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Saltburn by the Sea is perhaps not the first place you'd expect to find an excellent surfing beach, yet the north-facing sands consistently come up with the goods and recent years have seen the development of a large community of surfers. The North Sea may often look grey and uninviting, but you'll find great beach breaks on either side of the old pier, which work best at high tide and are well suited to beginners and intermediates - it has a North facing break that picks up most swell on this stretch of coast. To the south are more powerful breaks appreciated by experienced surfers, who also come here for the reef and point breaks scattered along this section of the North Sea coast. There is a Surf Shop on the beach front which offers the opportunity for the adventurous to experience the thrills of surfing, boogie boarding, surf skiing or windsurfing - everything from an hours tuition to a day’s full surfing for the keen enthusiast.
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A Guide to Surfing
Sport has always been a large part of British culture and for anyone who thinks that today`s popular outdoor
adventure activities have a reputation of being dangerous, well then they should consider themselves lucky to
have not been around when there were no shin pads, lightweight helmets and swimwear was made of wool. But the
inevitable evolution of sport means that today, people can try their hand at just about anything; from motocross
racing and skateboarding, to skiing and windsurfing, all of which have their own dedicated community, but it is
perhaps the world of surfing that has the most exciting international appeal.
Surfing can be a great spectator sport, there are plenty of surfing competitions held around the world that
attract large and enthusiastic crowds, but it is probably fair to say that this is one sport that even the most
experienced rider can`t make look easy. The concept seems simple – stand on a board in the sea and hold your balance
as the waves carry you back to shore. But we can all imagine that there is a great deal of skill involved and the fun
is in the practice.
Beginners should consider how good a swimmer they are before taking to the sea; as with all sports,
there is a degree of risk involved and the sea can be an unpredictable force of nature, and often a very cold one.
It would be wise to never venture too far out to sea, certainly never farther than you feel comfortable swimming if
you didn`t have a surf board – leg ropes can and do occasionally break.
Choosing the right surf board can be tricky for a newcomer, more experienced riders tend to have longer, narrow
boards which move faster in the water but sticking to wider boards that will give floatation and allow for easy paddling
will be an advantage. A good sized board for a beginner would be around seven feet long and 19-21 inches wide, as well as
being 2-3 inches thick, at the very least; the board should stand a good foot taller than you when held upright. WestBay
Surfboards are amongst some of the more popular brands found in Ireland, and Firewire, SPLIT and Becker are also well
respected manufacturers internationally
Once your board is waxed and ready and you have finished warming up those muscles in preparation for your first
venture out, it is a good idea to practice on dry land before going into the water and ideally get an instructor to
help show you the required manoeuvres and basic principles of how to ride the waves.
Surfers should never go out into the water alone, and beginners should consider the necessary safety gear such
as wet suit, body guard, helmet, leg rope and safety nose guard on the board to prevent dangerous impacts. If your
board does come loose, then try to get back to it as soon as possible as loose boards can be very dangerous objects
for swimmers. Some of the leading brands that specialise in surf clothing and safety gear include Ripcurl, Roxy,
Volcom, Quicksilver and Billabong. To find out more about what`s hot and what`s not in all things surf wear, visit
Billabong Clothes.
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