Life & Style | Leisure
Surf's up
Grit your teeth, grab your board and remember to keep smiling are the three golden rules of the dedicated UK winter surfer. Kelly Crane recalls her experience.
- By Kelly Crane, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 July 19, 2006
Grit your teeth, grab your board and remember to keep smiling are the three golden rules of the dedicated UK winter surfer.
Yeah, whatever. More like spend eight hours trying to drag yourself into three wetsuits while hopping around an un-surfaced car park, balancing against your car, with a gale-force wind not making life any easier.
"Hey Kel," shouts my friend Alison Methven. "Shall we get boots, gloves and a hoody in this weather?"
"No," I say confidently, but squirming inside. "We'll be fine. What are you a woman or a wimp?"
Two big fat wimps, clearly.
Icy water
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It took us nearly 15 minutes to get blown down Fistral Beach in the general direction of the icy water, but it took almost double that to battle against the gusts to get back to the hire shop and humbly admit that maybe we would be needing those gloves and hats after all.
So okay, I'm not exactly selling the sport, but believe me - it's definitely worth it in the end.
When you've got over the freezing temperatures and you're sitting out there waiting for that big wave, the memories of being so cold your mouth doesn't work become somewhat distant.
And, as I paddled out towards the horizon I stopped and tried to take it all in. The English coastline is truly breathtaking.
Surfer's paradise
It might not be warm and sunny all the time but a British beach has got just as much to offer as any stretch of the Costa Del Sol.
When you visit the UK, as a surfer there is definitely only one place to go ? Newquay.
Ali and I picked up a map, shoved the boards on the roof, threw some clothes in the car and arrived in Newquay, Cornwall, in south-west England, just over two hours and 45 renditions of Surfin' USA later.
We moved into a surf lodge in the heart of the buzzing town as only two ladies could, transforming the place into a scene from a war zone within minutes.
Though basic, surf lodges in and around Newquay, considered the home of surfing in the UK, are perfect for a quick, easy and cheap way to enjoy the weekend.
The surf was less than 15 minutes away and, even though we had our own boards and wetsuits, the hire shops at Fistral, Newquay's famous beach, are open throughout the winter season.
Two hours in freezing cold temperatures, plus way too much exercise for a Saturday afternoon equals a stiff drink and a hearty meal, please.
Haven of activity
It wasn't long before we were back in the car and planning the evening ahead.
It is a well-known fact that Newquay is a haven of activity during the summer months, but the winter still offers a variety of madness with a much more local feel.
After 30 minutes, two karaoke songs and few drinks, Ali and I headed to Skinners, a bar popular with musicians for the local open-mic night.
Cornwall has so much to offer, whether you are visiting the Eden Project, the National Maritime Museum, exploring the distinctive countryside or, like us, are spellbound by the thrill of surfing - it has something for everyone.
Here in Dubai it's a warmer story. Surfers of Dubai wait patiently for the waves and all of them say it's worth it.
The surf may not be as reliable or challenging as the waves at Fistral Beach in Newquay, but at least a rash vest is all you need to wear for the occasion.
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