Oggs Blogs - My First Day at Surf Club

Jo Ogden has been a member at NWSC for a couple of years now and is an accomplished stand up comic, poet and writer. This year she will be giving us her insights to surf club from a members point of view and progressing surfer. Over to you Jo!

When I first moved to Newquay, I moved out of London to be by the sea, but I had no fancy aspirations of being a surfer. I was just turning 40 and had bought a bungalow for heavens sake.

Then over that first year or two; when your old friends still remember you and some of them still visit, you have to find fun stuff to do, to try and validate your reasons for leaving. For two of those friends, I thought a good laugh might be to take them for a surf lesson. I read reviews and picked local surf schools that seemed to know what they were doing. A one-off, half-day surf lesson in a mixed group can cost around £30 to £40 per person, depending on which school you choose/deal you get.

And so it was, that I first struggled into a loaned wetsuit, and in a mixed group of 12+ people, first heard the safety talk about sticking your fist in the air if you get in a panic, first stood in the white water next to a surf school issue eight-foot foamie and spent two hours laughing at myself for falling into the sea over and over and over again.

Did I stand up in that first lesson? No. Did I stand up second time? Only just. Am I the slowest learner ever, when it comes to surfing? Possibly. Did I have fun? Yes. Will surfing make you cool? Not for a while yet. Get used to laughing at yourself first.

I had two great lessons, with two separate friends over the space of almost two years. Those friends went home to their awful desperate lives in London with no ocean (I’m sure they actually both have lovely ocean-less lives), but I was left wanting more. The thing is; if you want the safety and comfort of an instructor being there, as I did, learning to surf will quickly get expensive.

Of course you can meet up with other surfers you don’t know, found on Facebook, maybe. Or go with that one chap you spoke to in a pub, that said he would take you out, but his spare board is in a mate’s shed and you don’t know if you can keep up and don’t really want to spend an hour in the ocean watching them have fun, while you’re exhausted and terrified. Is there another way?

I started to look for groups to join, so that I could go surfing again, without breaking the bank (or my spirit) and a friend pointed me towards Newquay Women’s Surf Club. I looked them up, read about it, procrastinated for a few weeks promising I’d do it, and then eventually I did.

You book your space for the sessions online. (https://www.newquaysurfclub.co.uk/booknow) You don’t have to be a member to try out; it’s just a few pounds more to book per session. Fill the form in. Pay the fee. That’s it. You’re going surfing.

It was June 2018 that I first went along to one of their sunset surf sessions. It wasn’t important to me that it was an all women’s group, I was just grateful, that I could get in the sea in the safety of an organised group with trained instructors for £7-12 a go, as opposed to £30+ a go.

As it turns out there is an extra comfort and a special vibe from being in a group with other women trying something new, getting in the sea together and being supported and guided by experienced, friendly and super encouraging female instructors. They will whoop you. Beware. They will get as much joy from your success as you do. They will cheer you on and whoop when you didn’t know you needed a whoop.

The club meets at the Quiksilver Surf School right next to the Esplanade Hotel at South Fistral. I don’t know about you, but for me knowing I have to get back from work, get my stuff together, drive somewhere unfamiliar, then find somewhere to park is enough to dampen my enthusiasm for any new activity. Give yourself a bit of extra time to find a parking space along Esplanade Road or a nearby street. You will find a space, but it can get busy in the height of the summer season, so the extra time will help and don’t panic - the instructors are very good at making sure everyone is there before heading down to the beach. You’ve found a parking space, you’ve got to the hotel, head into the Quiksilver Surf School shop, tell them your name and they’ll book you in. They’ll ask you what you need, find it for you and tell you where you can get ready.

NWSC with the support of Quiksilver Surf School will lend you everything you need to take part in a session if you need it. If you find you enjoy surfing, you’ll want to get your own kit, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on gear to try surfing. For as long as you need, they can lend you board, wetsuit (and if you are mad/hooked enough to go in winter; boots, gloves and hood). They will kit you out, so don’t worry about that.

There are changing rooms and showers and it is all secure to leave your stuff while on the beach. I’ll be honest – it’s not super fancy, but they work hard to keep it clean and if you do get into surfing after a while, once you’ve changed to surf in a car park, on the beach or by the side of the road, you’ll realise this is luxury. *

They allow 30 minutes for everyone to arrive, change, get their selves ready, then we all head down to the beach.  I should insert a little warning about carrying a surfboard to the beach, you might feel like your arms are going to fall off the first few times, but they won’t, I promise and you do get used to it. And look at you. You’re being active and carrying things. Well done. That’s a win and you haven’t even got your toes wet yet.

