Q: What's the best guide to European spots? A: I think you mean the "STORMRIDER GUIDE: EUROPE", from Low Pressure Publishing: a generally top book - cannot recommend highly enough (but descriptions in English, French + Spanish, no German) Address is: Low Pressure Publishing Ltd. Unit 33, Pall Mall Deposit 124 Barlby Road London W10 6BL e-mail: lowpressure@mail.bogo.co.uk As for other guides, where do you want to go? There was an excellent RSA guide out a few years ago, but it's out of print, so if anyone can (a) remember the name (b) point me to a copy in London, my thanks eternal.
Another great resource for travelers in the UK is TNT magazine, which caters to Kiwis and Aussies in London for working holidays. The magazine is available at many pubs and also online, at www.tntmag.co.uk
If you're buying a van in the United Kingdom and need reasonable short-term auto insurance for the continental tour, try www.downunderinsurance.co.uk . For breakdown insurance try the AA or RAC. The Royal Automobile Club seems to have the best deals, with full breakdown cover -- i.e., rental cars, cost of repairs and repatriation -- for 3 months on the continent an abt. $200 US.
From: skemp@cs.strath.ac.uk (Simon Kemp TBS95) Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: Surfing trip in British Isles.
Date: 11 Dec 1996
Organization: Computer Science Dept. Strathclyde University, Glasgow,
Scotland |> Or somewhere accessible from Prestwick in Scotland.
There isn't really anywhere that you can get a wave near Prestwick.
The nearest spots are on the east coast around a hundred miles away,
or at Machrihanish on the west coast on Kintyre closer to two hundred
miles away. Unfortunately the Ayrshire coast where you will be landing
is sheltered by Kintyre, and swell doesn't get through. |> then.
and I need to be able to rent gear. There are two places in Glasgow
to do this. Mach on Argyll Street, or Clan Skates in Partick will
do you a reasonable deal. There is also a Mach in Edinburgh if you
happen to be over there. I think Mach might now be called Boardwise
now though. Give Big G a call on 0336 406 861 for an accurate forecast.
He's rarely wrong.
From: deirdre@maths.tcd.ie (Deirdre Anne Kelly) Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: RE:Surfin Irish Style
Date: 6 Feb 1997
OK....peoples have been askin me whether there is any surf spots where yuo can get a pint of the black stuff fairly smartly after.. Well, where I tend to frequent there are two pubs who pull an excellent pint about 2 mins meander straight from the beach. The place is Keel Village, Achill Island , Co.Mayo. The waves can get pretty powerful, but dump a bit . When the wind blows westerly though it can be really nice. Dont expect 20 ft walls of water.....but for good craic and some nice surfing it can be great. = D xxo
From: zpjames@unl.ac.uk Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Surfing in Scotland and Spain Date: 1 Apr 1997 11:16:10 GMT >Could anyone give me information about breaks in Scotland and Spain. I have the surf report but local info is always nice. I here Thurso in Scotland gets some waves. Does anyone know where Thors river is? > >Joe >surferx@ricochet.net I've put a guide to some of the Scottish breaks on the London Surf Club web pages: http://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/guides/scotland/scotland.htm James London Surf Club Someone 'mailed me with a request for places to surf in the South East corner of England. I've lost their address, so I hope that they look in here: The London Surf Club's Guide To The South East. compiled by James Sitch (j.sitch@unl.ac.uk) . 1.Folkstone - beach break, S or W wind. 2.Joss Bay - beach break with reef at either end, N wind. Slow at high tide. 3.Hastings - short wave (but tubing - or so our ex-president says) wave running down the side of a stone wall. The pier can also be surfed. 4.Jury's Gap near Camber Sands. Mid to high tide. James London Surf Club http://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/lsc.html
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Message-ID: <409@big-g.win-uk.net> References: <836470660.15241.0@swarb.demon.co.uk> From: graham@big-g.win-uk.net (Graham Harrop) Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 07:47:09 GMT Subject: Re: North of england >Where can I lern to surf in the north of england? >where is the best place to surf on the north's coasts? Hi Matt, Which side are you ? Anywhere west of Manchester, I'd recommend N Wales (Hells Mouth is a good start, and not the scary place the name implies). Further east, head up to the Yorkshire coast. Scarborough and Saltburn are the most popular areas, both having surfboard & wetsuit hire, and tuition. Gratuitous plug > And don't forget to phone Big G's for the forecast - N Wales and NE England are fickle, to say the least > End of Gratuitous plug. I won't post the numbers, that would be too much. You're about to venture into the coolest sport/ way of life/ fun. Cheers, Graham Big G. graham@big-g.win-uk.net PS - Look out for posts from Andy Marr on this newsgroup - He does a mailing list surf report for Sandsend, N Yorks.
Newsgroups: alt.surfing From: graham@big-g.win-uk.net (Graham Harrop) Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 08:08:46 GMT Subject: Re: Guide to Surfing the UK? Hi George, I think what you're after is called just that. Lots of UK surf shops stock it, or you could probably order it direct from the BSA (British Surfing Association) on (01736) 60250. Cheers, Graham Big G. graham@big-g.win-uk.net George Browne writes: >A friend of mine, who owns a surf shop, will be in the UK this >fall. He is looking for a book that he saw advertised in an >English surfing mag. The book is a guide to surfing England, >Ireland, Scotland and Wales. He doesn't remember the name of the >book, but if I get the name for him, he has friends in England >who can get a copy for him. >Do anyone have any knowledge of such a book? >Any info will be appreciated. >Thanks, >George
From: robt2@ix.netcom.com(Rob(t.) Brannan) Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Severn bore record goes again Date: 31 Aug 1996 23:59:34 GMT In <50968v$92n@bignews.shef.ac.uk> mb1nr@sunc.sheffield.ac.uk (N Rhodes) writes: > >From yesterday's Times: > >"A man aged 50 has retaken the record for surfing the Severn bore. >Dave Lawson, of Gloucester, surfed up river on the morning tide >yesterday for 5.7 miles, a fifth of a mile longer than new record >set by a friend, Steve King, earlier this year." > >Nice to see the youngsters still ripping it up. > >Nick > I'd like to know how long his board was?
Subject: Re: Severn bore record goes again Date: 2 Sep 1996 23:12:39
GMT In article <50d4eb$5re@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, mickjevans@aol.com
says... > I rode the Severn Bore twice in the early 70's for a
distance of 4 >miles. > I think it was about 4 ft. > The
wave was green when I caught it, and then softly broke and >reformed
several times. As I approached Maisemore weir the wave must have >felt
bottom because it "dumped" hard. >>> Where does
it begin? > I can't remember
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: THE SOUTH COAST OF ENGLAND? Date: 8 Jan 1996 14:20:23 -0800
>Good to hear that there are more Surfers than just me stuck in >Surrey.
