Surfing for beginners in Europe

[ChrisG89]

Hey,

I'm looking at booking a holiday for me and my girlfriend later this year, I want to have a go at surfing, so was looking to go somewhere I can do this! The problem is, my girlfriend doesn't really like being thrown about in the water, so I know she will hate it. So I'm looking for somewhere I can get surfing lessons etc and she can still have a good holiday and not just stuck on a beach whilst I try and surf, any recommendations?

Thanks

Chris

[RobDickinson]

South france/spain , canarie islands etc..

[tom5678]

Canaries is not ideal for learning, tends to be reef/rocky breaks and can get quite big.

South West France is good, Biarritz, Hossegor, Lacanau etc. Lovely scenery on and off the beach, late summer is better as the summer months can have long flat spells.

Portugal, Peniche area is great, lots of nice beaches and interesting places to go.

Northern Spain is beautiful and gets good waves. Weather is unpredictable but the scenery is stunning, somewhere like San Vicente would make a good base.

Or, depending on the time of year you want to travel, Morocco is well worth a visit. Not quite as unspolit as it used to be but still massively different from the European options without travelling too far.

Companies like this would show you where to go and sort you out with equipment and accommodation.

http://surfmaroc.com/en

Have fun!

[Fishtigua]

If you want to have a go first, just as a long weekend jaunt, try Guernsey. Not very far to travel but still feels like you've been away.

http://www.guernseysurfschool.co.uk/

[RobM77]

Whereabouts in the UK do you live? I was just wondering if it might be better to learn in the UK. My reasoning is a) so that your girlfriend desn't get left on her own, b) so you can have quality time together and c) in my experience of having lessons in things, normally UK based schools are better equipped, have a higher standard of tuition and you can understand the instructors better - obviously there are exceptions, but I'm talking on average. You don't want big waves to learn, so there are lots of suitable places to learn in the UK. I live quite inland near Newbury and have four surf schools within 1hr15min of my house!

[ChrisG89]

I live near Chester, so I'm not that far from Abersoch, about 2 hours I think?

The idea is to go on holiday and I can do a couple of days of surfing as a side result, that's why I want somewhere that's not just about surfing really.

Portugal looks good, that's where I originally looked, but there's a lot of choice.

My mum and dad have just bought a caravan and pick it up in April, so I might try and persuade them to try their new toy out near Abersoch and then me, the girlfriend and the dog can go stay with them and I can try surfing!

[RobM77]

ChrisG89 said:

I live near Chester, so I'm not that far from Abersoch, about 2 hours I think?

The idea is to go on holiday and I can do a couple of days of surfing as a side result, that's why I want somewhere that's not just about surfing really.

Portugal looks good, that's where I originally looked, but there's a lot of choice.

My mum and dad have just bought a caravan and pick it up in April, so I might try and persuade them to try their new toy out near Abersoch and then me, the girlfriend and the dog can go stay with them and I can try surfing!

That sounds like a good plan. I've recently learnt to windsurf, but not generally on holiday, instead I go once or twice a week after work April to December and then I leave our holidays for the things that my wife and I like doing together: namely hiking, scuba diving and general sight-seeing. With a decent wetsuit all but the coldest months of the year aren't a problem in the UK, and to be honest I'm far more comfortable in the UK sea in a wetsuit than I am in swimming trunks pretty much anywhere in the world that I've visited, and definitely including Portugal's Atlantic coast!!

[dmitsi]

Depending on where you go Portugal is not ideal for learning, lots of reef and rock breaks combined with powerful Atlantic swells can put beginners off easily. South west France (Biarritz/Hoss is easier due to sand breaks, this allows some smaller waves for practicing in but still gives the options of bigger waves without the cuts and bruises you'd get in Portugal, pricey though.
As mentioned I'd learn in UK, great surf schools in Cornwall. Go to somewhere like Gwithian and you get beautiful beaches with decent surf schools. Best thing about being so far south west is that the schools can just drive between south or north coast if the swell is working on one side.