Twitter is an excellent tool for getting rapid answers. Almost instantly you receive answers and opinions from a broad range of people, such as here when I asked for recommendations for surfing spots close to London. Twitter is mostly used for time wasting and pointless irrelevance. But it can be very useful. I decided to write this blog post as an example of how Twitter can be used effectively for tapping into a wide knowledge base. Thanks for all your help here!
- manupatree: Croyde north Devon always quite handy, a few spots directly south of London only work in winter though…
- mike_1727: depends on the weather. Brighton can get waves else Ise of Wight and Westwards to N Devon/Cornwall.
- unklejesse: Beadnell Bay was roaring today… tho I hear Cornwall is the place for the UK!
- Jonasphips: had a good surf next to broadstairs around joss bay a while ago
- vids76: try east wittering, when the swell comes up the channel this place can hold a small wave
- PaulBanyard12: Scarborough al you will love it, hundreds of powerangers out on both coast today.
- loftyj: hi. This might help http://www.surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=579
- mearo: discounting the witterings probably Bournemouth or kimmeridge bay. But nothing gets close to cornwall really!
- KiteGreenland11: Have fun! How about Gwithian in Cornwall #heaven tho nothing beats Bantham on a good day #doubleheaven
- erm___: I’mve heard rumor of long bording in Norfolk…not exactly london local. Good luck! Perhaps @gringreen knows of somewhere?
- JayNeale: Gower is awesome – off to Llangennith in a couple of weeks to surf myself!
- Rumathie: Cork? Haha no only because I’mm Irish…prob try Bournemouth or Nrth Devon….
- KiteGreenland11: Croyde or Saunton (North Devon), Gower (Wales). Bantham (our local) in South Devon when it’s on. Forget anything further east.
- FrancisColledge: look up the surf forecast on magicseaweed.com and go! All dependant on that!
- CliveAndrews: There are a couple of spots near Brighton – by the marina and the power station.
- averylongwalk: south Wales – gower or if there is a swell Bournemouth, otherwise north devon. I’mve got surfboards. Let me know
- Janine_B_Lewis: www.thesurfreef.co.uk boscombe, Bournemouth?
- Kev_Shannon: I’mm sure if you really tried you might be able to surf the thames!
What a fantastic list! Cheers mate – I am stuck at my desk in Hammersmith and wish I was out joinging you surfing. Lucky bugger!
Glad Croyde is on there – wicked breaks man!
What I love the most about your website is the daily variety. How the hell do you think of so many quality posts? Keep it up. I’ve “donated you a coffee” to say thanks for this list.
Hels
Here’s a few more (nicked from the Guardian website)
Here are ten of the best options for some autumn surf action.
BEGINNERS
1. Watergate Bay, Cornwall
Watergate Bay has two miles of beach at low tide, so if it’s crowded in Newquay this is a good option – although it does get busy towards high tide. The Xtreme Academy teaches surfing here, along with various other so-called “extreme” sports, and beach cafes include Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall.
Surf board: The very contemporary Watergate Bay Hotel is as surfer-friendly as it gets – you can even walk from room to beach in your wetsuit.
2. Saltburn, Cleveland, north-east England
Saltburn is one of the original centres of the north-east surf scene and the locals are friendly despite the busy waves. Good beginner waves can be found either side of the pier. The guys at Saltburn Surf Shop above the beach can provide everything from lessons and hire to advice and new boards, and after thrashing around in the cold North Sea there’s the option of great coffee and smoothies at Camfield’s Coffee Bar, or beer and pub meals at The Ship, both right above the beach.
Surf board: The Spa Hotel overlooks the beach and is also within easy reach of the pleasant town centre.
3. Pease Bay, Borders, Scotland
One of the centres of the burgeoning Scottish surf scene and thus one of the most popular breaks in Scotland, with a good beach break and a more challenging reef for better wave riders. As local surf school owner Sam Christopherson says, “Surfing in the south-east of Scotland has seen a huge explosion in numbers … everyone is just enjoying the ocean!”
Surf board: The St Vedas Hotel at nearby Coldingham offers surfer-friendly accommodation, surf shop, surf hire and lessons.
4. Llangennith, Gower, Wales
Possibly the most popular surf spot in Wales, with beach breaks all the way along its three-mile length. It’s always crowded when there’s a good swell running, but if you’re prepared to walk along the beach you should be able to find less busy peaks. Once the waves get bigger the paddle out through line after line of white water can be exhausting though, and you’ll also need to watch out for rips.
