Despite our prim and preppy appearances, we like to think we’re quite the team of action women here at Unique Homestays. Between us we’ve got a gig racing world champion, boot-camp fanatic, snowboarder, yogi, fencer and even an archery instructor (I’ll keep identities concealed for that one…) so when we were recently invited for some expert surfing tuition down in the UK’s surf capital, we quite literally jumped at the chance.
It was an early start and the sun was shining, so the girls crammed into my little convertible and we headed to Fistral beach in Newquay, where we were warmly greeted by owner Jey and surf coach Ash of Cornish Wave.
After we’d almost burst the seams of the safe with our collection of sunglasses, mobile phones and Catherine’s (Granny’s) never-ending vintage jewels, we got suited up and waddled down to the beach for some warm ups on the sand. Ash showed us the ropes and reminded us of some basic beach safety information (it’s been a while since the days of Girl Guide camps, and our charming instructor made it all seem much more interesting than Brown Owl did).
Then, it was time to hit the waves.
We spent about 45 minutes in the water with super enthusiastic Ash keeping a close eye on us, cheering as we caught waves and belly-boarded into the shore.
There were a few wipe outs (good job we’d all remembered waterproof mascara) but then once we’d got the hang of it, it all became pretty good fun. We had a whale of a time.
Ash pulled us all out the water for a quick tutorial on standing up, and it was back in the blue to give it a go.
Cowabunga baby!
It wasn’t long before the sea started to get a little more crowded, and with arms sore from surfing and bellies sore from laughing, we decided to call it a day and head back to base camp for a hot shower and spot of lunch overlooking our new favourite playground.
A huge thanks to the team at Cornish Wave, who were the perfect mix of laid-back, professional and completely brilliant.
Cornish Wave are a leading provider of surf lessons for beginners and intermediate surfers, specialising in private bespoke surfing and coasteering activity packages for couples and families.
Feel inspired to book your own luxury surf retreat? See our collection of unique coastal properties perfect for surfing breaks.
