Learning to surf? Make the most of UK’s Autumn waves

Lucy Grewcock    surfingholidays     learning to surf, Surf, surf school, Surfing, surfing holidays in Britain, surfing in the UK, surfing in UK, water sports

Learnt to surf this summer and eager to do more? Good news: autumn is the best time in the UK for hitting the waves and it provides ideal conditions for progressing further.

Autumn waves bring space to practice Image:Flickr/ Peter Morgan

Autumn’s Atlantic swells bring in bigger, cleaner and more consistent waves and, after the long, hot (ahem) summer,  our British waters have warmed to a comfortable average  of around 14 degrees. Compared to summer’s 1 to 4-foot wave-lets, October can see anything from 4 to 12 feet; perfect for taking your surfing skills to the next level.

To make the most of autumn surfing in the UK, it’s worth taking a few things into consideration first…

Wetsuit

With cloudier skies and less direct sunlight heating up your neoprene, a 2mm summer wetsuit will likely reduce your time spent in the water. Get yourself kitted out with a decent 4/3mm wetsuit, or thicker if you feel the cold and want to carry on into winter. Look for sealed seams, a snug fit and go for a zipper-less option for added warmth.

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Wakeboarding: the off-season snowboarding option

Mark Pawlak    wakeboardworldwide     Skiing, Snowboarding, Wakeboard, wakeboard holidays, Wakeboarding

In the height of summer it’s hardly easy to keep up your snowboarding skills. While the local snowdome might be one option, it’s clearly not that much like the real thing – and even when it’s open air, there’s little to keep you close to nature – probably why wakeboarding is such a popular off-season sport for snowboarders

Wakeboarding on a river Image: Flickr/Derek Purdy

Thanks to there being just one board instead of two water skis, the parallels between the sports are obvious. And there are great tricks you can pull as well as lines you can carve.

All the board sports are kind of related: much has been written about surfers using skateboards when the seas are flat, and there are clear similarities between kitesurfing and kite buggying. As for skiing and water skiing – well, I think you get it…

Wakeboarding even shares technical terms, such as ‘kickers’ and ‘sliders’, and as with skiing, it’s largely a solo activity. Solo that is until you return to your little hostel world – staying in a hotel’s just not as much fun – and catch up with the other people who’ve also booked a course. It’s an exhilarating activity, one that looks set to further benefit from the upsurge in adventures sports and our continued love of the water.

It’s also great if you are travelling around the world and you are thousands of miles and several months from the nearest slopes. Off-piste substitute or snowboard supplement? You decide.

Safari: conservation in action

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, safariadventureholidays     Africa, eco-holidays, eco-tourism, safari, safari hoidays, tanzania

Each hostel New York has will have people staying who have travelled all over the world. It’s part of the hostel experience to mix and share stories, reveal travels far and wide, and soak up the experience of others. And one common theme or sensitivity comes through when socialising with well-travelled people: a love of nature.

Zebra in Tanzania Image: Flickr/ David Berkowitz

Our appreciation of the planet’s fragility is a relatively new thing. Until recently, surprisingly few people realised what impact we were having on the environment. Happily things are changing. One noticeable move is the interest in conservation holidays and eco-tourism. If there is one way to see nature up-close while directly supporting its protection, it’s by taking safari holidays.

Conservation, however, is not complete protection: animals on wildlife reserves are not hidden from natural predators, nor are they shielded from the worst nature can throw at them – just from the dangers we can pose to their survival.

Keeping animals in zoos helps breeding programmes for those truly endangered species, but to better understand how eco-systems and natural environments are preserved, it’s always best to get to the countries where these animals originate and see what’s being done.

Previously people went on game safaris to collect trophies; today tourists prefer to shoot animals with cameras. By going on safari your money goes into the local economy and helps create jobs. Well-trained guides help find you the best picture opportunities, and thanks to funding and international initiatives, some of the most precious habitats on Earth are helped. When managed properly, the safari offers real-time conservation and unforgettable travel experiences.

Skydiving: Will you pack your own chute?

Mark Pawlak    skydiveworldwide     free fall parachuteing, freefall, parachute, parachute jump, skydiving

The jump is the moment. But skydiving’s not just as straightforward as turning up, suiting up, jumping in a plane and then jumping out of it. There’s much to be done before your feet even leave the floor…

Pack your own chute? Image: Flickr/Horia Varlan

Aside from the refresher training you might choose to do, most of your time will be spent on safety checks and briefings. And when it comes to packing your chute don’t worry, you don’t always have to. If you are happier if someone more experienced than you prepares it, jump schools and riggers are more than happy to help.

They also offer training and guidance how to pack your chute, which in the end could also save you money. There’s no one set way to pack a parachute, although you will come across the following in your time in the sport: Stack Packing, also called Side Packing; Roll Packing; Pro Packing; and Trash Packing.

Skydiving isn’t the cheapest of sports, even if the experience really is priceless. To help reduce the overall costs, finding somewhere to stay within a short drive of the jump site is well advised. If you are staying in New York then stay in a New York hostel rather than a hotel, and look out for local transport options or buses laid on by the jump school.

And there’s one further consideration before packing a chute: you should read the instructions! If you’ve any issues or worries, the best people to contact are those who built, trialed and developed it – it’s likely they know best!

Mountain bike skills and avoiding the wipeout

Gabriel    mountainbikingholidays, Pro Tips     cycling, mountain biking, mountainbiking, MTB, off-road

Mountain biking is a balance. The thrill of the sport comes from balancing on the edge of colossal failure: that fine line between rocketing downhill full of endorphins, and the knowledge that one wrong move can stack you in the woods, break your bike and possibly your collar bone. No one wants to crash but sometimes it happens. Here are a few things to keep in mind to prevent a crash the next time you take the “knobbies” out to blast through the forest.

Try to avoid nosedive dismounts Image Flickr/ UltraRob

A: Anticipate your route.

Riding more means learning to read the terrain faster. When you stop looking at every single object that passes in front of you, you’ll begin to plan your attack more wisely. For instance, if you approach a wet patch of dirt and then have to climb a muddy pitch, think about hitting the puddle as fast as you can to make it as far up the pitch as possible. Stop thinking about the little things and look ahead.

B: Balance your body.

Good mountain bikers should always maintain a dynamic body position. Headed up a steep hill? Put your torso over the handle bars. Flying down a rocky descent? Put your back-side as far back as you can over your rear wheel. Hair-pin turns? Keep your inside pedal up and lean to the outside. The better balanced you are over the entire bike, the better your reaction will be when something unexpected comes along.

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New movies help book snowboarding holidays

Mark Pawlak    snowboardingholidays     aspen, Skiing, Snow, Snowboarding, snowboarding holidays, US

Skiing in Aspen is big business. The resort is one of the best-known locations for snow sports and has continued its tradition of screening the year’s best snow sports movies. At this year’s ‘The Meeting’ 12 movies were shown to audiences already stoked about the coming snowfalls and the potential for powder.

Mad moves, mad movies

So if you are getting ready for your season, or just hankering after some inspiration to get you booking a winter holiday in France, Austria or even Aspen, check out this clip.

It’s not a shiny pr vid showing you perfect slopes and shimmering snow crystals – this is definitely more up our street. We picked it as our favourite for its homegrown, homemade and half-jackass madness. It’s the latest offering from the damn juicy Meathead Films.

Now, is it going to be lazy beach Xmas or a full-on snowboarding holiday? If you’re still undecided, watch this:

“Prime Cut” Official 2011 Movie Trailer – Meathead Films from Meathead Films on Vimeo.