[yorkshirewarcry]

I've not surfed much in Devon, but when I climbed at Speke's Mill Mouth, close to Hartland, last year there were loads of folk in the water in the beach below.  Bit of a walk to get down there unless you have a 4x4 I think, but an awesome spot and the surf looked pretty good.

[JamesPullan]

It sounds to me that the are showing absolutely no regard for the "rule of the wave", I don't surf but even I know that if you spot a wave before another surfer, it's your wave and you have rights to it.

I reckon if they turned up individually you wouldn't have had a problem. Whether it was long board snobbery or aggression in numbers is debatable.

[SA Chris]

James, are you referring to my original post from 43 pages ago? If not, not sure of the relevance.

[Falling Down]

guess thats me too fd. Wide i get, tricep? Long?

Sorry CLM just noticed this.

Tricep pressups.. a pushup with hands down by the waist and in against the body. Let me see if I can find a picture..



Long - I do them with my hands in front of my head.

[Paul B]

Long - I do them with my hands in front of my head.

They're hard! Tried them on rings?

[granticus]

Those are the most popular options there are loads of quieter spots inbetween. Granticus may spill the beans on some via PM if he's feeling generous.

JH I may be too late for your trip but given that you are a rank beginner on an 8''6 my advice is this.. Ideally you want offshore or very light winds and a nice knee to waste high wave.

In North Devon..  Better waves for you (ie. mellower waves that will give you a chance to hone your skills without eating sand/rock) will be Saunton Sands (mid to high tide), Woolacombe (mid to high tide), Westward Ho! (low to three quarters) and Putsborough (all through tides mid to high being better).  Puts will be a touch smaller than everywhere else because it's sheltered and you can walk to get away from crowds at all these spots.  Low tide Croyde is best avoided until you are good because it's powerful, fast, shallow (dangerous!) and the locals are agressive or is that competative?

In North Cornwall.. Mellower waves are Polzeath, Summerleaze, Widemouth..  Quieter spots can be found North of Bude ie. Sandymouth, Northcott, Duckpool.. but can only be surfed around low-tide (due to rocks and cliffs at high-tide), they also tend to be heavier waves than the above mentioned.  Harlyn is off-shore in a Southerly/ South Westerly (west is cross) and is a fast wave that tends to close-out,  Constantine (or 'Boobies') again tends to be a heavier wave. 

[granticus]

I've not surfed much in Devon, but when I climbed at THAT PLACE, close to Hartland, last year there were loads of folk in the water in the beach below.

  It is a reef break, waves break over jagged rock fins, it also very localised and not the sort of place to rock up to if your face is not familiar.  Not really what JH is after and not really a place to shout about

[Falling Down]

Long - I do them with my hands in front of my head.

They're hard! Tried them on rings?

Never tried rings but I'd like to. 

[john horscroft]

JH I may be too late for your trip but given that you are a rank beginner on an 8''6 my advice is this.. Ideally you want offshore or very light winds and a nice knee to waste high wave.

Thanks granticus!  Not going till the end of the week, so this is great beta.  I'll let you know how beaten up I am when I get back!

[chris05]

Hi guys, got 2 weeks holiday at the end of october, looking for somewhere with reasonable surf and warm weather for the girlfriend. Ideally I would head back to indo but its a long way to go for such a short time (always used to go for a month or two). Thinking about sri lanka but not sure where to head as end of october is right between the recommended times for the main areas; east (a bay) or south west. Has anyone here been especially around this time of the year?

Any other recommendations greatfully received (morocco is out as already been this year)

cheers

[gme]

Stay in Europe. All the main spots will be primetime. France, spain,portugal or the canaries. 3/2 wetsuit at most and proper swells. All depends on how hot your girl wants it.

I never understand surfers leaving europe in the autumn?

[SA Chris]

Hebrides for the warmth!

Well, provided you have a nice fire.

[chris05]

Personally I'd head for the hebrides but I think she's keen for tropics, although she did seem ok with the idea of portugal. I need to get a girlfriend who surfs!

[SA Chris]

Or just teach the one you have?

[chris05]

tried that a few times... think her fear of water held her back..

