“A surf camp in Cornwall? Where is that? Are you going surfing in England? Is there even surfing there? Won’t you freeze?” These are just a few of the questions I got from everyone I told about where I was going.
Yes, it was a new and unknown destination for me too, but that didn’t stop me; on the contrary, it attracted me even more. Of course, England is rainy, but it promises greenery and beautiful nature. When I googled our beach, it was beautiful, with the ocean, cliffs, green meadows, and hills. Everything I love together. I have to go!
Our surf & yoga camp with Your green wave took place at Crantock Beach, in Crantock, near the town (and airport) of Newquay. Of course, I initially had doubts that it would be cold there. I immediately checked the ocean temperature on Weather2travel. 12 degrees. Shock! But they say the thickest wetsuit will do the trick.
London calling first
There are several options for getting to Newquay. Flights to Newquay can be planned with a stopover via London, Bristol, or Manchester. A low-cost airline flies daily from London’s Heathrow Airport. However, there is also a very good bus connection with National Express from London’s Victoria Coach Station.
Anyway, you can spice up your journey with a layover. For me, it was an obvious choice – in one of the best cities ever – London. It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t catch some little cherry on top, and this time I unknowingly planned my trip on one of the most important dates of our time. On the day I arrived in London, the coronation of King Charles III took place. Immediately, I thought the city would be packed, even more than usual. I was worried about the traffic, but everything was tip-top. Londoners didn’t really mind, but of course, many people from surrounding towns and countryside flocked to the city. Fortunately, my routes were not affected at all. I went to London to visit a friend, a former colleague with whom I traveled and worked on reality shows like Love Island and Survivor. But I will write about London separately; now let’s go surfing in Cornwall 🙂
Journey from London to Newquay
traveled from London to Newquay by National Express overnight bus. The trip cost me 23 pounds including a reserved seat, which turned out to be unnecessary. The bus was not full at all, and everyone had their own comfortable “double bed.” During the journey, we had a half-hour break at a rest stop where we replenished our sugar supplies (some had hamburgers and the like). Then we continued on. I slept through the rest of the trip and woke up in beautiful Cornwall 🙂
Crantock, Cornwall
At the beautiful hour of 5:30 in the morning, our organizer, the one and only Pítrs, was already waiting for me at the bus stop 🙂 I was greeted by typical English weather, which troubled us for the next three days. The trip from Newquay to Crantock took about 20 minutes. Crantock is a small village with just under a thousand inhabitants, mostly older people, one roundabout, a small shop, a few businesses, and a community center where we had yoga and video coaching sessions.
Accommodation at the Cornwall Surf Camp
We stayed in static caravans at a campsite about a 10-minute walk from the beach, with a beautiful view of the ocean 🙂 Cornwall was love at first sight.
The caravan had two bedrooms for sleeping, a kitchen, a bathroom with a toilet and shower, and a living room with a romantic fireplace 🙂 Besides that, it also had practical central heating, which, although not romantic, was very useful.
There were three of us staying there. I already knew David from previous surf camps, and I met Adel only there, but we quickly bonded and in our tiny little house, we had a great family vibe. Plus, Adel is a chef, what more could we wish for 🙂
Timing is everything
The first few days were rainy, but that didn’t stop us, so we set out for our first surf lesson between the raindrops. At the surf school on the beach, we picked out wetsuits, booties, and rented surfboards. It was starting to get dark, but we went anyway. The moment we reached the beach, it suddenly poured and the wind picked up fiercely. We sat on our boards on the beach trying not to get blown away. I think hail even fell for a bit. Of course, we decided to skip the lesson, and when the wind calmed down a bit, we immediately turned back. Soaked and freezing, we returned from our first unsuccessful mission. Then we went to lift our spirits at a local pub.
Photo: David Betuš
The following days were beautiful, and we finally got rolling. Verča had told me long ago that Pítrs is the best surf instructor. And it was true 🙂 Years of experience, a great personal approach, lots of fun, and the biggest cheer-up when you catch a wave 🙂 Besides valuable advice, Pítrs radiates incredible energy and good vibes. It’s amazing to see someone living their passion like this. The whole camp just had an absolute vibe 🙂
Pítrs is essentially a local; he lives with his family in Cornwall and you can find him at the Big Green Surf school in Crantock. That’s why he knew exactly when to schedule our camp. We managed to do it two weeks before the main summer season, at the beginning of May. Although this meant unpredictable weather and colder ocean temperatures, the huge advantage was that there were very few people around. Almost none. On the lineup, it was often just our advanced surfers and a few locals who were very friendly and welcoming. So, we all got to try the lineup a few times 🙂
Surfin UK
The waves at Crantock Beach were incredible! Mostly, we surfed on unbroken waves, where we honed our technique, especially takeoffs, stance, and turns. Twice, I even dared to go out to the lineup and rode four beautiful green waves! I’m updating my personal best wave stats to include the second green wave I caught completely on my own (no push, but with huge cheering from Pítrs :)) and rode it beautifully all the way to the beach 🙂 I love surfing! I love that feeling!
The ocean was cold, I admit. When a bit of water splashed under my wetsuit after an hour, I wasn’t feeling great. But once moving, it was all manageable. And when the sun was shining and there was no wind on my head, I didn’t feel the cold at all. And if I say so, you can believe me! Anyone who knows me knows how sensitive I am to cold. In the last two lessons, I even kicked off my slippers because they were in the way and I was stumbling during takeoff 😀 And I managed just fine.
Yoga, Surfskate, and Video Coaching
Besides surfing, we also had yoga sessions with the amazing Verča Ševčíková. Yoga is a great complement to surfing as it helps relieve overworked shoulders and improves flexibility and explosiveness for takeoff.
During the camp, we also had two video coaching sessions. David, our resident photographer and videomaker, filmed us during the lessons, and in the evening, we watched the videos while Pítr analyzed each ride, offering valuable tips and tricks to everyone.
Besides Pítrs, there is another Czech in the Big Green Surf School, the amazing Adam Žáček, who is not only a surf coach but also a surf skating trainer. Naturally, we had to take advantage of this and planned a surf skate lesson as well. I have to admit, I wasn’t good at it 😀 Although we were wrapped in protective gear, I still ended up with some scratches from the skate. Falling on concrete hurts more than falling into the ocean. But it’s okay, I listened to valuable advice that I later tried out in the ocean and OMG! Lifechanger! The stance and turns—everything actually works in the end!
Swimming Seals
One wouldn’t think so, but amidst all the activities, we still found time to explore the surroundings 🙂 We also visited Newquay, where we enjoyed a tasty brunch, a walk along the beach, and some shopping. We took a walk to the nearby Polly Joke beach, where besides sheep, we eventually saw swimming seals. The views of the cliffs and the vast ocean were absolutely breathtaking. Cornwall was love at first sight and definitely lived up to all its promises for me. Absolutely in every way! 🙂