And here's an open question to any of 'em: Have you heard of, or seen, a new British surf film? I think it's got the word 'Blue' in the title. A friend of mine in Cambridge mentioned it to me. Said it was being billed as the next "Withnail and I." If anyone out there has heard of it, I'd apprecite a better summary. Fr example, is this an actual surf film like "5 Summer Stories" or the enless summers, or is it some kind of corporate version of the surfing life like "Point Break" was?
jeff
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Surf in U.K and Europe Date:
13 Dec 1995 13:40:58 GMT Organization: University of Newcastle upon
Tyne
> MR SP MOWAT (ecosm@sable.ru.ac.za) wrote: > > Has anyone got any info on where to surf, what the conditions are like and > > what the crowds are like in the U.K and Europe
There is surf all over Europe from Morrocco to Norway. The main surfing nations are France , UK , Spain , Portugal and Ireland. France as Hundreds of miles of surfable coastline along with Portugal and Ireland. England has less exposed quality surf coastline. The UK surf scene is quite developed. The crowds however are beco,ming a problem in places like Devon and Cornwall (IMHO). But the rest of the country is a lot less crowded , but the surf isn't as good though (Except Scotland , which has no crowds to speak of and very good surf). The surf here is a lot colder than South Africa but not unbearable. It would take too much time to cover all off the rest of Europe. But there is GOOD surf in all of the other countrys mentioned.
If you want more specific info mail me. Mark.Walton@ncl.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Surf in Scotland? Message-ID: <424gjr$i50@fs2.abdn.ac.uk>
From: mmd200@abdn.ac.uk (m.j.rowlands) Date: 31 Aug 1995 14:22:51
GMT Organization: University of Aberdeen, Scotland
Just a quick note to agree with previou#s postings on the surf in Scotland. Aberdeen main beach is pretty good, although there has been precious little surf here for the last 2months due to unseasonably warm weather!!
There are many more breaks around Aberdeen such as Nigg Bay, Fraseburgh, etc The Stormrider guide is a good bet, or try asking at Granite Reef surf shop in Aberdeen, where they are always happy to point you in the right direction.
One other thing, the water is always cold, so bring a decent wetsuit!!
Mark Aberdeen
From: andyb@chemeng.ed.ac.uk (Andy Brazier) Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: Surf in Scotland? Date: 25 Aug 1995 08:56:51 +0100 Organization:
Chemical Engineering Department, Edinburgh University
>I am an Aussie from Lorne, Vico. Could any one tell me about the surf >in North >Scotland. I'm going there in September for five months. What is the surf >like >around Aberdeen and Thurso, where should I go? Does it get very big, like >4-5m?
> >Heard surfing is great in Scotland. Friend of mine at O'Neills in Santa >Cruz has UK and US citizenship so he's spent lot's of time surfing there. >He says Aberdeen has great breaks as well as some places around Inverness. >Try calling 1-805-684-8611 for surf reports there. You can call Elfin at >O'Neills @ 1-408- 475 4151 on Saturdays . _The StormRiders guide is also >great too although it may hard to find in Oz. Good luck!! > Kit
> I think the best locations are Machrihanish (near Cambletown on the Mull of Kintyre), the island of Tiree (get a ferry from Oban), Thurso (as far north as you can go) and Fraserburgh (just north of Aberdeen).
AndyB
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Surf in Northern Scotland Date:
25 Aug 95 10:08:40 Organization: Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores,
CA
I grew up in the very far North of Scotland in county of Caithness. Surfing is a popular and growing sport there - Thurso even has a surf shop now.
There is simply mile upon mile of deserted beaches, rock reefs and harbour areas to surf. Areas I know are Thurso at the river mouth, Dunnet Bay - beach break, Brimms - reef break. Reiss - Beach Break.
They had the european championships there a few years ago. Water is not as cold as you'd expect because the Gulf Stream passes thru the Pentland Firth between Caithness (mainland) and Orkney Isles. It's still pretty much a windswept and chilly place though.
Don't know much about Aberdeen though.
Murray
From: Alex Bubb <100707.1230@compuserve.com> Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: Englands Waves Date: 2 Jan 1996 21:48:36 GMT
Devon and cornwall (Fistral etc) definately have the nicest, most consistent waves,
The Gower in Wales & Pembroke 2nd best.
Thurso in Scotland can be excellent but cold. The south coast can get some swells - Of all the breaks - Bournmouth seems the best at low tide on a SW swell, Brighton occasionally gets it, as does Wittering - but take a long board
Get UK Surfing - its only 2.95 from good surf shops and it lists everything you'll need
From: Nic Down <101346.516@compuserve.com> Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: THE SOUTH COAST OF ENGLAND? Date: 8 Jan 1996 19:32:12
GMT
Alex
Good to hear that there are more Surfers than just me stuck in Surrey. Here is some (not too secret) info:
Brighton - Either side of the old Pier
Shoreham - Near the white tower - Both these two work on incoming tide with strong s-sw winds.
Witterings- East and West - Phone Shore Boards
Bournmouth - Phone 01202 434344 Mon to Sat for Surf info
Kimmeridge - Now that would be telling ????
Good Luck Nic
June 10, 1999
alt.surfing >> Thread: Surf-Cam >>
Author: Wingnut Mc Cubrey
I surf around the NE and NW coast of Ireland. If you've never been
here, well, then you're missing some of the most beautiful, remote,
quiet, spiritual breaks on this planet. I live in Belfast and the
nearest (if somewhat mediocre) break is 65 miles away and a superb
break 100 miles away. I want to find out how i would go about setting
up a Surf-cam. In N. Ireland we have a very small number of resonably
serious surfers, how would the cost pan out and what sort of equipment
would be needed? P. Pretty cool site, looks like get some pretty good
waves in Ireland once in a while. If you ever come down to Oahu give
us an E-mail you'll appreciate the warmth of the water and unreal
surf we'll show you around. Aloha,
Rich Will lottie wrote: > oh - while your sinking guinesses and
riding those fine Irish swells don't > forget a report . . . >
wishing I could buy you one. . if you havn't already been there
Try T-Bay @ > >
From: ric@discoveryinternational.com
(Ric Harwood) Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Ireland Date: Sat,
07 Sep 1996 21:06:35 GMT In alt.surfing, , st000834@hrz1.hrz.th-darmstadt.de
(Dirk Mehm), Dirk Mehm wrote: >In article <322dc9e8.987711259@usenet.pa.dec.com>,
>colinscannell@hotmail.com (Colin Scannell) wrote: >> Does
anyone out there know of Irish Surfing links, where to go, who to
>> contact, etc. etc. >> >> Advance Gratitude, >>
Colin. >Hi Colin, >just look into the european stormrider guide.
There you can find some >spots in ireland, but forget it this year
- the summer in europe was >really bad and water is very cold.
