Since 2006 we have provide family surfing holiday for parents of young children to teenagers in locations around the world.

Based on the feedback from 2010 and 2011 these are our top five family surfing holidays in 2012.

1 ) Surf House Latas – Loredo – Spain

Nearest airport: Santander (Ryan Air from London or Ferry from Portsmouth/Plymouth)

Distance to beach: 400m

Accommodation: Guesthouse, bar, lounge area, large gardens, surf school, BBQ area and chill area.

Location: Think rolling countryside, backed by the snow capped “Pico’s de Europa” mountain range and Santander city only 15 minutes away.

2 ) Famara Apartments – Lanzarote – Spain

Nearest airport: Lanzarote (Thomson Fly and Ryan Air)

Distance to beach: 300m

Accommodation: Private apartment in the village.

Location: Sweeping long bay of Famara, local bars serving Tapas and a real Canarian experience away from the busy resorts.

3 ) Océliances Bungalows – Hossegor – France

Nearest airport: Biarritz (Flybe and Easy Jet)

Distance to beach: 600m

Accommodation: Private self-catering mobile homes. Well looked after and typically 4 – 6 people in each. Plenty of space with a decked area for eating outside. Great swimming pool, bar and resturant onsite.

Location: Pine forests, sandy beaches that go on forever and french cafes.

4) Surfers Point – Barbados

Nearest airport: Grantley Adams International (Virgin and BA)

Distance to beach: 10m

Accommodation: 7 apartments all with their own different layout only 12 steps to the bath-like warm ocean.  Very safe, laid back place with café on site.

Location: White sandy bay, palm tree’s and secluded garden for residences of Surfers Point.

5) Cap Ferret Surf Lodge – Bordeaux – France

Nearest airport: Bordeaux (Easy Jet, Flybe and BA)

Distance to beach: 5km

Accommodation: The surf camp is based in a tranquil wooden house that sleeps 6 in 3 double rooms (twin or double beds available) in Andernos les Bains. The house has a spacious open plan dining room/lounge, new kitchen, and large Italian bathroom (including bath and wet room shower), toilet and utility room. The outside terrace has a lounge and dining area including BBQ.

Location:  Long beaches, rivermouths, marina and forests.

As head coach he will be developing the range of coaching courses and lessons for all levels of surfer from complete beginner to pro-surfer.

Pablo is also still surfing the European leg of the WQS and was the winner of the Search WCT trials in Reunion Island. But it his freesurfing that has earned him the reputation as the “Matador” in surfing.

So if you really do want to learn from the best in Europe, come stay, surf and relax with us at the ultimate Surf House Latas in Loredo, Northern Spain in 2012.

Yes I know it’s not pretty, but it was a bargain and a very good base for a home for a few months. The money we spend on petrol will be nothing compared to accommodation and we’ve got our freedom to roam around in true Errant style.

However, there was lots to be done on the beast and here’s a little how to guide for those that may be inspired to do the same:

1. Boarding and Insulation.

To keep out the cold and the heat you need to insulate it and board the walls. We used normal housing insulation (that hideous glass-wool stuff) which was an itchy process but as soon as we cut the ply to size, screwed it in and sprayed on some cheap carpet that we picked up from a carpet wholesalers the job was done.

2. Sort out the sleeping arrangements.

There’s two of us going so two beds should suffice. These were bodged, I mean built, using some wood that was kicking around a skip and we simply built a bed frame to go over the wheel arches the same size as some bed cushions that we nicked from an old caravan. After giving the cushions a good clean we covered them in some fabric and made some pillows out of the remaining fabric. Job done and there’s plenty of room under the beds for boards and boxes. Happy days!

3. You got to eat!

If you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly so we went to a cabinet maker who made a bespoke kitchen unit for us. It’s a beauty! We scrounged a sink and some taps, bought a gas cooker and after screwing it down, applying silicone to  the sink making it water-tight, fixing a water pump and water tank and drilling a few holes for drainage pipes and gas pipes, we were ready to roll. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds though and having a handy tradie around definitely helps…

4. Don’t blow yourself up.

Once everything was in place we had to pull it all together so it worked. I’d love to say that we did this part ourselves but we had to get a sparky in to help out as we nearly blew ourselves up trying to link the leisure battery (crucial so you don’t drain the main battery) up. He basically fixed the water pump, speakers, inverter and leisure battery, meaning that we can now watch films on the laptop and have running water without draining the main battery. Et voila! The final task was to test it out and take it on a surf trip… (see pic

Anyway, this may not be the most comprehensive self-build camper-van guide, but I just wanted to show you how easy it is. Now all that’s left to do is decide on what boards to take on the trip…

Max

I have decided to condense and regurgitate this info to all of you likeminded souls that will hopefully encourage you to go out there and live your dreams.

