My desk is SO boring after a week's surfing...

[beachcomber]

Tired of spending my holidays watching other people on boards, so this year I threw caution to the wind, bought a board, had a lesson and am now completely addicted!

According to the instructor at Perranporth, I should be sticking to a softboard for the forseeable future, but whoops - too late - I'd already picked up a second hand Graeme Bunt Local Hero 7'8" mini-mal

Anyway, after the lesson, I went straight down to Praa Sands the next day and caught two hours worth of waves on it and it felt much nicer than the softboard and no more difficult - if anything it was easier! It felt so good that I went the next day and did it all over again...

Holiday over and I've spent the first day back in the office doing b*gger all apart from looking at surf sites (including stumbling across this little gem) and planning another trip in the next couple of weeks. Can't wait. Martin

[Kabazz]

Yup, you've been bitten by the surfing bug!

[BoarderDave]

haha yep.. This is when the online resource of surf photography and videos will come in handy. Gotta keep that stoke alive throughout the week until you get yourself back into the water. Good luck.

[esonscar]

Congratulations – you have entered a world of stoke and fitness.

I love surfing because you can either be mellow and chill in the line up, or let all the tension out and rip like a seal being chased by an Orca.

Glad the lessons were good.

If you want any advice on progression I’m sure someone here will help ( or give me a shout - I'm not a business sooizallfreeazzistanceTM ).

I'm going for beach lifeguard and surf instructor certificates over the winter so I can give surf lessons here in Wales sooooon.

[thaya]

YAY! you're hooked! Which instructor did you have at Perranporth? Just wondered cuz I'm friends with a guy who runs one of the surf schools there. A 7'8 funboard will be great to learn on... you did the right thing All you need to do now is plan your next trip back! Welcome to the forum too!

[phillwilson]

hello and welcome beachcomber,

So good to have so much enthusiasm on the list.

indeed it is an addictive thing that we do.

i just had four days of surfing everyday and now im back at my job chomping at the bit to go out again.

i think it can be scientifically proven that suring affects productiity, before i started ebay was the only thing i wasted office time on...now theres this forum, magic seaweed, local forecasts, ringing up mates for surf check....its a wonder i still have a job!!

keep the stoke and if you reach and snags, read my newbies guide for newbies over on surf lessons...it might have a few of my trails and errors that you may also encounter.

[beachcomber]

Thanks for the comments guys - the one nice thing about finding this forum is that there are so many levels of experience displayed by the users that I don't feel intimidated!

Thaya - I used the guys at Freeride surf school at Perranporth. As I haven't had any lessons before I can't really judge if they were the best but they were really chilled and amazingly friendly so we got on great which probably helped.

Just wish I lived near a beach now so that I could go every day, but I'm guessing that there are a lot of you thinking the same thing on here

[thaya]

Thaya - I used the guys at Freeride surf school at Perranporth. As I haven't had any lessons before I can't really judge if they were the best but they were really chilled and amazingly friendly so we got on great which probably helped.

Yay! The guy I was refering to was Sam - he runs that school. He's so lovely, as is Gaz and the other guys who work there. I bet you had a great time! They know their stuff too. Sam has a degree in surf science (or some such thing). They helped me out once when I needed first aid and I've kept in touch with them ever since! If you ever go back, say Hi from me! Infact, I think I might give Sam a call as I haven't spoken to him since July.

Keep up the stoke

[beachcomber]

Yep, it was Gaz who gave me the lesson but Sam who I organised it all through. Top guys!

[esonscar]

Beachcomber :

(Monday - Tuesday : Gower beaches)

Yesterday a lifeguard legged it over to a little girl who might have been swept into the ocean if any set wash came up the beach; she was playing on the rocks right where the advancing tide was rampaging up to [I was high on the cliffs] – nice one Mr lifeguard, nice one.

Today the surf was pumping in. Lots of surfers getting a drilling in the barreling shore break, and heavy doubleish overheads out the back.

There was a log jam (a group of long boarders) at one break which turned into Beaver feed – they were just sitting there as the swell went as quickly as it arrived.

The learner beaches were going off too with some good rides to be had.

Heh, just thought I’d let you know some of what you missed !!!!!! (Dam I hate this market research stuff !) .

ANYWAY, go swimming to improve your water fitness – then you can stay in longer before you are knackered .

[beachcomber]

Guess I've got it bad: going to make the four hour trek to Widemouth on Sunday morning for a few hour's surfing and then come home again. Wahey! Something to look forward to!

[esonscar]

You may already have this link - but if you haven't, you'll be verrry glad of this live Widemouth webcam ...

http://livesurfcams.co.uk/index.php/SurfCams/Widemouth

[beachcomber]

Thanks - been looking at that for the last few days! Can't wait for the weekend!

[RWhit]

"beachcomber"....haha that's awesome. That's the street that leads to A-Beach in Morro Bay where I surf. Thought I recognized that name.

[beachcomber]

Cool - I grew up on the south coast in the UK near the sea and our Sunday evenings were spent as kids walking along the beach seeing what we could find - interesting bits of driftwood and stuff. I think that's where I came up with the name from!