Thanks for the encouragement... {:^( But there's a Plymouth crew heading
over in Oct, ready or not! >Have nive time BFN Ric -- European
Surf forecasts: http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/ PGP public
Key on keyservers &
Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: The D.J.Files #45 Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 Disclaimer : the 'Files are fiction, often bearing a remarkable similarity to reality. The D.J.Files #45 FX...or...Cecil's Session A big Low was spotted mid-week, west of Ireland. Unusually it seems to be moving very slowly, and directly Eastward. Everyone is anticipating surf on the point on the weekend. Saturday: the Low is still moving very slowly. Worst of all, it's sitting just about on top of us. Nowhere is sheltered enough to pick up a decent wave. The channel's a complete mess. And it's raining. A good day for watching sport on the idiot-box. Sunday : There's always hope. So the crew have turned up at the little spot with the shelf-point, know to the locals as LHS. The lines of surf have evened out, but there's a southerly blowing straight onshore. The Low is still right over South Wales. The rain's a bit less today, tho. Just showers. People grab tea/coffee from the little cafe there and hang about chatting. Someone looks around and says, "Hey, look! Whichever way you look, the clouds are moving left." so we all looked and he was right. And just then, as we all spun slowly round, like a bunch of drunken druids, the sky lightened and a blue hole appeared in it. Just like you might expect at the eye of a hurricane. It was probably a couple of kilometers across. The wind had died to nothing over several minutes, just slow enough to sorta sneak up on you. Then someone noted it and everyone turned to look at the sea. Yee-ha!! was the general concensus, and boards, neoprene and wax materialised from vehicles and the 'show was on the road'. There were about twenty in the line-up that day. It went almost completely glassy, for maybe an hour-and-a-half. The faces were 4-5' and a top session was had by all. "Ya know", said the Malt, "it's like Cecille B.De Mille's surf movie!" By the time they got changed and drove home, it was blowing and the rain was starting again. Those who didn't show that day, didn't believe. And who can blame them? Another case of mass hysteria I guess... :-)
> May be going to Ireland this summer and have heard the surfing is great in > the west or south west but have no idea of where the specific towns and > breaks are. Could also use info on transportation, surf shops and good > places to stay out on that part of the coast
> Thanks Much > Kit Hill
Hey Kit
Well firstly when are you going to Ireland as I might be home and I can show you personally. But anyway there is surf in the south-west or the north-west of Ireland.The best surf is undoubtedly in the north-west where I am from.The best places are in County Sligo there are about six note-worhty breaks but the best are Easky right and left and Bundoran and Strandhill.The breaks at Easky and Bundoran are reef breaks and standhill is a beach break which holds it's shape up to about 8ft.If you are comoing in september or march if you can.The surf gets up to 13ft plus on occaision but it usually stays a good 4-7ft. I suggst you buy the Stormrider guide for Europe as has alot of information about these breaks in it and others.
The sea in Ireland is unbelieveably clean , pollution in Ireland has been described as a crisp packet. Its quite easy to camp-out in Ireland as there is a campsite both strandhill and bundoran. I think there is one at Easky but if not just crash in the Dunes.If you want a bed there are Hostels and B&Bs in Sligo (Strandhill) and Bundoran. Getting there well once you get to Ireland it's surprisingly cheap to get there.
You can fly the 160 miles from Dublin for about £40-60 punts depending when you go , if you fly direct to Ireland from the states get a carry on flight from Dublin to sligo it will be really cheap like $15 extra. Or you can get the train to sligo for £10 punts or the Bus $7 punts.ALL these are for Sligo but sligo is in between bundoran and Easky they are both less than an Hours drive away.
There is a surf shop in sligo on the beach at Strandhill prices are reasonable for Irish standards , they however don't hire out custom boards so bring your own.In short the surf in Ireland is probaly the most consistent in the world and gets up to triple overhead and they crowds are only with the seals and Dolphins.
Need anymore advice just give me a bell. Mark.Walton@ncl.ac.uk
From: pacific@easynet.co.uk (pacific break) Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: Looking for Surf Spots in Ireland Date: 22 Sep 1995 21:43:52
GMT Organization: Easynet Ltd
In article <43qj1k$vs@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, mattymcd@aol.com (MattyMcD) wrote: > Hiya! > > I may be moving to Ireland next year and I wanted to know if anyone can > point me to information about surfing in Ireland. I know that there is > some in the UK, but I have yet to see an news on Irish surf spots. Any > help would be greatly appreciated. > > Matt McDonald > mattymcd@aol.com
Matt - Lucky Man!! - Head for the south-west - The Dingle Penisualar, lots of variation always something happening - with north/south/west shores to choose from it's always offshore (nearly) ;-). and never ever crowded - that little strip of water between the UK and Ireland stops the masses.
Pack a 5mm suit it'll be ccccccoooold.
Drink Guinness!!! Have Fun Richard
From: zpjames@unl.ac.uk Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Ireland
Date: 13 Sep 1996 08:15:46 GMT >>> Does anyone out there
know of Irish Surfing links, where to go, who to >>> contact,
etc. etc. >>> >>> Advance Gratitude, >>>
Colin. > >>Hi Colin, > >>just look into the european
stormrider guide. There you can find some >>spots in ireland,
but forget it this year - the summer in europe was >>really
bad and water is very cold. > The Surf Reports for Ireland were
far better than the original Storm Rider guide (have not seen the
latest edition though) - check the Surfer Magazine WWW site for details:
http://www.surfermag.com/ James London Surf Club http://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/lsc.html
From: ric@discoveryinternational.com (Ric Harwood) Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Ireland Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 21:06:35 GMT Organization: Discovery International Ltd >In article <322dc9e8.987711259@usenet.pa.dec.com>, >colinscannell@hotmail.com (Colin Scannell) wrote: >> Does anyone out there know of Irish Surfing links, where to go, who to >> contact, etc. etc. >> Advance Gratitude, >> Colin. >Hi Colin, >just look into the european stormrider guide. There you can find some >spots in ireland, but forget it this year - the summer in europe was >really bad and water is very cold. Thanks for the encouragement... {:^( But there's a Plymouth crew heading over in Oct, ready or not! >Have nive time BFN Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Looking for Surf Spots in Ireland Date: 25 Sep 1995 08:35:12 GMT Organization: University of North London.
The most comprehensive reports I've seen for Ireland are the "Surf Report" - they list more spots and have more detail than the Stormrider Guide (see Surfer or Surfing for an advert to get the address).
You'll find a few photos on the London SUrf Club web pages at http://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/lsc.html
Don't forget your wetsuit, and gloves/hood/boots as it gets cold... and don't forget to let us know how you get on
James London Surf Club
pamplona is all it's cracked up to be; there aren't so many things you can say that about anymore (surfing still fits the bill, of course). no-holds-barred party, pure rush, full-on adrenalin blast. i ran in the thick of it, and swatted a bull on the arse in the stadium.
we flew into biarritz, caught a quick afternoon session in the ocean at the cote des basques, and headed to pamplona on monday afternoon. after partying all night (we slept in the car for about 25', most people slept in the parks, on bar stools, in the gutters, anywhere), people start gathering on the course at around 6:45am. meanwhile, the local officials are putting up the barriers and cleaning the cobblestone streets with a firetruck hose.
by 8 you can't move - the slightest shift in your weight makes the entire crowd sway. there are a LOT of people running, but the cops keep them penned in near the beginning of the course, to make sure no one gets so close to the stadium as to be ridiculous - they don't want it to be too easy. at some point the crowd surges forward before the bulls are released, and some people reach the stadium just seconds after the bulls are being released. naturally, the thing to do is hang back as the frontrunners disappear, and wait for the bulls to start running.