So, the first decision you need to make is where you’re going to go. This is where working for a surf travel company comes in pretty handy…

France, Spain, Portugal.  That should pretty much fill a void for any surf starved city dweller. However, every surf trip needs a cool place cool and elaborate your day’s waves over a nice cold beer, so the following list and my personal itinery has been created with this crucial element in mind (alongside wave quality/ consistency etc):

1^st stop: France. The Quiksilver Pro is held in France every year, not because of the hoards of beautiful French women that grace the beaches with their presence, or the mental vibe at Dick’s Sand Bar, but because the deep Bay of Biscay funnels those Autumnal North Atlantic swells straight onto the perfect sand banks of Hossegor, Biarritz and Anglet, creating some of the world’s best barrels.

As long as you’re sensible France a relatively cheap place to stay,  that is of course as long as you’re ok on a wine, cheese and bread diet (something I’m fine with) and although I’m van-tripping, there are some crazy accommodation deals out there.

Next Up: Spain. There’s over 4,000km of coastline in Spain and the ASP hold another stop of the dream tour here at Mundaka. Due to its vastness, planning is crucial but with the best waves being on the North Atlantic coast, it limits things a bit. I’ve decided to head to the Santander area, one because Loredo has a sick surf house 200m from a funky looking beach-break called Somo, but also because the funky looking beach break called Somo has an insane right hand reef on the Northern side of the 6mile long beach.

Finale: Portugal. This is going to be around November time when the rest of Europe is getting slightly chilly, so we’re heading south to Lagos. The idea is that we get the wintery swells, but also the warm weather as we’re going to be about as close to Africa as you can get.

The beaches around Lagos are some of the most beautiful in the Algarve region and the area is full of history and tourism, which suits the culture vulture and social monster inside me fine. However, a trip to Portugal wouldn’t be complete without a stint in Peniche. I don’t need to say much to be fair, just let this picture do the talking.

Thanks to http://www.balealsurfcamp.com for the image.

That’s the planning done. Next up, accommodation and wheels…

Max

September is a golden month in surfing for many locations around the world. The Atlantic tends to be at its warmest and the Atlantic storms (and Hurricanes) start to produce long range swells as far away as the Eastern seaboard of the USA. These swells travel the width of the Atlantic arriving on the shores of Portugal, Spain, France, United Kingdom, The Canary Islands and Morocco.

The further the swell travels the more organised and “lined-up” the waves will be, perfect for surfing.

Not long till September and storms are starting to develop in the Atlantic Ocean.

September is perfect for surfing in Portugal, Spain, France, United Kingdom and The Canary Islands. The autumn swells kick in while the summer crowds return back to school.

In Morocco September is the start of the surf season which will last till May the following year.

Here are our Top Five Surf Locations in September:

1. Loredo, Spain
2. South Portugal
3. Morocco
4. The Canary Islands
5. South West France

Surfing holidays in Northern Spain are ideal for families, couples and single surfers. The best months are from March through till November. August can get busy but outside of this time expect fun waves, good food and a chilled vibe.

You should arrive into Santander by air or even by ferry from Portsmouth or Plymouth.

Award winning surf holiday company Errant Surf, has this week launched a range of stunning apartments, villa’s and self-catering houses, located in some of the world’s best surfing locations.

Each and every self-catering option has had to pass the high standards and criteria set out by the team at Errant Surf Holidays.

“Over the last six years we have become well known for providing exceptional surfing holidays for couples, families and single people in surf camps, hotels and guesthouses around the surfing world” said Chris Thomson, managing director “having talked to our customers we started to realise that self-catering accommodation options which were well located near surf spots would be welcomed.”

In line with the recent launch of its self-catering division, Errant Surf Holidays are offering a crazy £400 off per week (code 40011) at the Mafra Surf Villa, one of its luxury villa’s in Ericeira, Portugal.

The Mafra Surf Villa in Ericeira, Portugal, perfectly blends space and close proximity St Juliao beach with the luxury and privacy of a tucked away gem. This stunning villa is moments from the best surf in West Portugal, restaurants, bars and shops of Ericeira. Split over two floors, the villa has a shared large dining room and lounge. A outdoor swimming pool, exclusive for Errant surf customers and a large garden surrounding the villa with a terrace and BBQ area. There are four large rooms (each sleep upto four people) with five good sized bathrooms within the villa.

