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First-time surfing in Gnarly Gower

I blame my parents. All they had to do was sit me down when I was about six and say, “Leon, it’s a hard world out there, so let me offer you a few words of advice. Be good at something, anything you like, just pick it and work your arse off to become the best.”

I spent my childhood by the sea. I should be on the world surf-stage by now.  But somehow I find myself clutching a board and coughing up salty water for the very first time at tender age of 30. Still, Kelly Slater is one of the world’s best and he’s an ancient 37, so there might be hope for me yet.

I was in the Gower in south Wales with my group of friends learning to surf. Luckily getting lessons couldn’t be simpler. From our tent at Hillend campsite, we walked yards to a surf shack where we were measured for wetsuits. Donning the black rubber number made me feel instantly like a super hero and with unbridled enthusiasm, I grabbed my board and raced after the instructor to the beach.  My superhero powers waned a little when I realised that the rough and scary-looking waves I had seen earlier in the day looked a lot rougher and scarier when viewed up close. ‘Gnarly’, I think was the right surfing descriptive for these babies. But, with girls in our group and children in view, there was no turning back.

Our instructor, was excellent. He got us used to being in the waves with the board and then showed us a few ways of actually standing up. If you needed lots of help he’d give you lots, but if you just needed a few words of wisdom he’d step back a bit.

Even the instructor admitted the weather was particularly rough and the constant barrage of powerful, whitewaters made every step a struggle. There’s nothing more demoralising than getting all the way out there just to fall off before you even see the wave and re-surface with a mouth full of seawater back on shore. When we finally got waist deep, we all agreed that was far enough ‘out to sea’ to attempt the standing up technique he’d shown us.

None of us would give Kelly Slater a run for his money any time soon but we were getting the hang of it. Although it probably looked more like Bambi on ice than a cool surfer, I actually managed to stand up. At one point I got as far as singing ‘everybody goes surfing, surfing in the U..’ before the ‘SA’ part of the song was spat out under water.

The lesson was supposed to last two hours, but after about an hour and a half we all conceded to the elements and made our way back.

Note – taking off a wet suit is far harder than putting one on.

Tired but happy, we retreated back to the campsite for an evening’s relaxation. Apart from the stunning sea views, the great thing about this place is the sand dunes. They not only protect the campsite from the sea breeze, but they also offer a great place for people to kick back in the evening without disturbing the peace. That night we had a few well-earned beers and went to bed dreaming of our domination of the waves.

The next morning, ready for round two, we arrived at 10AM to hire our surfboards but they had already been taken.  (My one key tip is that I’d definitely recommend you get there early to avoid disappointment. During the summer hols, the weekends get particularly busy). But there were some body boards, which was fine by us as you can still do/attempt some pretty neat tricks and the conditions were perfect. Flat, calm sea with four or five decent-sized waves every few minutes.

I don’t think any of us got any better that day but it was a hell of a lot of fun. And yes, a few of us (me included) are on the lookout for our own boards and wetsuits.

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Where? Hillend campsite, Llangennith, Gower, Wales. Tel: 01792 386204

Facilities: Hot showers, clean toilets, play areas, 24-hour security, a decent night’s sleep thanks to the strict curfew policy.

Opening times: Apr 1 – Oct 31

Camp price: £10 per person per night

Lesson price: £25 for two hours including all the equipment

Contact: Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School Tel: 01792 386426, Email: surfwsf@aol.com

Highlights

• Stunning coastal views and amazing waves
• The campsite is split by age and group size so you get the right spot.
• Reasonably priced shop, cafe and an onsite surf shack.

Lowlights

• You can’t book the campsite in advance.
• There’s a weekend surge on tent pitches and hired boards. Get there quick!

How to get there:

• Buses: Public transport isn’t great but buses do run occasional services from Swansea’s Quadrant Station. Check out traveline
• Bike: The Gower circular cycle route takes about 4-6 hrs (depending on pedal power). 44 miles.

Extras:

Check out the live surfcam

Photos: Leon,Kevinzim,Tuftronic

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