Is there surf in England? That’s a question I hear at least three times a week as a surf instructor in Huntington Beach. I always start my lessons with a quick background of my experience in all things ocean, with the hope of putting my often nervous first time wave sliders at ease.
There’s always a few every week who can’t quite grasp the fact that the human charged with keeping them safe in the roaring Pacific waters comes from the land of tea, pubs, rain and Queen Elizabeth. Surely they don’t surf in England, do they?
England has a rich surf culture dating back as far as 1929. The Brits have their own surfing magazines, brands, wetsuits, shapers and surfing museums. So why does English surfing fall so far under the radar? Ireland has become a bonafide big wave spot and a legitimate wave hunting destination. Scotland also has its fair share of media coverage and visiting pros, and Wales has a damn wavepool. But what about England? Why do I get so many surprised looks when I proudly admit growing up surfing in the Land of Saints? Not just from nervous looking first timers either. Seasoned and salty surf dogs also have a slightly puzzled look when they hear where I’m from. My home is well and truly overlooked when it comes to the modern day surf traveler.
So, should the UK be your next surf trip? I can definitely think of better surfing destinations but I can also think of a lot worse. What legitimizes a good surfing destination? One would think good waves of course, and England does have those, just without much consistency. Unfortunately it seems that the modern media driven surf traveler doesn’t view a spot as legitimate unless he see’s his favorite pro hacking the place to bits on the front cover of a magazine. Would it help persuade you that England is worth a trip if I told you that Tom Curren loves a bit of English breakfast before riding Cornwalls green Atlantic walls. Kelly slater even mentions competing as a kid in Newquay in his autobiography Pipe Dreams. Yes, there are plenty of pros who have visited Blighty and enjoyed the trip.
Heck, some of them even went back.