For more information on the Mafra Surf Villa go to:

http://www.errantsurf.com/stay/Portugal%20-%20Mafra%20Surf%20Villa%20-%20St%20Juliao%20Beach/

Or call Errant on 02032 873330

Why not take the children (and teenagers) away this Easter to go surfing? A great way for them to explore new countries, languages and local customs. A fantastic way for you to get away drink some fine Spanish/French/South African wine, eat at good restaurants and have the children surf all day long (guaranteed early nights!)

We take a look at our top three family surfing locations over Easter. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Loredo – Spain

Located 20 minutes from the city of Santander and one hour west of Bilbao, Loredo is a well-kept surfers town. With a three mile sweeping bay and backed by the snow-capped mountains of the Pico’s de Europa, Loredo ticks all the boxes of that Easter surfing holiday.

The Good – Easy to get to, fly cheap and within two hours from London and Dublin with Ryan Air. Good food. Good accommodation options.

The Ugly – Sleeping in the afternoon, a good bottle of Rioja and long coastal walks. It’s not that ugly to be honest.

The Bad – Not much in the way of night life, unless you want to head into Santander.

Newquay – Uk

A once tucked away fishing village in the county of Cornwall, Newquay has been the epi-centre of surfing in the United Kingdom since the early 60′s. It has over seven stunning beaches with different surf on any given day and warmer than you would expect water temperatures.

The Good – Some of the best surf coaching in Europe. Drive or Fly into Newquay. Home away from home

The Bad – Hey, it could rain, but you’re going to be wet anyway!

The Ugly – Summer holidays. Newquay gets crazy busy. Come outside these months and see a side to Newquay the locals like to keep hush.

Lanzarote – Canary Islands

Leave the tacky tourist strip of the south to the package holidays. Come surfing with us in the North, at the safe and fun beach of Famara Playa. You’ll feel like you have travelled to another country, this is real Canarian life. Rustic bars, handy shops and private apartments overlooking the Atlantic.

The Good – Year round sunshine, real taste of Canarian life and plenty to see and do.

The Bad – Sun burn, bring some cream!

The Ugly – Bring a phrase a book and learn some Spanish.

So these are our ideas for sensible-priced, fun-packed mini surfing holidays for your Easter break with the family.  If you want to try something a little further afield, we have plenty of options in Bali, Barbados, Sri Lanka and more.  If not, whatever you choose to do, have a choc-filled Easter break.

This is my second surf and pilates week at La lovely Hosteria in Spain, and I must confess last time I was rather lax on the pilates front. Therefore, this week, I am determined to be a star pupil, attend every class and work my abs, buns and tum without uttering a letter of complaint. And my determination is working – because I’m actually enjoying it! It’s hard, not only the getting up at 8am, but the subtle movements and muscle work that really penetrate into that inner body structure we call “the core”. But I can actually feel different layers of muscle working when I want them to, and that I’m developing some sort of control over parts of my body. The surf on the other hand has been slightly more testing! According to reports it was meant to be flat, so we have been lucky enough to have waves at least. And with conditions way warmer than the UK, the girls have been doing really well getting to grips with a new coach (me), new equipment, new surroundings and new challenges. We have a small group of mixed ability, so I am trying to spent time with each individual; finding out their goals, strengths and weaknesses and working through them together, at their own pace. There’s no pressure, and it looks set to be an enjoyable week because it’s obvious, first and foremost, these girls just wanna have fun!

1) Southern Portugal – Amazingly close to the rest of Europe, yet strangely much warmer than the rest of Europe. Cheap flights (if your not flying over from the USA/Canada), good wine (although green) and of course the perfect surf season for all levels.

2) Northern Spain – While not a hot as South Portugal, surfing in Northern Spain is one of life’s little pleasures. Sometimes over shadowed by the buzzing south west French towns of Hossegor, Northern Spain is a hub of amazing waves, even better food and some of the world’s best “vistas”. Think long empty beaches, and this is Northern Spain. Oh, forgot to mention, £10 flights to Santander with Ryan Air from London, Germany and Denmark.

3) Indian Ocean – Sweeping statement I know. But April is the start of the surfing season in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. Big, long distance ocean swells travel north to the palm beaches of the mentioned countries. As islands the waves will vary from beach to beach, bay to bay, so no matter what level you are there will be waves to suit.

4) Barbados – Ah the opposite surf season to the Indian Ocean, but catch some late season surf and you’ll be on your own (well maybe). Barbados is home to day in, day out surfing. Think rum, sunshine, turtles, rum, surf, fresh fish and rum.

5) California - Slipping in at number five is the good ol’ state of California. Spring is perfect for hitting the long peeling waves of one of the most surf drenched coastlines in the world. From hanging ten at Malibu to busting airs at Trestles, Cali has something for all surfers.