[SA Chris]

Upgrade time then

[gme]

Never get a girlfriend who surfs, or teach the one you have. Same goes for climbing.
Half the fun is getting away with the lads.
What you want is to get her into some other sport or pastime that takes up loads of her spare weekends and holidays. She will never then want to go away with you meaning you could goto the hebs.

Also you can surf all day long without having to pretend your enjoying all the la de da bullshit that they want to do when really you just want to eat, drink ,watch the surf then get back in.

[chris05]

hmm...so now i need somewhere with good surf and hot (or not) girls who like bouldering and surfing... you're not making things any easier..

[granticus]

Personally I'd head for the hebrides but I think she's keen for tropics, although she did seem ok with the idea of portugal. I need to get a girlfriend who surfs!

Canaries would be a good compromise... went to Lanza for the first time this year and had an epic time.. (See earlier in
this thread)..

Don't get a girlfriend who surfs or try to teach yours to surf, this is a recipe for arguments galour.  She can sunbathe
whilst you surf and you won't have to 'look after' someone in the line up.  Leaving you to enjoy your selfish rights or lefts
free from the hassle (at least from the missus that is).  Seriously, time apart is healthy and you don't need to surf all day.
You do your thing, she does hers and you do something together at another point in the day, simples.  

[chris05]

Personally I'd head for the hebrides but I think she's keen for tropics, although she did seem ok with the idea of portugal. I need to get a girlfriend who surfs!

Canaries would be a good compromise... went to Lanza for the first time this year and had an epic time.. (See earlier in
this thread)..

Don't get a girlfriend who surfs or try to teach yours to surf, this is a recipe for arguments galour.  She can sunbathe
whilst you surf and you won't have to 'look after' someone in the line up.  Leaving you to enjoy your selfish rights or lefts
free from the hassle (at least from the missus that is).  Seriously, time apart is healthy and you don't need to surf all day.
You do your thing, she does hers and you do something together at another point in the day, simples.

Thats our usual plan and it works nicely, hence it has to be warm for her. Had seen your comments regarding lanza, does sound good, its having to hire a car which makes the canaries or portugal end up costing the same as heading further.

I'm pretty crap at surfing (basic turns only!) and got the impression that there are few inbetween options in the canaries, either beach breaks or serious shallow reefs? i'm quite happy on reefs if the surf or the crowd isn't too large.

[clm]

madagascar? No idea if its the right season. Just looks nice.

[Falling Down]

I've heard it's as sharky as fook. 

[granticus]

I'm pretty crap at surfing (basic turns only!) and got the impression that there are few inbetween options in the canaries, either beach breaks or serious shallow reefs? i'm quite happy on reefs if the surf or the crowd isn't too large.

Not all the reefs are seriously shallow on Lanza but there is definitely a crowd/locals factor.  Spain, SW France or Portugal sound like the goer.  Sri Lanka's supposed to be awesome mind.. looks like it pumps at A Bay in October with morning offshores.. and plenty of long mellow sandy points, yum yum.. http://magicseaweed.com/spot-monthly-overview.php?spotId=562&month=10 

Failing that you could come and spend some of your hard earned in the SW Uk...

[SA Chris]

I've heard it's as sharky as fook. 

Yup heard similar.

[chris05]

I'm pretty crap at surfing (basic turns only!) and got the impression that there are few inbetween options in the canaries, either beach breaks or serious shallow reefs? i'm quite happy on reefs if the surf or the crowd isn't too large.

Not all the reefs are seriously shallow on Lanza but there is definitely a crowd/locals factor.  Spain, SW France or Portugal sound like the goer.  Sri Lanka's supposed to be awesome mind.. looks like it pumps at A Bay in October with morning offshores.. and plenty of long mellow sandy points, yum yum.. http://magicseaweed.com/spot-monthly-overview.php?spotId=562&month=10 

Failing that you could come and spend some of your hard earned in the SW Uk...

cheers for the link, thats just what I was looking for. Wasn't aware of that option on magic seaweed, very useful.

Cheers for all the ideas, I think suggesting sri lanka early on in the negotiations was a mistake as the weather, elephants etc have made all other options less attractive. Will try some of the others next year.