Surfing Waves

I've been to Croyde a couple of times before with friends I no longer see, nice place (prefered Saunton sands round the corner though) didn't seem a very social place though.

I've been in Spain for most of this year, and now I'm back I'm in London, not Bristol and I've lost track of my old surfing mates.

I want to get back into surfing, so I'm gonna head up there on my own, and just enjoy the waves (unless I can convince some current mates to try it)

Anyone know any better spots than Croyde? I hear Newquay's really social and friendly, and more importantly I hear the waves are better...? Whenever I look on Magic seaweed, the surf report seems to be better than Croyde.

The other problem is I'm a beginner, I've only been a couple of times, so I don't wanna get in the way of the Pro's while I'm learning.

I've been told there are one or two places you can surf in the UK....

Stone Fox wrote: been to Croyde a couple of times .... nice place (prefered Saunton sands round the corner though) didn't seem a very social place though.

Not very social in the not-many-pubs sense? Or in the water?
Saunton is a better spot for beginners.

Stone Fox wrote: I hear Newquay's really social and friendly, and more importantly I hear the waves are better...? Whenever I look on Magic seaweed, the surf report seems to be better than Croyde.

Newquay is further west so sometimes catches more swell than north devon, but that doesnt necessarily mean its 'better'. Magic seaweed is a rough and ready guide to what might happen and predicts wave height where the bouys are, not at the beach. There's a bit more to it than that....

Both croyde and newquay are good spots as they have beaches close by facing in several different directions so on any given day you can find one with suitable shelter from the wind/swell and maybe find a nice offshore breeze (well, to a point anyway).

And yes, newquay is very sociable. VERY VERY sociable... too sociable... Its mostly about stag nights and getting laid these days. And it gets very crowded in summer.

As for other spots - there's thousands

Many of them are fairly well known, and people wont tell you about the secret spots (at least not a website). Try...
www.beachwizard.com/country.asp?country=England

Croyde, and the surrounding area, is still one of the best regions in the UK - but you have to be there on the right day.

As for getting in people's way - learn who has right of way on a wave, and dont go to any secret spots just yet, and stay on 'learner friendly' beaches (like saunton) and you'll be fine.

You dont need to go to Cornwall bud...head out on the M4 to the very end....plenty of belting beaches n swells in S.Wales...cant beat it!!!...

i've lived in newquay for the last year and its a nice place to surf. if you're a bit rusty don't worry cos theres nearly always one of the beaches thats small or clean enough for beginners. but also, u can go and stay in pretty much any surf lodge and find folks to surf with or go into town with.very very sociable place. loads of beaches to choose from......... surfs a bit rough at the moment tho...