Off to the U.K.?

[b123]

Hey all,

There's a good chance that I'll be studying abroad in the UK next year for about six months, and what better place to find out some info on a few prospective universities than here? If at all possible, I'd love to get your opinions on the following options that I have (both in terms of the actual place and surf)

(King's College in London isn't really a choice as my school, UCSB, requires that you stay for a year to go there)

University of Bristol
University of Durham
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Kent
University of Leeds
University of Manchester
University of St. Andrews
University of Sussex
University of Warwick
University of York

Cheers (I guess? )

[kitesurfer]

Scotland, the north east,south west and south wales has the better surfing conditions so any uni's in these areas will allow for better access to the surf.

KS

[Real Pol]

St Andrews will have some surf, but is really expensive to live in.
Edinburgh will have surf a short drive away, and a pretty city for the tourists.
Glasgow is a couple of hours drive away from surf, but a great city.

You don't have Aberdeen listed there (Aberdeen University and Robert Gordons University). Aberdeen is situated on a beach which is very surfable.

You're also missing out Wales - Bangor, Swansea, Aberystwyth etc. Plenty surf around there.

The English ones I can't help you with.

What will you be/are you studying?

[b123]

Unfortunately, those are the only options that I really have as far as where my school's program will let me attend. I've been studying psychology and philosophy (not exactly the most practical majors), but I don't really care too much about what courses I take while abroad, I'm mostly just going for the experience/fun of living some place else and getting in a little surf at the same time would be awesome. Thanks for all of the responses so far!

[Real Pol]

Where are you coming from?

[garbarrage]

Unfortunately, those are the only options that I really have as far as where my school's program will let me attend. I've been studying psychology and philosophy (not exactly the most practical majors), but I don't really care too much about what courses I take while abroad, I'm mostly just going for the experience/fun of living some place else and getting in a little surf at the same time would be awesome. Thanks for all of the responses so far!

Checked out Sligo Institute yet.... could be a 10 minute drive from this..

[b123]

Those waves look like so much fun! I'm coming from the University of California, Santa Barbara, which has unfortunately been flat for the past week

[garbarrage]

Been near flat here for the past week or so too. You'll probablt find that here and the UK take a while to get dialled into how it works. Very tide/wind dependent, and to get the best out of it often means having to ditch work/school etc. Read an article in a surf mag a while ago about a few pros from the States on a photo shoot in Ireland being woken at 5am, asking why they were being woken so early. "To get some waves", they were told. "Won't there be waves later?", they asked......

...."Probably not".

You get the idea. Here's a link to a short film to whet your appetite a bit more. Gives a really good idea of what it takes to get good sessions over here. Not just for waves like those 3 lunatics are chasing but it still takes a similar level of milage and bullheadedness to score the best sessions. Really "warts and all" depiction of surfing this side of the Atlantic:

http://www.relentlessenergy.com/films/v ... s-of-three

[billie_morini]

b123.
UCSB has a surfing beach right on the campus!!!! Go round the point and there is another one!!! You won't need any 10 minute drive, you simply need to walk or ride a bicycle to a sandy white beach. Oh, and the co-eds at Devereux (one of the two breaks on campus) will knock you out with their bikinis. Jeez, you have to be forced to stay there for an entire year?! I know many people that once experienced, never ever leave Santa Barbara. I'm kind of new in Santa Barbara, but can tell you one of my favorite breaks is Campus Point (the other on-campus break). Remember this: 1) Winter is surf season here, and 2) summer is flat, but warm & sunny (so you'll see many beach bunnies and, for surf, you'll drive 30 minutes south to Rincon and Ventura County or north 45 minutes to Jalama).

[b123]

Don't get me wrong, I love it here (which is why I'm only leaving for a semester as opposed to a full year)! The past year and a half I've been here, I think I've found that I like Sands the best, it just gets a little too crowded at the point at Campus Point.

[libby]

The University of East Anglia isn't anywhere near "decent" surf really, but it was where I started surfing! My first ever surf was on a trip to Wales with the UEA surf club! Also used to surf around Cromer & East Runton. The Uni was awesome for ecology/environmental science which I studied. Feels like a life time ago now...

But admittedly not the best for surf!

[b123]

For anyone interested, it's looking like it's going to be the University of Manchester. I'm going to be a long ways from the surf, so we'll see how it goes!