two cannons fire - the first indicates that the bulls are out of the main pen; the second that they're in the streets. you can hear these cannons all along the course, and the whole place gets hypercharged - it's seconds before the bulls are on your ass.
it goes like this: you run through the streets along the traditional course, then into the stadium where they release bulls into the crowd one and two at a time for the next hour or so. on the run to the stadium, they close the stadium gates immediately after the last bull reaches the ring, so you can't let the bulls go past and then run in after them, as you'll be shut out. you either have to run well ahead of them, or with them, in the thick of it. but you don't want to be out in front, as when you arrive at the stadium, the frontrunners are jeered and even pelted with tomatoes.
i waited a while to start running, as i didn't want to run this thing and never see a bull, and as they came up behind me they were at full steam. when they show up, they're MOVING. i dove into the doorway of a store, and the first batch of bulls blasted past. as i went to fall in behind them, a pileup developed at my feet. within 5-10 seconds, there must have been 15-20 guys pinning me against the wall in a three-foot-high pileup. i tried to be nice, to let them get up, but eventually had to step on them, leap into the street, and start hauling ass for two reasons - 1) i didn't want to be closed out of the stadium; and 2) there was another pack of bulls right behind us. running through the streets, i tried to dodge drunks and screwups, but eventually you have to make your own path whether or not anyone is in the way; throwing people out of your way is pretty much accepted. i made it into the stadium with the last pack of bulls about 150 yards behind me.
once inside the stadium, the bulls get their day - while they were taking shit from the giant pack crowded into the ring, a few of them took some solid shots, and they FUCKED GUYS UP. one guy got pitched about six feet in the air, landed on his head, then the bull turned around and trampled him, then turned and hit him again. everyone else tries to distract the bull when this happens; when the bull finally left the guy alone, he tried to stand up, then reeled and hit the ground hard. he tried to get up again, same thing; he was wack. a few guys just about threw him over the wall, and people were holding up fingers in front of his face trying to see how he was doing - the guy holding up the fingers kept shaking his head "no" and holding up more fingers. that was the bull i swatted on the arse; as he was running around the ring, ran up and slapped him a light five.
we went from the pamplona all-nighter to san sebastian to surf in the afternoon - kinda small and mushy, but amusing nonetheless. weather was beat and the all-night party scene a little claustrophobic - i think we had met everyone in the town after the first few hours, narrowly avoided a couple brawls with some aussies who then became partners in crime, and kicked it until around 5am. when we saw pretty much the entire posse of the same 60-70 revelers getting breakfast and in the internet cafes a few hours later, we knew it was time to bail.
so we headed to biarritz, where the sun came out upon our arrival. when the sun comes out in biarritz, many other things come out to bask in it - thanks for the tip on the wraparound sunglasses. surf in biarritz was shoulder-head high, fun enough, and the beach scene full-on chest-high and truly stunning. biarritz nightlife far less rowdy than san sebastian, sleepy even, especially on a weekday, but that probably wasn't a bad thing after the previous 48-60 hours.
a few days earlier, when we had landed in biarritz, i had heard a couple rumors of an arriving swell, and by the next morning, it was a solid 3 meters and macking. it was almost unsurfable on the grand plage, but i was stuck there to some extent, as i had a midday flight. made the very best of it, caught some bombs, got my ass dragged to the beach to end the day, and just barely made the flight out. e
Subject: Re: Spain and Portugal Date: 1999/06/01
Author: DavidI went to Spain in January and every place I saw on the
Atlantic was firing! Do yourself a favor. Go to San Sebastian (Donostia)
in the North of Spain. The city beach is surfable as are several beach
breaks both northeast and west of the city. Then eat tapas in the
old part of town, drink choquollin (a wine that is served with the
best tapas in Spain), meet beautiful and exceptionally friendly basque
people. Go to the disco, any disco and dance with beautiful and friendly
basque people. San Sebastian is one of my favorite Cities in the world.
Some in Europe assert that "Africa begins south of the Pyrenees."
I say let them suffer their own ethnocentric arrogance and the rest
of us will enjoy Spain...a truly incredible country. David, Seattle
I'm off to Spain and Portugal next week, and I need to know some good, >uncrowded beaches. >Any ideas? >Cheers, >Spiderman. >> Community >>
Re: Spain and Portugal Date: 1999/06/01
Subject: Re: Spain and Portugal Date: 1999/06/02
Author: Joć
Subject: Re: Spain and Portugal
Subject: Re: Spain and Portugal
Date: 1999/06/01
Subject: Re: Spain and Portugal
Date: 1999/06/01
Hey Frank. I knew I forgot something when I dropped in last friday!
I > meant to ask you about life in Portugal. We couldn't do it
in our trip > (went down to North Africa instead). But I know you
lived there Loved Portugal. Every thing about it. Kind of like halfway
between Baja and So. Cal in lifestyle. You went to N. Africa? The
two weeks I was suppose to go to Africa I got invited to go sailing
through the Costa Del Sol From Gibraltar to Puerto Banus(sp?). Trip
was insane, hanging out on the Arab Yachts and commingling with the
rich and wacky Rod, There are is loads of good surf up and down the
Landes region (approx from La Rochelle to Biarritz). If you want to
surf with a million tourists hit, Hossegor, Seignosse, Lacanau and
Biarritz. However if you want to get some nice waves to yourself check
out some of the smaller towns along the coast. All the waves in this
region are beach breaks, untill you get down to Anglet. I did a similar
trip three years ago, I spent three months on that coast, in all that
time I spent one day Hossegor, that was the closest I got to civilisation,
in return I had a lot of empty beaches, worth roughing it. I can't
help you with accomadation as I tented it. As for surf spots, as I
said you really don't need it, but if you need a guide to find the
crowds, try the Stormriders guide to Europe, it has pretty much all
your going to need. I liked Mimizan myself. Have a good trip, Mark
knocknera@yahoo.com >> Community >>
Wednesday, June 17, 1998 >Subject: RE: Surfing Portugal >Great
break in a town called Erisara, or something close to that. >Pronounced
"irisara" or "erisira" i can't remember. it was
about 12 years ago. It is located about 1 - 2 hours south of Porto,
and about 2 + hours north of lisbon. Was triple OH when i was there
in early fall, huge grinders off the point, rock/sand bottom. Broken
legs, boards, cords. Big. >Surfers from austraila, other parts
of europe with great looking girlfriends, topless. It sucked. Locals
were not big into hospitality, but no hassels. Algarve did not prove
to be fruitfull, with a lot of shorebreak. Surf report should be helpful.
Bewar of Cais Cais sp? (pronounced "cash kai") right outside
(north) of lisbon. Back then the cops and car thiefs worked together
to break into tourist cars, take what they want and dump the rest
at a pre designated spot, where the cops would collect what was left
over for you. Very accomodating! Good luck. great country - caught
in a time warp. rac From: "J.Bryant"
Portugal is awesome for surfing! The south-west like Ric said has loads of beaches, the roads to many of them aren't so great. Check out the stormriders guide for accurate details, but I surfed from Beliche (near Sagres, the most S.Westerly point in Portugal) to Arifana nr Aljezur, by far the best break I surfed in Portugal, needed a reasonably big swell to work, but when it did a consistent 6-8ft came in (clean!). The Portugese are very very good at surfing!
