Where to go in Europe?

[vincent]

Hi there,
I'm an advanced beginner and looking for some tips where could I go at the beginning of 2012 (Feb, March and Arpil) in Europe.
I live in London and happy to fly South of Europe and/or Africa even for a short/long Weekend.
I heard a few good things about Peniche, Fuerteventura, Ericeira, etc... but don't know anything about those places.
I would like to find some spots/beaches where the waves are not huge but not too small tough, where I can rent easily a surfboard, where the locals/food/etc... are nice and easy and where the beaches are not full of coral/rock, if possible!
Thanks for your help!

[travelzomg]

hmmm.. different possibilities...

i think, its all down to what you prefer:
Portugal - Peniche etc: pro: very good surf at this time, consistent, usually a side-way swell so the run long, most are beach breaks, surfboard renting etc is all good,
short travel..
contra: its pretty expensive, its pretty cold in winter (bout 14 - 16°)....
France - Hossegor etc: about the same arguments as for Portugal..
Fuerteventura: pro: very good surf at this time (same swell as in Portugal, just quite some further south) consistent, huge choice of waves and spots, sun and warm
weather and water temp (17 in Feb - 20 in April), cheap acc and food, nice ppl, good surf rental etc...
contra: a bit of travel needed, most breaks are lava reef, need a car (tho rentals are dead cheap), some localizm at certain spots, it can get quite big
sometimes in winter,

[vincent]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. What do you exactly mean by "beach breaks"?
How are the beaches in Portugal and Fuerteventura? Is it proper sand or full of rocks and corals?
Honestly I would rather start on sand rathe than rocks even if it's pretty deep if my stability on the board is a bit wobbly?! LOL
Cheers.

[travelzomg]

beach breaks break onto sandy beaches....
however:
there can allways be rocks in a beach break..
beach breaks can be very dangerous as well, dependent on rips, constellation and swell hight..
(seen somebody break his NSP because the waves smashed down into ankle deep water, crushing the board right down into the sand)

so generally you should look for a good school that knows the breaks around and can take you to one, that fits your lvl of surfing...

and you shouldnt be afraid of reefs with rock or coral... - a 2 meter deep reef break is less dangerous than a 30cm deep beach break.. its just comes down to some basic rules of engagement and some situational awareness...

and concerning the different breaks, just google the places on the net..
even here on SW, you will find a very nice map of surf spots, incl. a lot of information regarding lvl, availability, conditions etc etc..

good luck!

[BB-GLACK]

Hi there,

Personally I wouldn't recommend Fuerteventura for anyone less than good intermediate level, you'd want to be surfing reefs, most good breaks are on the north shore but are all lava rock reef breaks, the 2 main beach breaks on the island are cotillo and la pared, neither really great for beginners in my opinion, the week I was there cotillo was a fast heavy shore break, pretty much closing out all the time, seen lots of broken boards and only a couple of very handy locals doing any good!La pared was a bit friendlier but still not a very good learner beach....Havnt been to portugal but have been to Morocco.., Morocco has great beach breaks and reef breaks for all standards, heaps of options, warm water and sunshine too, thats where I'd be heading if I was you!