[email protected]

Solid Surf House

Had enough of your 9-5 job? Change your life and become a surf teacher! At Solid Surf House we offer a 12 week Surf Instructor Course in Canggu, a cool, chilled out ‘surfy’ village on the west coast of Bali. After 12 weeks you will be an ISA certified teacher.

Dates:
Bali 12 week course:
1st September 17 / 1st December 17 / 1st March 18
Bali 8 week course:
1st October 17 / 1st January 18 / 1st April

More dates 2018 T.B.C

Location: Bali
Prices: 8 week course £2,990 or 12 week course £4,350. Incl. Stay in villa + Pool, ISA course, lifesaving course, breakfasts + BBQ, flight (see T&C) surf trips, excursions and more.

www.solidsurfhouse.com/surf-instructor-course-academy/
[email protected]

Ticket to Ride

This is your real zero to hero instructor course! Whether you already surf or are a complete beginner we’ll take your surfing to a new level and get you ready to pass your surf instructor and lifeguard courses by the time you reach week 9 of your 10-week, 8 location, road trip of a lifetime in South Africa.

Date: 11 Sept – 20th Nov 2017 and 19th Jan – 23 March 2018
Price: Starting from £4595
Location: South Africa

www.tickettoridegroup.com
[email protected]

Robbie Madison Rides Todos on a bike…

The first film at Chopes I was impressed with. A bike in a barrel, yeah that was epic. First time I’d seen anyone try that. This one….Hmm…not so much.

Barring the fact Robbie threw his toys out out of the cot when a couple of surfers wouldn’t get out of the water so he could do his stunt, I’m not convinced by the latest offering.

By spending a year mounting huge skis and a motorised paddle on the back of a bike surely Robbie Madison has invented a shit jet ski that doesn’t float?

Ah, well done mate. I mean if I put a set of trucks on a jet ski and road it off a ramp would Samung give me a million bucks to make a film, or just tell me to fuck off? Exactly…Anyone got a spare jet ski?

15 year old Ellie Turner finishes second in WSL Pro Junior

 

15 year old Ellie Turner from Bude just finished second in the first WSL Pro Junior of 2017 in Caparica, Portugal.

“I’m really happy, I’ve got three more years on the Junior series so hopefully I’ll have plenty more opportunities to win a final,” Turner said. “I tried to get the waves that had a bit of wall, it was pretty tricky but occasionally there was a fun one.”

Turner is leading the British charge in the Pro Juniors, and at 15 has huge potential for a bright future and plenty of titles.

Pics @surfsolutions

Here’s what Ellie had to say about making the final.
How do you feeling coming 2nd in the Women’s WSL Caparica Pro Junior event?
Super happy! I’ve got three more years on the Junior series so hopefully I’ll have plenty more opportunities to win a final!

Did you have any particular expectations or goals going into this particular event?
I was just hoping that I would get a solid result to start off the year. I was hoping to try and get atlas to the quarters. I just wanted to see how far I could get.

What was the surf like for this event?
At the start of the event the waves were super fun and clean, but going in to the semis the waves got really small, it was still pretty fun though.

How did you find the final?
The final had pretty difficult conditions, with really small and onshore waves to contend with. There were still a couple of waves around and I didn’t mange to get some scores. I got two good waves, one with one turn and the other with two.

What surfboard were your riding?
Recently I’ve been using all my new Fourth Surfboards, shaped by Luke Hart but for this contest and the conditions I surfed my 5’8 DHD, it’s a magic board!

Last year you won pretty much every event you entered in the UK, so how does it feel competing in Europe in the Pro Junior events?
In the Pro Juniors every heat is like a final, especially compared to competing in the UK. In the Pro Juniors every one is REALLY good! You have to be really consistent to get through your heats and every heat can feel pretty tricky at times.

Looking forward to the rest of the year, are you going to be doing all of the Pro Junior events?
Yeah I plan on doing all the Pro Juniors this year, which is really exciting.
Getting second place in the first event of year is amazing! Does this change you goals for the year and do you even have any particular plans or goals for the contests?

I’m just going to try my hardest in all of the contests and see how it goes! I would hopefully like to get into the top two, but if I don’t, that’s ok! I’ve still got three more years on the Pro Junior tour!

How did you prepare for this event, with it being the first proper event of the year and what have you been doing all winter?
I spent all winter surfing in Indonesia with my family.Training and surfing loads ready for the competitions.

For all the girls – especially those in the UK! What advice would you give any keen surfers wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Surf as much as you can and make sure you keep consistent.

How did you get into surfing?
From a young age my Mom & Dad always took me on surfing holidays. It’s always been a family thing, surfing with my Dad, brother and sister.

The #fakenews photo that went around the world, twice…

#fakenews

So if you have just clicked through from social media you have just been looking at a photoshopped motion version of a photoshopped shot (above) that went around the world many, many times.