When you make it down the stairs to the beach, there is a warm up. A note about that: Sometimes it is a run, sometimes it is a stretching session, sometimes it is both, sometimes it is a game and you have to pretend to be a crab. Please refer to my earlier point about learning to laugh at yourself. I often grumble through the whole lot, but that’s me and apparently my grumbly face is quite funny, so I get away with it. It doesn’t take long and will help you ache less tomorrow.

You can come to club with absolutely zero experience or lots, they’ll guide you into groups according to that and look after your every need. There is usually around 10 to 15 minutes of surf theory from safety and technique, to wind and tides, to pop-ups and wave choice, suited to what you need to know on that day. I can’t say enough good things about the instructors that run these sessions. Listen to what they tell you. They know their stuff.

Then it is time to head into the sea, so it is leashes on and into the water. The instructors keep a keen eye on everyone and make sure you are all safe and enjoying the water. If you aren’t sure of anything, you can call on them to help you with a push on to the wave or advice on anything you are stuck with. Keep an eye on where they are, so you don’t get too far from the group.

Expect to be in the water for a little over an hour and for it to feel more like twenty minutes. How that time goes, depends on the waves, how you get on that day and a million other things. It will be different for everyone and different every time, so sort of difficult to explain and you’ll just have to try it out for yourself. In the meantime, I’ll end on a quick Q & A.

Q. Is the sea cold?

A. Usually, but you shouldn’t notice it after the first few minutes. That’s why some bright spark invented wetsuits.

Q. Will I catch every wave?

A. Ha ha ha ha ha. NO.

Q. Will I fall off?

A. Yes, so much. Falling off is all part of the fun.

Q. Do the waves bash you in the head?

A. At times, yes.

Q. Will the instructors shout “PADDLE, PADDLE, PADDLE” at me?

A. Yes. A Lot. And also “LOOK UP”.

Q. I’m not a confident swimmer; will I be out of my depth?

A. You should be able to swim, but you never need go out of your depth until you are comfortable and don’t forget you are attached to an eight-foot flotation device. For as long as you want, you can stay in the white water and you’ll be able to stand there, to catch those waves.

Q. How much snot where there will be?

A. I don’t know about your face, but this was new to me. So much snot. Oh god, maybe I’m the snottiest. This may not affect you. In which case, sorry for the over share.

Q. Will I stand up on that first session?

A. Maybe, (and they’ll whoop if you do) but even feeling the wave catch the board is an amazing rush. It feels awesome, so even if you just ride those first waves in on your belly or you make it to your knees, you’ll be finding out what’s so great about surfing. Or you might just fall off, but that’s fine too. You’ll probably still get a whoop.

Q. Is it even more difficult getting the board back up the stairs after?

A. Yes, but your arms still won’t fall off. I promise.

Q. Am I cool yet?

A. Hmmmmm. The aim of surfing is to stand up on a bit of foam or wood or fiberglass, while wearing a rubber suit and let the sea carry you along until you fall in.  It’s messy, it’s tiring, and it’s quite ridiculous if you over think it. If you enjoy it, it’s probably going to take a while for you to look cool doing it. But - You’re cool for trying something new. You’re cool for laughing at yourself.  Being in the sea while the sun is setting is really cool and the women that run Newquay Women’s Surf Club are super cool – so maybe that will rub off on you.

A note about me - I’ve written this from the perspective of someone who was very new to surfing, but all abilities are welcome in this group and it is a truly wondrous way to get in the sea with like minded women and have fun without worrying if you’re cool enough or not. I’ve made some fantastic friends through the group and it has been one of my absolute highlights of living in Newquay.

Before lockdown, I had just started to regularly paddle out back. It took me longer than most, but you go at your pace. I’m still working on catching the green waves once I’m there! Still, not bad for a 43 year old who lives in a bungalow.

During lockdown, I really enjoyed the online surf theory sessions while we haven’t been able to get in the sea and I can’t wait for sessions to start up again later this month.

*Covid-19 social distancing restrictions will apply to equipment use and changing facilities, check the notes on the website about that.

Jo Ogden, June 2020