Surfing in Britain

It has been a cracker of a weekend here in London. It has been bliss in the warm, all day sunshine. Let’s hope it will be one of the hottest summer’s ever recorded as has been forecast.

It was awesome to pick up a free copy of TNT magazine at a tube station and to see the cover story was on surfing in Britain. Check out Catching Waves, Hit The Surf in Britain. It is a really well written story with helpful advice on where and when to go surfing.

I envy those who have close access to the beach.

Happy surfing!

Wipe outs

Hello from the United Kingdom! After two long flights I finally made it to old London town.

I had to laugh when I looked at my blog on arrival to see I had been ripped off by another blogger. I don’t care if my blog does suck. It is mine so I can do what I want. I think that dude needs to chill out. I don’t care that I am a bad surfer. I admit I am not great but at least I give it a go.

Anyway, to get over my jet lag I have been checking out some wipe out videos on YouTube.

I liked Jaws Wipeout as the sound is awesome even if it has been added later. It is a pretty big wave.

I also liked the following video courtesy of Deep Water Film. You do wonder what the consequence of this high speed wipe out was.

In Surviving A Big Wipe Out video by Disovery Earth, big wave surfer Garrett “G-Mac” McNamara claims he enjoys wiping out on giant waves in deep water. That is just crazy! He talks about arms being only held on by the skin after a wipe out …. haha, madness.

Finally the Style Evolution Wipeout Project video captures old wipe outs. No doubt these will long continue into the future.

Happy surfing everyone! Enjoy those waves.

Surf, surf you have gone away. Please come back another day!

Today, I went surfing with a mate out at Waimari Beach, Christchurch. Unfortunately, the waves weren’t great. They were small and really choppy meaning there wasn't a lot of opportunities to stand. The poor conditions explained why there were only a couple of surfers out there. The few good waves were again breaking really close to shore so you had to be careful when abandoning your board in the shallow water as you could easily injure yourself when you hit the ocean floor. It was still a couple of hours of good fun. What better way is there to spend a Saturday evening? The small waves definitely suited longboarding.


It was cool to see a mum and her older daughter out having a go. Mum was boogie boarding and her daughter was surfing. They appeared to be having fun too. It made me think how awesome it would be to have come from a surfing family. I wish others in my family surfed. Other than us beginners floundering in these poor waves there were no other surfers. Hopefully, the surf will improve in the next couple of weeks, especially before summer disappears. Even, in these mild conditions, it amazes me how tiring surfing is on your body. I felt so sleepy once home. Also, it wasn’t great rolling my ankle when I came off my board. Hmm, I really am a bad surfer.

How do you get your board to the beach?

Every time I go on a surfing session getting my board to the beach is never easy. In fact, it is a nightmare getting a 9’2” longboard into a Mazda 323 sedan. You almost need to be a magician. I have to gently prize the board through the boot over the folded down backseat and then over the folded back front passenger seat. The end result is a snugly fit board with its nose pressed up against the windscreen. Thank God, I haven't had to slam on my brakes for any reason yet. If you hear of a flying surfboard after a nose to tail at a set of traffic lights, you will know it will be me ... hehe.

This drama makes me think how great it would be to own a bigger car or a van, especially an iconic VW. Unfortunately, the retro VW vans are expensive. They have become cultural icons, particularly among surfers. Tidy ones are few and far between, rare as hens teeth. A cheaper alternative for me would be buying a roof rack. Then again, a van would also make changing in and out of my wetsuit a lot easier. It would also be great for a surfing road trip and living rough for a few days or weeks. Think of the camping stuff you could store in a van. I am beginning to sound all hippie. I would be interested to know what method of transport you guys use for getting your boards to the beach.

Mother Nature - If you respect her will she look after you?

No surfer can deny that a delight of surfing is becoming part of nature. There is something really special about being out in the ocean on your board. Surfing can be a real stress reliever and a time to unwind from life's chaos. Alternatively, it can be an absolute adrenalin rush for those who like to surf big waves. I guess there is a different mindset between long boarders and big wave surfers. You are lucky if you can ace both surfing styles.

I saw this quote by the legendary Kelly Slater ~

"Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets.”

I think Slater’s quote illustrates what a great surfer he is. He becomes part of the wave. Clearly, it is important to respect Mother Nature and you just hope she will return the favour and not punish you … hehe. I learnt this the hard way with a gashed head and a sprained neck. All joking aside it is important to know your skill level.

The great thing about surfing is the respect for nature doesn’t just end in the water with the waves. There is the beach itself, marine life and often spectacular sunrises and sunsets to appreciate. I think a lot of surfers acknowledge this by becoming avid environmentalists and photographers. Clearly, there is a case to argued for surfing to be recognised as a religion.

Short boarding tips / help

As you know I am a poor surfer even on a long board therefore I was horrendously bad on my new short board. I clearly made the transition to a short board too fast. Despite this I am going to persist with both boards. Ideally, I will one day be able to perform the graceful art of long boarding and also the modern tricks of short boarding.

I did some research on how to be a better short boarder. Here are some tips which will hopefully help me and others who may also be learning:

1. Practice, practice and practice! Surf as often as possible. Clearly, I need to get my ass off surfing the internet and on to the waves. Catch as many waves as you can and don't beat yourself up or worry too much about your mistakes. Good things take time.

2. Fitness is important – both upper body muscles and legs. This is required for paddling power and getting to your feet. I need to definitely improve on my fitness.

3. Although, a bit embarrassing it is not a bad idea to practice the standing up position out of the water. Lie in a paddle like position then push up and spring your legs under into the standing stance.

4. Balance is important so when in the water practice lying flat and sitting up on your board. Also practice swinging around 180 degrees pulling yourself into position ready for the incoming wave. Being able to accelerate quickly into position is essential so also practice short / fast paddling.

5. Put your chin up and look where you are going, not at your feet. Have your arms out stretched a bit, your knees bent a little and stay calm and focused.

6. Learn to read the waves and understand how it is going to wall, section or fat out. I am still learning to master this skill.

Hope this is some help. Happy surfing everyone.

Greetings everyone!

Right, let's do this! This blog is all about surfing . As you may gather from its title I am a really, really bad surfer. In just a few months I have had a sprained neck, gashed head and a countless number of bruises. However, I love the sport / hobby. As long as you are having fun who cares how good or bad you are. I am a Kiwi and have been surfing for a couple of years now. My local beaches are New Brighton, North Beach & Waimari in Christchurch, New Zealand.

This blog is for everyone - the global surfing community, beginners to advanced, short and long boarders. Everything surfing and surfing related will be discussed. Please feel free to contribute and offer advice to this poor surfer. Enjoy the waves, Brendon