It began as a very real and very late drop for Kai Lenny photogpraphed by ace French water photog Bastien Bonarmme. The real shot with real colour you can see below. The original actually made the cover Surf Sessions 30th anniversary issue, Surfing Magazine (RIP) and Tracks.


The real thing

But apparently that wasn’t good enough and some bright spark photoshopped it into an unbelievable late drop and posted it for likes on his social channel. (Without crediting either photographer or surfer.) From there millions of surf fans liked and shared it around the globe. Surfers, surf fan pages, Facebook, Instagram all reposted with little thought to the guy who took it, or even if it was real. It basically went wild. I don’t know if surfers were sucked in, or knew it wasn’t real but didn’t care. It was amazing to watch.

Then, just as we thought that may be the end of it, last week another Facebook page sent it off for the motion blur treatment, and well, here it goes again…

We contacted Bastien first time round for his thoughts and he was very philosophical about seeing his work go global with no payment or recognition. “At first I was annoyed, then I actually sold the real shot off the back of the coverage so that was ok…”

Second time round, well we thought we’d just tell the story and hope some of you out there will follow his Insta page; @bastienbonnarme

 

Korev Lager continues partnership with UK-wide surf tour

Award-winning Cornish lager, Korev, is to continue its partnership with Britain’s top national surfing event, becoming key sponsor of the 2017 UK Pro Surf Tour (UKPST).
 
Signing up as Official Beer of the tour, Korev will be supporting UK-wide events for the cream of UK surfing talent across 2017, with the season kicking off at Watergate Bay in May.
 
The UK Pro Tour, which formed in 1998, is the only series of professional surf events held in the UK and highlights the quality of surf across the country at the same time as raising the performance level of British surfers in a number of events. These events are held in some or the best locations, from the world class waves of Scotland to the popular seas of the South West coast.

“The Tour began in 1998 with the aim of raising the profile of British surfing and proving a uniform event platform to raise awareness of surfing stars to the surfing industry. It has gone from strength to strength over the years and we are really pleased that Korev is on board as a key partner again for 2017 to help us develop the tour further.”

Dave Reed

Tour Manager for the UK Pro Surf Tour

“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the Tour. We were involved in and witnessed some superb events last year that were such a fantastic advertisement for British surfing. We look forward to working with the team at UKPSA again to bring the Korev brand to life and promote the Pro Tour which plays such a pivotal role in building popularity and awareness of the sport.”

Jeremy Mitchell

Marketing and Communications Director at St Austell Brewery

The first scheduled event of the tour, Surfaced Pro, will be held at Watergate Bay on the weekend of May 6-7. The tour will then continue into the summer months, with events in Scarborough; Newquay’s Night Surf at Fistral beach; Lynmouth; Llantwit Major; and Thurso.

The announcement comes as rising UK female surf star Lucy Campbell from Woolacombe, who is sponsored by the Cornish lager, has just returned home from training in South Africa, and is preparing for the British season to get underway. We caught up with Lucy after her return from South Africa.

Lucy, when and where did you first start surfing?
I started at home in Woolacombe, North Devon when I was about 10.

What are your aims for this year are you competing on the Euro tour?
This year I’m competing on the World Qualifying Series and aiming to up my tour ranking. I’ll mostly be doing the European events as well as a few further afield… I’m also hoping to win back my British title!

Tell us a bit how you teamed up with Korev and how their sponsorship has helped you with your plans for the year?
We are working on some exciting things this year, from filming to events and festivals. Competing on the WQS is expensive with entry fees, flights and so forth, so I’m really thrilled they are helping me to get to some of the events that I want to be competing at this year.

You’re travelling a lot, what are your five packing essentials?
Cameras to capture the fun, TRX for training, sunscreen, laptop loaded with some good movies and coconut oil.

Which countries have you been to in the last year and how would you say surfing abroad has improved your surfing?
The last year has been incredible, I’ve been to Costa Rica, South Africa, Australia, Tenerife, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland and Ireland (yes, do they count!). As much as I love surfing at home it’s amazing to keep surfing in consistent waves, as well as exploring new, different types of waves.

How do you stay fit and healthy?
It depends on the waves really, if it’s pumping and I’m in the water 2-3 times a day, I’ll just do some yoga to help recovery. When the waves aren’t so great I like to mix in some running, mountain biking and strength, conditioning/ balance work.

Korev – the traditional Cornish word for beer – launched in summer 2010 in a 500ml bottle, and on draught in 2011, has fast become one of the Brewery’s leading brands. It followed a wait of almost 160 years for St Austell Brewery to produce its first premium quality Cornish lager. Korev is brewed to authentic methods over 25 days using only natural ingredients and has established a loyal following for its clean, crisp taste. Korev is now also available in 330ml cans and bottles. For more information click here. Stay up to date with Korev festivals and competitions and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

For updates on the UKPST, become a fan on Facebook or follow @ukprosurf on Twitter.