From: steve@netmanage.com Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Where
to Surf in Portugal ? Date: Fri, 13 Sep 96 11:55:27 I honeymooned
there last fall Skip the Algarve (the south) But the southwest is
big! Any west facing beaches are breakable I worked my way north and
also hit some waves on the Lisbon north to Porto leg, its cool bring
a wetsuit and booties
From: dp025@un.seqeb.gov.au ( DAVID PRITCHARD) Subject: Re: Looking
for infor about portugal Peter Amschel (amschelp@pe.net) wrote:
: South coast of Portugal : When I was in Biarritz in 1991 I got a sticker at the trailer park which shows : a guy surfing a nice, head-high right and the sticker says "Cote Basque". Can : you tell me, please, about the "Cote Basque" for surfing? so we move from Portugal up to France eh...?
Cote de(s) Basque(s) is the name of the next beach around the headland from Grand Plage (the beach 'in town' at Biarritz) The Cote Basque term may well be used to refer to the whole coastline where the BAsque people live (i.e. N.Spain/S.W.France). The greater area around Biarritz/Lacanau is known as the Cote D'Argent (Silver Coast). Nothing to do with Portugal Peter....but quite a bit to do with wetsuits ;-) :-)
Bear
From: sfyawny@aol.com (SFYawny) Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re:
Looking for infor about portugal Date: 15 Mar 1996 13:17:42 -0500
If by the south you mean the Algarve, the water will be fairly warm, especially in the summer. The waves down there are smaller and less powerful than in Central and Northern Portugal, but also less consistent. I was there in October and the Lisbon area had 15' storm surf while the Algarve was flat.
But I hear it can get good with the right swell direction (more south or west than north). Try the town of Sagres--Lagos has some but not that great.
Newsgroups: alt.surfing From: graham@big-g.win-uk.net (Graham Harrop)
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 07:09:35 GMT Subject: Re: portugal waves >We're
looking for some nice _safe_ sandy beach breaks. We're flying >into
Lisbon, but may be driving down to the Algarve, so anything >between
the two would be handy to know about. Do the drive south man! Just
up from the SW tip (Cape St Vincent) are some excellent beach breaks.
And theres a spot called Tonel beach, not far from Sagres, with an
excellent campsite/ hostel nearby. Many fond memories: cool locals,
clean waves and good beer. Check it out. Cheers, Graham
There aren't many good spots in the South coast of Portugal because it is not often that you get a good swell down there. Only if you're lucky to get Southeast or Southwest wind (more frequent during winter) you'll get some waves but don't expect them to be any close to perfection because the wind will be onshore.The water will be 18-22 C in Summer.
If you have a car you should try the western coast of the Algarve (from Sagres up to Odeceixe) where you can still find an almost pristine coastline (PLEASE DON'T SPOIL) with wonderful beaches where, if you're unlucky, will find more than 20 persons in long white sanded beaches and half a dozen surfers.
At this part of the coast there are waves (1-2m at least and up to 3-4m if you're lucky) almost all the time but the water is coller (15-18 C). You should try Amoreira (before Aljezur coming from North) and Arrifana (after Aljezur coming from North). At Arrifana will find tube-waves if there is a strong swell coming from (North-)West. But if you're not that lucky you can always enjoy the landscape from the stepe cliffs. I think I've already given you some useful information but sorry I won't tell you where the secret spots are. It's more funny if you discover them by yourself (buy a good map and it won' t be difficult - Try the most promissing landfloored(???) derivations of the main road).
Don't miss the cliffs at the Sagres fortress and take your girlfriend to see the sunset at Cabo de S. Vicente. If you're looking for raw nature you'll only find it West from Lagos.If you're looking for some night action you should go East of Lagos.If you wish to join both stay in Lagos. There are several hotels,pensions,private rooms and 2 or 3 campings.
> Hi, I'm planning a summer holiday in July of this year and would like to know > if there is any European spot that picks up regular 4 foot plus swell in > summer. Try Portugal. I went last year, mid August for a week and surfed everyday. Biggest day was 10 ft, smallest 1 ft. I've never surfed in France during the summer but have been told it's often flat. Portugal is great because it's all beach breaks, there's stacks of coast line from Sagres (in the south Algarve) to O Porto (In the north) so plenty of exploring can be done. The further north you go the bigger the waves tend to get. The weather in August is fantastic, the people are friendly and the food superb. It's cheap to stay in B&B's and flights out of Heathrow/Gatwick to Faro/Lisboa can be as little as 150 pounds (+ a little extra for the board). Be prepared to speak some Portuguese the further north you explore. In the Algarve English is widely spoken. I have a few links to Portuguese surfing on my home page: http://www.york.ac.uk/~jjlb100 As for the Canary's well that's a different story! I would recommend getting some advice from a surfer that has been out there before you even think about going!
Hello dere Shifty,
Re: spots in Portugal. Me and 4 other lads toured Portugal this summer in a V.W and the best place we went to was Baleal which is about 3 miles north of the town of Peniche. We stayed in the car park at Baleal reef for free for about 10 days. We were about 10 metres from the beach. Excellent spot as there are two bays there facing in different directions so that all the swell is picked up. Within walking distance of the car park is a reef break and a beach break. Can get pretty crowded but the standard of surfing was not as good as I expected. Just down the road, towards Peniche, is the famous Supertubes (not for the faint hearted!) Working at about 6-8 ft when we were there which made it fairly hair raising. If you travel north of Baleal there is another beach break which is mentiioned in the Storm Rider guide. Bit difficult to get to as you have to go off down a load of dirt roads. BUt if there is a northerly swell working it is well worth the effort. Me and the boys scored perfect 4ft barrels there and no one else in. Water is cold but we got by with full summer suits. Beer is cheap, check out the bars on the island across from Baleal reef. Bar d'Ilhza (or something like that!!! I don't honestly remeber as it was a haze!!) Food is resonably cheap if you cater for yourself. Women? What can I say but... F***ing gorgeous!
Go for it and have a great laugh..I know I did and I wish I was there now rather than in the U.k
Cheers......
The Fortunate Islands (Canary Islands and Madiera)
Date: Tue Jan 18, 2000 11:12am Subject: Re: KOOKS...anyone know info on Lanzarote, Ca
hey jon incredible timing on this one...thanks for the invite to ask.....here we go... what is their best season for surf? (will march be consistent enuf to count on surf and how big) water/air temp / weather in march? best spots and where are they...? (i'm guessing west side of island but...) what equip to bring..? (shortbords? guns? can i bring a longboard if i want ? also,,,reef booties? wetsuits?) dont know where my buddy's time share is so is it better/cheaper to rent a car or taxi/bus it around? local food cheap enuf to not bring food to cook ourselves at the time share? best route there? (seems form what i found fly to london and down to it) best airline to NOT trash our shapes (ding repair right off the plane when i get there is not what i'm going for hahah) we dont speak spanish "goodly", can we get by with span-glish? the island looks extreme, volcanoes, water, etc... what are local, non-surf things to do that are 'a must'....? ok,,,,that's plenty i guess. thanks again, whats your address so i can send some time bomb stickers for the help!
stay stoked chenzo
ps. yeh, i'll bring some shapes and help pay for the trip, most definitely.
