The autumn half term at the end of October is a great time for beginner surfers to get away in the UK when it’s not too crowded. With the water temperature in Croyde, Devon around 15°C it can often feel warmer in the sea than out and isn’t much colder than the peak temperatures in August.
We visited for a week this October 2019 and thoroughly enjoyed the beach breaks on offer. Beach breaks are great for learning to surf with waves breaking onto a shallow beach and some say Croyde offers some of the best beach breaks in the world. We’ve been travelling here almost yearly since the mid nineties and now it’s time for our kids to be in the water safely on their own.
Originally hiring beginners foam surfboards to get them started, this year we purchased a couple of 7ft Hotsurf 69 Mini Mal’s. Light enough for the kids to carry down to the sea themselves and with enough volume to surf even the smallest breaks. Hotsurf 69 based in Perranporth, Cornwall are a friendly bunch and the boards cost less than about five hire fees – perfect if you are only planning to surf a few times a year.
Two 7ft boards fit in the T5 campervan easily with enough space for one rear passenger, they’re strapped to the underside of the roof bed (the boards, not the passenger). Maybe next year we’ll invest in a roof rack – if the kids decide surfing really is for them. These boards don’t necessarily need waxing so both are stored in the dining room until early next year!
Here’s a video snippet of the girl’s first surfing lesson in 2015 …
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