Surf Breaks, Croyde

...me having no transport. I surf at two great beaches in North Devon, Croyde Bay and Putsborough, both just outside Barnstaple. Cornwall also has great surf spots, I’m no expert. Parts of Wales, and West coast of Ireland are good UK surf spots. France and Portugal have good European places. All these face the Atlantic Ocean, so the waves travel 2000 miles before hitting land. All this time called the fetch of waves result in big waves hitting ...
...some big swells give good surf on the south coast, right up to Bournemouth. South and West Wales are also good, as is the West coast of Ireland. Scotland can get some waves, but I have never been there, so am going on stories. Outside of the UK, there are the usual places, All around the south and west Australia, East coast USA and California, Brazil, Hawaii, South Africa and in Europe Spain and Portugal, and Brittany France are fairly close to home. ... more

I was lucky enough to be introduced to surfing at a very young age, living in the West Country where it’s easy to get to good quality, friendly surfing spots in reasonable time. I grew up on the North Devon coast; so playing in the water came naturally. At the age of 14 I was introduced to 'real' surfing, and haven't looked back since. Surfing, if you have the chance to do it is one of the best ways to keep fit and the feeling it gives you is just amazing, that you really need to try it for yourself. I would urge anyone just to give it a go, well worth it!

As a really young kid I started surfing the waves on a bogie or belly board. This is a short foam board of about 4 foot long. It is very buoyant, and you never stand up, just lie down chest down and catch the wave. Belly boarding is great, its cheap and easy to learn, and you still get the thrill of being in the waves, and it is an awesome feeling to battle with the Atlantic. It is also good practise to get the feel of timing the take off to catch a wave when you start surfing with the big boys. Next stage is a full size surfboard, but one that is made of foam, so it floats easily and easy to stand up on. It is also light and easy to manoeuvre, so ideal for beginners to get the feel of standing and catching a wave on a full sized board. The final stage of learning is the full surfboard. This is the real thing. I will come onto different types of surfboards later, but the best board for learner is a big Malibu board. This is like the foam board, in that is large, buoyant and easy to catch waves on, but is made from foam and fibreglass core, and a glassy resins to form the outer coats, which all real surfboards are made from.

There are three main types of surfboard, the Malibu or long board, the mini-mal and the short board. The short board is the most modern, and from its name is shorter than the other two, between 5-6ft in length. They are also narrower and have sharper ends. The long board and mini-mal, both follow the same shaping, just the mini-mal is a smaller version. The long boards can be as much as 13ft, but mini-mals are between 7-10ft. All have good points, the short board is better for tricks, but needs a good strong wave to take off, but the long boards float more and easier to catch waves. In the UK a Long board is best, as only in real winter time do waves get big enough to use a short board to its full potential. All boards are made from the same basic material a special foam core, this is to make it float, and be strong at the same time, and a resin to coat the board to protect core from damage and keep it waterproof. All boards have a strong wooden strip down the centre so as to make it stronger. A leash attaches the board to your leg, so it will not wash away in rough conditions. Surfboards can take a lot of punishment in the water, but are by no means indestructible. Dings or small damages need to be fixed soon, or the board will absorb water and will not float. Look after your board out of the sea, they are very fragile.

A good surfboard will cost around £150-£300, so are quite expensive. Add to this a wetsuit which is a must for the UK at £70, and all other accessories like boots, gloves, board bag, repairs, someway of transporting the board and so on it all adds up. However if all the equipment is looked after well it lasts a long time. You can also pick up a lot of the stuff second hand, check if it's in good condition, and it can save a lot of money. Also the sell back rate is good, so if you want to change from a long to a short board, you will get a good price on your old things.

For me the North Devon coast is where I learnt to surf, and have stayed ther, mostly due to me having no transport. I surf at two great beaches in North Devon, Croyde Bay and Putsborough, both just outside Barnstaple. Cornwall also has great surf spots, I’m no expert. Parts of Wales, and West coast of Ireland are good UK surf spots. France and Portugal have good European places. All these face the Atlantic Ocean, so the waves travel 2000 miles before hitting land. All this time called the fetch of waves result in big waves hitting the west coast of Europe. Wintertime is best to go surfing in the UK, the waves are bigger, but the water colder. Outside Europe, the more famous spots like Australia, Hawaii, California, South Africa and Indonesia are fantastic waves to catch. I have surfed Newquay, but found it too commercial. In the water there are certain etiquette, such as you move off if someone has a good run, or give way to others on the same way. Actually sounds pretty sensible to me. Generally all people are very friendly, and talk and give each other helpful advice to beginners. It’s a great atmosphere.

The aim of surfing is to get the best 'ride' on a wave. You catch a wave by lying chest down on the board facing the beach and paddle with your arms to build up speed. Once on the wave you stand up by pushing with your arms and putting one leg forward. Wax on the board applied by you gives you grip, so you can stand. You turn by putting pressure on one side of the board and the board moves in that direction. The ultimate is to get into a 'barrel', in which the wave completely forms a wall of water around you with you inside. Tricks also include nose walking where you move your feet to the front of the board from the middle where they usually are. Helicopter is where the entire board is rotated 360 degrees, and Arial is where the surfboard leaves the wave momentarily.