Re: KOOKS...anyone know info on Lanzarote, Ca Date: 00-01-18 05:33:22 EST From: jbowen@t... (Jon Bowen)
Strangely enough, my buddy Rup had just come back from Lanzo last Friday. He reckons it great. He was surfing every day on a quality wave, with no one else out. Cheap food, he and his girl ate out every night, top nosh, for about a tenner.
There are big wave spots there, cheap car hire to explore, hot weather.... cheap flights to Europe if you feel like it, (my sister lived and worked in Tenerife a few years ago, and could get home for next to nothing).
Mostly, if not all, reef breaks, powerful waves, (it's a volcanic island). Who needs Hawaii? If you want anything specific, ask away, and I'll ask Rup, and get back to ya.
Why not take some of your boards with you, and sell 'em. Volcanic reefs and rowdy baggage handlers make a lot of people boardless... ~jon
From: zpjames@unl.ac.uk Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Surfing in Canary Islands? Date: 4 Jan 1996 10:26:43 GMT Organization: University of North London.
Here's some stuff on Fuerteventura I posted last year, Lanzarote is also good. James London Surf Club
Fuerteventura - saw a request for some info. I've just got back and there's plenty of potential:
Main season is N.Hemisphere Winter. We lucked out, arriving at the end of a 3 month period of offshores and consistent swell. In the Summer the Trade Winds blow from the NE (onshore on the North Shore), however the islands should be in receipt of south swells so offshore surf is still on offer, though it is said to be less consistant.
To make the most of your time you'll need some wheels Check the clearance as there are plenty of rocks to grind the bottom out with.
Main town for surfers is Corralejo. Usualy a lot of surfers staying at Sol y Mar. Cheapest supermarket is Mas y Mas. The Island looks very roughly like this:
Lobos N.Shore x +-----------+ | Co | |Ca | Glass Beach | | | | | a| Playa Blanca | | | | / / / / + / +-- / | / T--------+ Airport is at a! Playa Blanca and Glass Beach are both on the way to Correlajo (Co).
From the town you can check out Lobos, an offshore island with a long, tubing, fast right hander. Get the 10am ferry and take all your food etc with you as there is nothing on the island bar SURF!
Norht Shore has plenty of reefs and points. The only way I knew which spot I was actually at was by asking - no sign posts even for the places in villages:
Rocky Point - RH reef. S-SW wind.
Harbour Wall - LH reef in front of harbour
Shooting Gallery- LH reef - by small power station near start of the infamous North Shore track
Henarossa - LH reef. S-SE wind
Suicides - RH reef
Mechinos - L and RH reef, best mid to high tide. This spot and Yarro appear to pick up the most swell on the North Coast. There's a shack to the right of the break. Urchins.
Majanicho - at a small village. RH reef
The Bubble - rh barrel
Yarro - other side of the 'bay' to the Bubble. Good spot to camp. Left hander was shifty. Also a right hander.
Hierro - rh reef.
West Coast spots:
In near Cotillo (Co) there's a beach break that was closing out when we were there to the south of the town. In town there's a rh barrel or eat the reef type wave, and there's also said to be a spot called Spewpits to the North.
Further south there's the Gorge - beach break which was offshore when the north coast was blown out. Paddle out by the rocks on the right. Right and left handers with one left in particular at the far end of the bay which had tubos galore. if you were fast enough.
South Coast points are near T - Tiger Point. LH reef
Path: news.interport.net!news-From: zpjames@unl.ac.uk Newsgroups:
alt.surfing Subject: Cuentos Chinos - a tale of Fuerteventura Date:
24 Mar 1997 09:41:03 GMT Here's a tale of some action on Fuerteventura's
Northshore, written by me and 'corrected' by Deep Freeze. There are
some photo of Fuerteventura on the web which can be accessed via html://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/lsc.html,
and select the Fuerteventura option. James London Surf Club Cuentos
Chinos ”4:30am! somehow I found my way out of my bed and into my clothes.
Breakfast, a tube and I was at the airport in plenty of time for the
both of us, which was quite lucky as Deep was doing his best to miss
the flight. At last it was time for some Northshore Action. Deep,
now Sigńor Frigorifico camouflaged the car by doctor-fostering it
into a deep muddy puddle so that we no longer looked like a pair of
just-off-the-jets, and I added a couple of tasteful dents. We stashed
the car behind a rock and paddled out at Generossa. I elected to go
loco, that is sans shoes, briefly forgetting the urchins until I copped
a few in the feet which were to remain with me for the rest of the
trip. It was small (shoulder high), un poco flojo (a bit lazy), but
sunny, offshore and just about right as a warmup for the two of us.
Deep joined me about 10 foot inside of the pack and we pulled into
a few deep-handers. This move allowed us to catch most of the set
waves, hahaha, especially since the good surfers (if there were any)
were lurking elsewhere, and the pack was mostly made up of Adolf Straighthander's
("Alle zusammen" they'd yell before taking off together
careering over all in their way without the slightest clue as to what
was going on around them) plus, at long last a fair number of the
so called fairer sex. Miercoles: slumberland. We finally emerged for
elevenses patrol. At first nothing was looking too inviting, but second
time around Shooting Gallery beckoned its finger. There was just me,
Frigorifico, the waves and the sunshine. A faster take off than Generossa,
but quite makeable. I had quite a suprise when a wave decided to casually
throw a lip over my head as I grimly hung onto the rail. Fortunately
I was able to free myself from its lip by falling off. Deep had to
get changed in the rain; how very peculiar. After a game of treasure
island, looking for my watch that I'd lost on the first day, and a
tour of some west coast beaches we headed back out at the Harbour
Wall. Again it was no more than shoulder high and a poco flojo, but
then that was enough. Deep was living up to his name, taking off deeper
than almost everybody else and grinning away as he chugged merrily
along the wave face. Deep had brought everything, a needle for removing
urchins, a sowing kit to mend my gath hat, and even a tape measure
to gauge the wave size by: "If it's any bigger than that then
I'm not going out." Jueves: The wind was in the NE so we headed
West (sound familiar) on a mammoth expedition to find Huey and ask
him where the swell lay. We wound our way up the side of a volcano
way inland on a track of dirt little wider than our car, which offered
splendid views and messy trouser bends. Did you know that the average
male surfer farts between 10 and 18 times a day? Deep did and he inspired
JimBob to reach his quota before breakfast! We found Bazzamattolah's
but the tide was too high, so we decided to come back later and in
the meantime ended up at Rocky Point where Adolf Straighthander had
set up the Deutsche-kook-akadamie: young haemorrhoids, plucked bear
of any facial or body hair and crammed into girls bodies bereft of
any male characteristics were taught to stare stoically into the lineup
and perform a mass drop in, care being taken to be unaware of anything
going on in the water around them. Still, at least they were all in
the one place, and provided entertainment throughout the trip. On
his way back to the car, Deep was caught by one of the plain clothes
police, disguised as a fat sunbather. "Vhy you stop?" he
demanded. Clearly Deep had not been in for long enough for the hairs
to fall off his chest and his muscles to waste away from his body.
