Archive for: Surfing

If only they (the guys from the ‘CT) had been there this week, Mundaka has been going off the hook, check out the video below.

Last week Rich and I made the trip down to Newquay for our first surf of the autumn. Richie Dog was well overdue for some wave action and had to give his water wings a bit of a dusting off upon arrival (but soon after was back to true canine ways).

We stayed with Glen and Alison over at The Chynoweth Lodge, a lovely family-run B&B on Eliot Avenue, in a quieter part of Newquay. Our three night stay commenced with a full English every morning, plus tea, toast and cereal (you need something to keep the engine running when you surf six hours solid).

We were pretty lucky with the weather considering it was mid-October (one day of dullness and three of sunshine and clear skies). The swell and winds were also on our side with two cracking offshore days with shoulder to head-high waves.

We met up with two of my buddies: Mr. Mark Parry and Olaf “The Machine” Mathur, both of which are top blokes and more than functional surfers (ain’t that right Mark).

Our first team session was a three-man assult on the northern end of Watergate (followed by a swifty in the pub afterwards). The surf was ok, but nothing compared to the treats we were to receive over the coming days.

The second team effort (this time with a full four-man crew in tow) was mine and Richie’s debut at a beautiful spot called Penhale. The sun was out, it was warm (especially for October), we had the break to ourselves and we were all super stoked to have been blessed with a little good luck to be in the right place at the right time (conditions like this only come together like this once in a blue moon – unless you happen to live in Indo or the like).

Paddling out felt amazing, clawing through the clear blue water out to the line-up, the surface of the water inbetween sets like glass. The particular peak we sat on was right near the cliffs and broke right, although you could go left, but ran the risk of riding into the boneyard, something Richie would find out later on in the day (the dog loves to dice with death when riding the backhand bone).

We traded waves for just under three hours before heading back up the beach and heading off for an evening session over at Watergate.

Now to have had Penhale to ourselves was enough, but to then have head-high Watergate, clean as a whistle with plenty of space to maneouver and set against an amazing sunset was nearly too much for one day.

Olaf and I traded waves and I managed to make some of the bigger drops even though I was on a single fin longboard, whilst Olaf ripped up a few walls on his shortie. We surfed until dark and then returned to the cars and back home for some brews and a healthy portion at Signor Dicks.

All in all a quality day that really set the bar for future trips!

Yep it is official, month’s of training in the pool and gym, plus the 3 weeks I spent down in the South West have come up trumps and I am now a fully qualified RLSS Beach Lifeguard and BSA Level 1 Surf Instructor. Throw in a little defib and the principles of first aid and life support and as the certificates below say, I am all ready to go!

I am back off to Newquay tomorrow to embark on the second part of my BSA Surf Instructor course.

To become a fully qualified Level 1 Instructor you have to gain 20 hours of “work experience” in a BSA-approved surf school, helping out with lessons etc. It seems fitting that the school that I ended up organising my hours with the surf school that originally taught me to surf 6 or 7 years ago.

So as of Thursday I will be joining Mike Young and the crew down at Escape Surf School in Newquay to gain my 20 hours, looking forward to it!

Yes, I went all self-indulgent again and decided to reward my BSA/RLSS course efforts with a new board. I actually bought it mid-week, before I completed the course as I had been watching The Seedling (one of Thomas Campbell’s fine surf films), and was digging all the nose-riding and old skool moves. So I officially went loooooooong and nipped down to the Bilbo Surf Shop in Newquay and made my 7th board purchase: a lovely Bilbo 9’1, double concave, single fin longboard with wooden veneered insets and collar, a real beauty!

Luckily enough I passed my Beach Lifeguard and BSA Level 1 Surf Instructor course (more on that later), so the reward was completely justified!

Below are a couple of pics from Bantham with me and the Wave Wizard in full stoke!

For the past 10 years (post University) I have worked pretty much exclusively in London in the web and advertising industry. The work and people (for the most part) have been pretty cool and I’ve been lucky enough to create a little niche for myself that enables me to earn reasonable money.

For the past few years though, I have become increasingly unsatisfied at times with work and have thought about trying to do something more worthwhile than pushing pixels around a screen.

A few month’s back I signed myself up to do a BSA (level 1) surf instructor and RLSS beach lifeguard course down in Cornwall. I’ve been subsequently training (like an Olympic athlete) over the past few months to ensure I am fit enough for the course. Hopefully all the hard work will pay off, as I am off to Newquay in two days.

I am hoping this qualification will open up some new doors and give me the opportunity to get involved in something fulfilling, rewarding and worthwhile. I am not giving up on my web career (just yet), but I am hoping that I will be able to spend at least a few months each year (starting next year) working as a surf instructor and beach lifeguard and passing on some stoke!

In need of some new surf literature and something to keep me company in the evenings when I am down in Newquay later this week (for my BSA Surf Instructor and Lifeguard course) I invested in a few new books (see below) courtesy of Amazon.

I’ll let you know what they were like when I’ve finished them :)

My mate Richie found this video of a stoked surfer on YouTube today, made me laugh my head off.

Oh brah its just like dude you get the best barrels ever dude its just like you pull in and you just get spit right out of em’ and you just drop in just smack the lip WHOO PAH! drop down an PAAHH then after that? you just drop in ride the barrel and get pitted so pitted like that

Here is one of the first pictures hot of the press from Beej and my recent surf to Praia da Consolacao, near Peniche, Portugal. More pictures and full write up to come soon!

Ben Copping and I are off to Praia da Consolacao this Saturday for a week’s worth of surfing and relaxation. The beach is situated just south of the fishing town of Peniche, about 80km or so north of Lisbon in Portugal.

There area is blessed with quality breaks of all kinds including, reefs, beachies, points and even some big wave spots.