So Where to Surf? In the UK there are only a few good places, as the best spots are beaches facing parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, as Atlantic storms blow in from the Caribbean, and the waves have travelled a long was across open water and so have collected lots of power (in other words it has a large fetch). The best places in England are the South-West where I live. North Cornwall and North Devon are the best, although some big swells give good surf on the south coast, right up to Bournemouth. South and West Wales are also good, as is the West coast of Ireland. Scotland can get some waves, but I have never been there, so am going on stories. Outside of the UK, there are the usual places, All around the south and west Australia, East coast USA and California, Brazil, Hawaii, South Africa and in Europe Spain and Portugal, and Brittany France are fairly close to home. In the UK though here is my run down of the best beaches:

North Devon

1. Croyde - Great beach break, but dangerous with rocks and currents, especially at low tide. For more advanced surfers, and does get very crowded.

2. Saunton - A good place to learn, with slow and gentle waves, a large beach so less crowded, but waves are less powerful as they are distributed. Big winds, occasionally onshore.

Cornwall

1. Bude - Lots of beaches and breaks, but popular so get busy with both surfers and tourists. Bit nasty with rocks and currents.

2. Polzeath - Good, easy place to learn, although fills with tourists.

3. Fistral - Most famous of Newquay’s surf spots, and where a lot of international competitions are held. Very busy with loads of advanced surfers, so not a place for beginners, but it did not get its reputation for nothing.

Ireland

1. Slea Head, lots of swell, with great scenery. A place for more advanced surfers; it has nasty rip currents and big waves.

2. Brandon Bay - Long beach, and is good in most conditions, somewhere along its beaches, as of its shape picks up lots of swell.

Wales

1. Several good spots, on the south west coast, but south coast is a bit polluted, with big industry in Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol all in the Bristol Channel. Picks up the same Atlantic swells as the south west of England, and there are some good spots.

Surfing is a fantastic sport. It keeps you fit, as well as being great fun. The feeling when you are hit by a big wave, or get a good ride is impossible to describe, its just amazing. I would really urge anyone going to a place where there is good surf, perhaps on holiday, to give it a go. It is well worth it, you can hire equipment, and great fun. For surfing you can enjoy it on any level, just messing around in the water with a few mates, or competing in the world championships, it is just great fun. Hopefully this opinion has been informative to those that now want to try it.

Croyde - General Information

Croyde is the middle bay as part of a three beach network that runs from Braunton to Illfarcombe on the North Devon coastline, near Barnstaple. All beaches produce great surf, especially in Winter, and along with Cornwall provides some of the best surf in the UK. Croyde is slightly better from a surfing point of view, all three beaches face roughly west, so will catch all the atlantic swells nicely, but Croyde is narrower, so the same power is directed into a smaller area than Saunton or Putsborough. This produces better waves, but all form nice, good quality waves on a good day. Another main advantage is all the beaches face in slightly different directions, so if the wind is coming from the wrong direction and one place gets blown out then one of the other two usually produces something. Croyde can be a dangerous place to go, the beach is very narrow and flanked by sharp rocks on either side. Mixed with some rips and undertows there is a pretty dangerous beach, and there are safer places around. However the beach is well lifeguarded, but just something to bear in mind before releasing the kids unattended.

More general stuff about Croyde: There is a good car park, directly opposite the beach, a nice easy walk, but be warned on the best summer days the park fills up fast so get in early. Also beware that Croyde holds some major surf tournaments, so check with a local, or the tourist office about events and try and plan around these, as again the place fills up fast. There are a few shops, selling drinks, pasties, snacks, and a variety of beach toys, enough for a lunch on the beach. Prices are reasonable, but they do put them up in summer, so if you would prefer bring a cool box. Croyde village is just down the road, and is well worth a look in. There are B+B accommodations, again busy in summer so check in advance. Also the village is nice, though aimed very squarely at tourists, so expect restaurants, coffee houses, beach equipment shops and so on. Nice cream teas, and a very nice ice cream shop get my recommendations, it is a small enough place so walking is very highly recommended, as the traffic is terrible in summer. All the tourist come through one country lane, and hot weather can mean bad tempers, I have warned you. Also all traffic through Barnstaple has to cross over one bridge in town, and most people come up the North Devon link road, which is not dual carriage way all the way, they don’t call Barnstaple the home of the traffic jam for nothing! To get to Croyde, get onto the M5 from wherever you are going, then probably best at getting off at Tiverton junction, then simply all the way across the link road, all signposted for Barnstaple. Accommodation is good, there is the Saunton Sands hotel, and a few nice hotels in Barnstaple itself at the upper end of the scale, and several campsites at the opposite end of the budget. Sorry, I have no real recommendations, I have never stayed there as a local.

Sorry about this being slightly off topic, this opinion was more on surfing in general rather than one specific beach, but I did include as much information on Croyde beach as I though neccisary. It is one of my favourite surf spots, but I was not sure it I should approach it from a surfers angle or a tourists angle. Thanks for reading, feel free to leave comments, questions etc. Chris
 

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