Surf board: Hillend Caravan Park (+44 (0)1792 386204, open until Oct 31) has a good range of facilities and is right above the beach. The Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School also has a list of recommended local accommodation.
INTERMEDIATES
5. Sennen Cove, Cornwall
One of the most consistent breaks in Britain on account of its exposed location, Sennen can hold good-sized waves and may have surf when everywhere else is flat. Local longboarder and former European champion Sam Bleakley says, “After periods of either flat surf or east winds, the sand banks can get good – pulse in a four-foot swell with a 10-second-plus wave period and the breaks come alive.”
Facilities include a great beach café, surf school, changing rooms, pubs and hotels all within easy reach of the beach – see sennenbeach.com.
Surf board: Good value dorm accommodation is available at Whitesands Lodge on top of the steep hill above the beach.
6. Bantham/Bigbury, Devon
Picks up more swell than any other south Devon beach and has a variety of peaks depending on the stage of the tide, and as Martin Connolly of the local Discovery Surf School says, “South Devon has a more mellow scene than the north coast and Cornwall … and localism isn’t really a problem”.
You can get some long rides here, especially on a longboard, but watch out for the rip on the east side of the beach. The Venus Café, above the beach at Bigbury, does great après surf organic fodder, and you just have to take the famous “sea tractor” over to Burgh Island for a pint in the 13th-century Pilchard Inn.
Surf board: Hillcrest B&B (+44 (0)1548 810706) in Bigbury has excellent coastal views and great breakfasts, and offers packages with Discovery Surf School.
7. Bournemouth, England
Bournemouth surf ain’t big but it’s surfers are clever, securing for themselves an artificial reef break in a place that rarely ever gets decent waves. When it “opens” in the near future it should improve the quality of the otherwise generally dismal surf here, but it’s bound to be crowded – hence it coming under the intermediate category as novices will struggle to catch waves. If the crowds are just too much you may find similar quality surf at Branksome, Canford Cliffs, or Sandbanks.
Surf board: Hotels and B&Bs are in massive supply (go to bournemouth.co.uk) and there’s also Bournemouth Backpackers if you’re on a budget.
8. Porth Neigwl/Hell’s Mouth, Gwynedd, Wales
The best-known surf spot in north Wales, Hell’s Mouth is an impressive four-mile long bay with peaks along its length on a good swell. The better waves tend to be beneath the cliffs at the south-east end of the bay, and it will be crowded on good swells. As local surf legend ‘Spout’ of nearby West Coast Surf Shop says, “The north Wales coast road now fills up with board-topped cars streaming west at the first hint of swell.” That said you can avoid the worst of the crowds if you’re prepared to walk along the beach for a wave.
Surf board: Tanrallt is just one mile from Hell’s mouth and has a luxury bunkhouse for £15pp/pn and a camping and caravan park. Also recommended is Nant-y-Big Campsite (+44 (0)1758 712686) above nearby Porth Ceriad beach (only open until end of October).
EXPERTS
9. Thurso East, Scotland
One of the best waves in Europe – simple as that. Thurso East is a right-hand reef break over a flat, kelp-covered rock shelf, best on a big north-west swell when it may hold surfable waves of triple overhead and more. The break’s reputation means that it’ll always be busy on a good swell, so treat the locals with respect and take your turn.
Surf board: One popular surfer choice is Sandra’s Backpackers, which offers free breakfasts.
10. Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire
Fresh is a huge beach with peaks all along its length so you can usually find a wave to yourself. The main beach produces some powerful and often quite large peaks, plus there are a couple of other good breaks in the small bays to the south. There’s also one of the heaviest, scariest reef breaks in Wales in the general area …
Note that there’s an army firing range above the beach to the south of Freshwater West and if caught surfing here without permission you may face prosecution and/or detonation.
Didn’t thank my comment would make on the site!
It nearly didn’t! ;-)
Check out the London Surfers meetup for the largest group of landlocked surfers in the world. Its a great community of people looking to get away from the big smoke, learn to surf and meet new people. They have regular social events in London as well as UK and overseas surf trips. Its all free too!
Just a heads up, European/African coasts are often better connected to London then English ones! If you’re near the trains and can get to Gatwick/Stansted in good time then a flight to Biarritz is just over an hour. Spain, Portugal and then down to Morocco (just under 4 hours – as good as a drive to devon or a little quicker then hitting Cornwall) are all available. Budget airline flights are often competitive in comparison to train fairs or petrol if you’re solo.