We made our getaway back to the B spot. The tide was still topsy-turvey,
and despite putting a couple of lucky dents into the car we failed
to find anything decent: Cotillo was throwing closeouts with sections
2-300 yards long (Tony's cover blown, he's a closet Captain Closeout),
I was muy frio, and not even Sigńor Frigorifico could be tempted back
out. Friday: ”Caletta de Fear! An onshore morning provoked an exodus
to the West Coast. Cotillo was not looking so bad today - only the
bigger sets were closing out, otherwise it was possible to hop on
a shoulder and get a ride. I spent most of my time in paddleduck mode,
battling against the rip, and the rest sitting discontentedly in the
lineup. Sigńor Frigorifico however caught a couple of good 'uns before
pulling off a board to head manoeuvre in the shorey, perforating his
eardrum and ending his surfing for the trip. To confound the misery,
I decided to lose the car keys but later changed my mind and found
them again. Sabado: Monopod Missions! Leaving Deep his Spanish homework
to tackle I set off to take on the Northshore in true monopod style.
The swell had picked up and I was overdue for a drubbing. The outside
peak at the Shooting Gallery looked as if it was packing a punch so
I went out for a bit of the old 'clunk-click-over-with-the-lip.' Fortunately
I'd put the old gathy on today (in memory of ol' Frigorifico) as I
bumped the old noggin against my board. Eventually I tired of offshore
drilling and paddled in to join the Spaniards in the lineup for some
easier head high waves: angled takeoffs and a closeout section for
he whom darest sit deepest. Next stop Harbour Wall. A fairly high
tide, with backwash, boils and bubbles. Takeoffs were rather awkward
with the wave holding up for a long time before heaving over and closing
down all of a sudden. With Deep's earache, and my foot still sore
from my session here last year I just couldn't get into the swing
of things. Still, was it a suitable spots for a Swede's second ever
surf? I left him to decide for himself, pondering his own question
"What can happen?" Seconds away, round three. Back to Generossa.
A fast lefthander at head-and-a-half to double over, followed by a
long paddle against the rip. There was a big section on takeoff that
was to be avoided which made judging the takeoff point quite difficult.
Still I got a few freight trains before my arm conked out and I came
in. In between the 3 surf sessions, I managed to acquire a new watch
and some Australian reading material to keep Deep's spirits up. Domingo:
Only five out for the early, and all were English! Fortunately neither
the Spaniards nor the Germans appeared capable of emerging from their
pits before lunchtime. It was cross-offshore, with double-over takeoffs
and a tube on the left if you were talented enough to get it. My lurgi
put me out of breath after only two strokes paddling so it was rather
a struggle. Eventually I made a wave. It seamed that the locals were
putting a bacteria in the water so that foreign surfers would get
ill and stay in bed, or so a rather plump-nosed Occy told me, who
himself had been laid low in his tent for two days. I came in on a
right, I say a right but I was so used to lefts that my body tried
to takeoff backside whilst the wave was going frontside, so it was
more of a visit to Davy Jones' locker than anything else. By now it
was lunchtime and the Spaniards were out in force, and soon the lineup
was teaming with them. It was a relief to see most of them blowing
their takeoffs too. By the time I'd checked and rejected Generossa,
Harbour Wall, and upset some poor Deutchlander by refusing to paddle
out at Rocky Point when there were no waves, the wind had swung around
and Generossa had cleaned up. I hurriedly made a point of reference
to align myself with in the lineup, and hurriedly pulled up my trousers
as I heard the oink-oink-oinkwear crew turn up for a surf. Mistiming
my jump-off impeccably a wave washed over me, bruising my leg and
my ego, but leaving my chod intact. The set waves were double over
plus a bit, and again there was that big section to avoid. Saw a few
pretty sketchy takeoffs but there wasn't much to follow, and with
me being all tired and lurgied and that I really wasn't getting anywhere.
By now Adolf Straighhander had sent a whole panzer division of longboarders,
and they were lined up in arrowhead formation, ready to paddle out.
I had one last failed duckdive attempt in which I went so deep that
my ears popped before coming in. Lunes: not much time to waste as
I had Deep to take to el medico at lunchtime. I went straight to the
Shooting Gallery. The right was tubing from start to finish, and the
left was also pretty hollow. One guy out. The wave on the point looked
flatter and more manageable, despite the steep, hollow takeoff. By
the time I was at the sea's edge my mind had been made up, los tubos,
and I was to have it to myself as the other guy had disappeared by
the time I made it out back. I soon found out why. There was a strong
current ripping through the break. As soon as I stopped paddling I
was swept into the path of the (broken) outside bombie, which was
bigger and meaner than before. The right off it was making the inside
peak (where everyone surfs) standup even bigger and squarer. Half
an hour of paddle-arsing and I came in. I noticed that no-one who
turned up had the guts (or foolishness?) to try. I wandered over to
the point: a hollow take off at the end of a long section that would
heave over in one go, followed by, well not much at all. two others
were dilly-dallying on the rocks. I changed my mind about paddling
out. I wanted some waves, not a swimming lesson. I'd gone down from
10 or 12 waves in a session (hour and a half) when it was smaller,
to making 2 or 3 out of a half-dozen attempts as I'd neared my comfortable
limit. Still this was not to be, it was, as is quite often the case
in the Canaries, all or nothing. In this case nothing prevailed. Martes:
Deep helped me pack my board and thimble-sized backpack and then I
found my long-lost watch in my shoe. Leaving Deep behind with his
Spanish lessons and ASL, Jim "Two Watches" Bob set off for
a monopod flight home and a scheduled rendezvous with his ol' mate
Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.
For loads of info on the SW France, see www.cotebasque.com
Subject: Re: info on SW France Date: 1999/05/19
Hola Relo, Thanks...I will be following up. Rod On Tue, 18 May 1999,
Relo wrote: > Hai Rod, > > Well your wanna go to my favourit
surf area.... > > There are some places I can advise: > -
On the same height as Bordeaux there is Lacanau Ocean at the coast,
this > is the > major surf village of France, if you go in August
you have a chance of > seeing the > Lacanau Pro surf contest.
