I'm going to move to the UK for work and wondered if its worth taking a board? Whats the waves like and i guess you need a wetsuit?

Plenty of places to surf, might need new rubber 4/3 + for winter
Devon Cornwall Wales Scotland then European breaks only minutes away by cheap as chips airlines
TAKE YA BOARD
If you are staying for a long while why not.

Enjoy the ice cream headaches and chatting to young surfers in the water with " pirate " voices
"Oi Loik tractors oi do and sruuumpy jack coider arrrrrr"

The waves are as good as anywhere just less often perhaps, England and Wales.

A mate of mine went to Scotland for a quick trip and ended up staying for a year. Best waves of his life, better than Indo he said...

France is a quick flight away not to mention Spain, Portugal, Morocco.

It's bloody amazing!!!

Stick to the West coast, the water is warmer. East coast should see you in a 5/4 with hood and booties. Feck all surf on the East coast until you get into the northerly regions, Yorkshire and up.
Cornwall and Devon is the big draw for the weekend warriors. Lived and worked there, loved it.

France? Merde! Why on earth would you want to go there it's full of ugly fat chicks that wear too many clothes and ugly fat beachies.





Perth's much better, especially Warnbro.

Spent 5 yrs there and loved it. Europe is a great place to surf.....the UK gets great waves but it requires some work to figure out as the tides are massive. Spots can be 2ft and crap and 2 hrs later the break is 50m further out and its 4ft and pumping. So local knowledge is the key. Gets pretty busy around the main tourist areas these days like Newquay and Bude but lots of other spots are fairly uncrowded. South Devon has some insane waves in the right conditions. Scotland is incredible - head to a place called Thurso in the summer and be prepared to surf all day / night long as the it only gets a few hrs of night-time at the time of the year and has some smoking waves as CMC alerted to. Ireland is my fav though....that place gets incredible waves and its uncrowded and the surfers up there are stoked to share with you and post surf sessions in the local pubs are insane. Wind can be a problem - no shortage of swell. The UK is freezing in winter.....not uncommon to have water temps around the 7/8 degree's - get your wetties over there as their prices are a lot cheaper than here. These guys are pretty good and delivery is fast www.sortedsurfshop.co.uk/

As for the mainland just book ahead a few months and flights are cheap as chips. Bibao is a good airport to fly into as it opens up the SW of France (Hossegor etc) and the Basque country in Spain - think San Sebastian (amazing party town) and Mundacca and many more amazing spots. Portugal has some incredible waves as well and you can also head there for a weekend very easily. Morocco is another great spot that is well worth the effort to get to.....some incredible waves there and its easily accessible. Don't go before September though- it will be flat. Board charges are your biggest issues so do your homework with what carrier you decide to fly with. If the water gets to cold for ya in winter just swap your board for a snowboard and go hard. Fly into Munich - rent a nice car with some mates and drive at high speed legally to St. Anton. Heaven. Enjoy.

I grew up (some would suggest not) in South Wales on the Gower.
I lived within walking distance of reefs, beachies and a swell magnet point break. I guess when you live there you get to score good waves but i had my best surf sessions there and I've been all over the world since looking for waves.

Go to the Gower, stay in somewhere like Port Eynon, or Llangennith - the locals are friendly and they will point you in the right direction.

If its winter - 4mm Wettie, Boots, Gloves and a skull cap - it gets cold.

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to be in the North Sea! Foooking cold i hear.

Now to choose a damn wetsuit. I hate wearing wetsuits, even more i hate cold water. However, if theres a wave i will have it. Just like smicko's post. If the bird with the saggy arse was all i could have fook it! I will take it. lol

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smicko said...

If her arse is anything to go by i bet shes a stunner from the front. :)

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paulford said.... East coast should see you in a 5/4 with hood and booties. Feck all surf on the East coast until you get into the northerly regions, Yorkshire and up.

Is that a 5mm wetty all year round?

A 3/2 will do in summer. I lived in Cornwall for a summer and it is an awesome and beautiful place. Surf was small when I was there but it's bigger in the winter. Thurso is supposed to be really good, consistent swell and barrels. Bloody freezing and windy tho :-/

I remember late September and onward the better swell periods for the South West. Agreed 3/2 for the summer, but the North sea will always be cooler . Wetties are heaps cheaper to buy there.

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spaddywaddy said...
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to be in the North Sea! Foooking cold i hear.

Now to choose a damn wetsuit. I hate wearing wetsuits, even more i hate cold water. However, if theres a wave i will have it. Just like smicko's post. If the bird with the saggy arse was all i could have fook it! I will take it. lol

You will learn to love the full suit, hood booties and gloves....heaps of waves at the spots Ted mentioned plus there are some goodies up around Newcastle on the east side if you time it right....Medira and the Canries are worth checking as well...they don't call Medira the hawaii of the atlantic for nought....good luck

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paulford said...
Wetties are heaps cheaper to buy there.

Yer just bought a couple of wetsuit from these guys a 3mm and a 5mm www.wetsuitcentre.co.uk/wetsuits.html in the UK. I sent them an email and they replied pretty quick and said the same things as you guys said. They said if i'm working on the north east coast i should get down to the south west, so i bought a 3mm as well.

Shipping was free to me here in Perth which is crazy! Worked out ?560 for both suits!

Let see if they turn up!

Don't forget to buy a van
You should be able to find one all kitted out for about 1500 pound
Worth it's weight in gold

This bloke does alright considering the 5mill of rubber he's in and the wave ain't real foul either.
magicseaweed.com/news/oli-adams-and-the-badgers-retreat/5284/?bustCache

There's some real fun waves down in the south west, Cornwall get some local knowledge and you will find some good waves! If you head to bude and go down one of the local pubs ( inn on the green, The Brendon Arms or the Crooklets inn) you will end up bumping into a few of the boys most of the guys are super cool and will be happy to show you around. I lived over there for many years and found some great waves in cornwall. Try looking up spot x the locals are pretty guarded with it but it isnt very hard to find. Try getting on the Widemouth bay road and going south !

Also as mentioned above the gower in south wales has some great little reefs when the swell and tide is right! Here the good reefs are real hard to find unless you have some local info or you will be walking farmers fields for days looking. But get there and follow surfers cars around they will lead you to the spots!

Have a good one!

Wetsuits have turned up but havent tried them out yet. Anybody used one of these O'Neill superfreak wetsuits? I have two of them and they seem a nice wetty. Was reading a few reviews on them, some are good and some bad. This guy here and a few other have had problems with theres http://www.freakfish.co.uk/oneill-superfreak-wetsuit-review/

I'm now in the UK now in a place called sheffield. No where near the sea! Will be heading up to the North East later this week. Then going to get a Van and drive down to the south west when i Finnish my my induction course zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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spaddywaddy said..

Wetsuits have turned up but havent tried them out yet. Anybody used one of these O'Neill superfreak wetsuits? I have two of them and they seem a nice wetty. Was reading a few reviews on them, some are good and some bad. This guy here and a few other have had problems with theres http://www.freakfish.co.uk/oneill-superfreak-wetsuit-review/

I'm now in the UK now in a place called sheffield. No where near the sea! Will be heading up to the North East later this week. Then going to get a Van and drive down to the south west when i Finnish my my induction course zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A few pics would be nice..Have fun

scored some nice beachies in Croyde, Devon too

Will get some pics. Its freakin windy here and cold! :(

Came across this today..... so glad that I only decided to learn to surf when I moved to Australia. Looks F-ing freezing!!!