The (until now) unwritten rules of surfing.

Surfing is not governed like other sports. This is what makes surfing so much fun, unlimited and consistently growing in terms of new elements. There is, however, a ‘surfer’s etiquette’; a number of generalised ‘rules’ which surfers adhere to out of respect for those they share the water with. Some generalised principles are listed below:

• Never ‘drop in’ on somebody else’s wave – While offenders are no longer tamed by the promise of execution Hawaiians once faced if they had the audacity to … Continue Reading
  

Sick of those Easter eggs? Yup we are, and we are mad keen to hit the surf in time for spring. So to help you choose the right location for you this April we have called an important board meeting and now have the official, as long as Mother Nature plays the game, where to go surfing this April top five.

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 … Continue Reading

Learn to surf – Catching a wave

One of the hardest things when you learn to surf is actually catching a wave. It requires timing, paddling and a little bit of luck.

To begin with, rather than paddling straight out, its best to learn how to catch a few broken whitewater waves closer to the beach. You should have your ideal trim/paddling position at this stage, so point your surf board directly towards the beach and as the whitewater approaches paddle towards shore at a nice steady pace, keeping your head up and looking towards the beach. … Continue Reading

There is something great about actually owning your own surfboard (and wetsuit!).

All those hours spent surfing, are soon going to be spent on the same surfboard, and this will help your surfing no end. Surfing has so many variables in surfing already, that by using your own equipment you get rid of at least one!

1.CHOOSING YOUR FIRST SURFBOARD: Buy a second hand surfboard, or ask at your local shop for a good mini-mal package which should include a board, bag and a leash. Surfboards that are suitable for beginners are always in demand, they will hold their value if … Continue Reading

September and October are great months for surfing. It is prime surf season for mainland Europe, with the best locations in Northern Spain, South West France, West Portugal and South Portugal. As we head into Autumn it is also a good couple of months for Morocco in Africa, or the Canary Islands as the slightly bigger swells of the North Atlantic in September and October start to fan down this far.

September and October also see’s the world professional surf tour arrive in France and Portugal. Check out … Continue Reading

So you have mastered the fine art of jumping to your feet and wiping out all in the white water! Sooner or later the temptation of surfing unbroken waves or “green” waves gets too much, and you are going to have to learn how to paddle out past the white water.

Unless you are surfing a spot with a good channel (deep water trench) or you are surfing a point where you can paddle out around the waves instead of through it, paddling out will be an issue. Once the surf starts to get bigger than a couple of feet , … Continue Reading

For pro-surfers like nine-time world champion Kelly Slater, flying from continent to continent looking for the perfect wave seems like a freewheeling lifestyle, but for amateurs, it requires careful planning.

Surfing champ Kelly Slater gains altitude at Hossegor, France, in 2002.

Surfers checking out unique vibes at sites in Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii and France are driven by the buzz that comes from exhilarating swells, breaking waves and amazing barrel tubes … Continue Reading

The relationship between surfers and their boards is close. Sometimes very close. Many surfers feel their boards are like a physical part of them. As a result, they accept no substitutes — or rentals. They bring their boards.

Traveling with a 9-foot, 70-pound piece of sporting equipment can be expensive. Several airlines hit surfboard-toting travelers with stiff fees, sometimes hundreds of dollars. But a few carriers will allow surfboards to be checked as baggage free, within certain guidelines.

Here’s a quick list of policies among major airlines for travel with surfboards as checked … Continue Reading

With over nine countries all with year round surf, Europe is as diverse for its surf breaks as it is for its food, culture and languages. During the summer months, when the North Atlantic storms drift away and the surf decreases in size, many surfers dust off their longboard or longer, longboard and go in search of those classic summer sessions. After hours of pondering, debating and a lot of dreaming Errant Surf Holidays has listed 8 waves you must surf on a longboard this summer!… Continue Reading