> If I dig a little bit I can come up with a tel. nr. of a local
surfshop > owner who rents > rooms to surfers, please let me
know if your interested. > There are also 2 campingsites in the
village were they rent cabins but you > must > reserve these
pretty soon to make any chance. > - The village north of Lacanau
is Carcan-Plage, this is a small quiet > village with only >
one campingsite (you must bring a tent) with the best beach in France
very > uncrowded but don't tell to many people abouth this spot
because this were > I stay > during summers and I enjoy the
situation in the water is it is. > - The other mail posted is abouth
Hossegor, been there.. > This spot seems to be closed out or not
working at all with few options in > between. > If it works
probably the gnarliest spot in France but I found out through >
the years that > the chance on waves is better in Lacanau + Carcan
> - If your son is not that old consider Mimizan plage, this spot
has mellow > conditions > and all the youth surf and beach camps
go there so he has some company. > Also Mimizan is a very cosy
village and it should be possible to get a > hotel through >
the tourist information there. > > And last but not least, were
NOT to go.... > > I can really advice you not to go to Biarritz,
the lines are overcrowded... > surfers waiting in 4 lines to pick
up a wave are no acception, you can > imagine what this does to
the local spirit..... > > If you need some more specific info.......just
post or mail > > Relo > > > Roderick Rodgers heeft
geschreven in bericht ... > >Bon Jour y Buenas Dias! > >My
son and I will be participating in a city-to-city > >goodwill
exchange program later this summer, playing > >baseball in and
around Paris. We are going over a week > >earlier in hopes of
catching some surf, sun, and fun > >in SW France and in Northern
Spain (Cantabria and Pais > >Basque regions). Suggestions on
surf spots, accomodations, > >and touring attractions are welcome.
I'm guessing that > >we'd like to spend a few days each based
out of > >the Anglet - Bayonne and the Santander areas. Because
it > >will be holiday season in Europe we realize the beach
> >areas will be crowded so we need not be right on the beach.
> > > >Reply via a.s or direct via email address. Mahalo.
> > > >Rod Rodgers > >e-mail: rrodgers@bcpl.net
> >homepage: http://www.bcpl.net/~rrodgers/rodpage1.html
Subject: Re: SW France & N Spain Trip Date: 1999/05/18
Author: Will Borgeson
Well, you didn't say exactly when you're going, but in general the
summer/fall surf is unpredictable and inconsistent - when it's on
it's a lot of fun, but when it's not on it's *totally* flat (and fun
for snorkeling). The food, wine, scenery and other tourist attractions
are always happening, though. It's hard to imagine better food and
wine than S. Bordeaux and the Basque country. My son and I also spent
some time in that neck of the woods. Our favorite area was around
Hossegor, where we found the best hotel (more of an inn really) of
our month-long trip. This was called Hostellerie de la Foret (the
Forest Hostel), on the road heading inland. The couple's name there
is Eric and Marige Noel. They run the place - he's the chef and gardener,
she does just about everything else. The rooms, food, grounds etc.
are excellent. A double room with TV cost about $70 US (in Sept '97).
Hossegor is an elegant beach town that reminds me a little of Montecito,
near Santa Barbara - well forested, with many plush homes. The town
itself is like downtown Carpinteria or Capitola - surf shops, boutiques,
great food in the cafe's. Everything from there south is fantastic.
Be sure to bring your sunglasses for beach walking at Biarritz - you'll
need them, as you'll see every imaginable shape and size of female
culinary accessories, if you get my drift. Crossing the border into
Spain, in its own way every bit as wonderful as France, is no big
deal - you may not even notice the crossing. San Sebastian is a fun
city, but we really liked the smaller fishing villages south of there,
such as Zarautz, where we had an incredible and cheap meal overlooking
the quaint harbor. Good surf around there too, when it's on. I'm jealous
- have a great trip. Oh, final tip: we found a diesel rentacar to
be tons cheaper in every way than gas. Will
Forum: alt.surfing
Surfing in South of France
The last time I was in the S.France in July I had surf everyday except
two. The surf also ranged from 1ft-6ft. I'm not saying that you'll
get better or worse, but that theres only one way to find out. The
more south you go (to the Spanish border), the better as there is
a deep atlantic trough just of the coast, so if there is surf, this
is the best place to pick the swell. All the best, Mark Wingnut Mc
Cubrey wrote: > Does any one know anything about the south of france,
I'm heading there > in july. I'm reliably informed that "Messanges"
north of Biarittz is > good. I have also been told that it will
be flat, what ever happened to > residual swell?
Subject: Re: Surfing in South of France
Date: 1999/06/02
I Have to disagree with Knocknera..... He is right abouth the deep
through (in fact this stretches up to Hossegor) but it is not the
most consistent To my opinion the waves at Lacanau are more consistent,
I have been chasing waves for some years now over there but mostly
found them in the Lacanau area. I must agree with Knocknera that if
Hossegor works it's the best..... it is not called the Cote Sauvage
for nothing. But if you want some playtime besides the waves try Mimizan....
Re: info on SW France
Date: 1999/05/20
don't worry i'm french and i leave near carcan and lacanau........it's
more crowded than you think.(Lacanau a little bit more than Carcan).
Subject: Re: hostels or cheap accomodation in Hossegor France
Date: 1999/05/28
Just sleep on a beach or the back of your car, it's free that way.
Also try to find a camp site or youth hostel thing. Nick > Hey
anyone know of any cheap accommodation like hostels in Hossegor >
Any help would be much appreciated
Subject: Re: SW France & N Spain Trip
Date: 1999/05/21
I told you rod, in summer SW of France is overcrowded. I surf all year in Brittany (NW of France) , it is not so overcrowded, but in summer time surf is only possible early in the morning..... SW (and specialy lacanau,hossegor and Biarritz) are more crowded.... Prefer landes coast.... PS : lacanau is not a really secret spot , it's one of etap tour of the ASP ;-)!!!
From: dupont1@routsip.univ-tlse1.fr (dupont arnaud) Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: WANTED: SpPlaces in France to go Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 16:19:47 LOCAL
>I'm looking for somewhere to surf down the Atlantic Coast of France. We >have a home near La Roche-sur-Yon and so far the only place we've surfed >have been down near La Trance. Can any French surfers tell me of any good >spots around that area? >Max
hi,max!! i'm the french surfer that you were waiting for.
First of all,i think you've made a mistake:it is La Tranche,and not La Trance! But anyway,it doesn't matter.If you are near La roche,you're in the right place to surf in Vendee...Don't laugh,i explain:from La roche,you can join every surf spot;there are plenty near Les sables d'olonne,or near St gilles croix de vie...but if you really want to surf in the area of La Tranche,it's quite good too.ther is a surf spot in La Tranche it self,on the main beach...but there are always plenty of person,more precisely during the weekend,but if you want to have some good time,just take the direction of La Terriere,when you're in La Tranche,and there you'll be able to surf waves that are quite similar as those you could even surf in the south west coast of france...the only problem is that the waves in Vendee are not as powerfull as in Lacanau,or anglet...Any way...surfing is quite good on the beaches of Vendee...the only thing is that there are not particular spot,as the main part of them are beachbreaks,there are dependant of sand banks,that are quite movable.
There is one place that is famous near La Tranche :it is between Les Conches and La Terriere;this spot is called BUD BUD.
I don't know if this will help you,but I hope so. KEEP SURFING,MAN !! Arnaud
England, Wales and Scotland
France
Spain
Portugal
Ireland
The
Fortunate Islands (Canary Islands and Madiera)
