Buying wetsuits for surfing: A ‘how to’ guide

Jeff    Surf Gear, surfingholidays     Surf gear, Surfing, surfing gear, surfing holidays, wetsuit for surfing

Naturally, you’ll need a wetsuit to ensure your winter surfing sessions last longer than five minutes. But when buying wetsuits you can’t just throw on any neoprene sweater and paddle out. And you’re likely to need a suit to match spring and autumn conditions too.

Wetsuited and living it. Image: Flickr/ gordontarpley

Water is denser than air, less forgiving, and voraciously steals your body heat. When it’s cool outside, surfing will increase circulation and make you feel warm. And although blood will be pumping as you paddle around looking for waves, the sensation of body warmth is soon lost in cool water.

The golden rule of buying wetsuits is simple: the thicker the suit, the warmer and less flexible it will be. Of course we’d all like to be comfortably warm when surfing, but because surfers require a great range of motion – especially in the shoulders and arms – we have to find a happy medium between the warmth and flexibility of our wetsuits.

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Surfing Equipment: How to buy a Longboard

Jeff    surfingholidays     longboard, longboards, Surf, surfboards, Surfing, surfing equipment, surfing gear, surfing holidays, watersports

As surfing equipment goes, a longboard is the most legendary of designs. Built for the sole purpose of catching waves, they can range anywhere from 8 to 12 feet in length, utilize different fin set-ups, and showcase a variety of shaping modifications.

Longboards in action. Photo: Flickr/Bengt E Nyman

Why buy a longboard?

Longboards are often a good choice for novice surfers looking to familiarize themselves with the sport. Their mass and volume make longboards more buoyant than other boards and therefore easier to paddle and catch waves.

When determining how to buy a longboard, ask yourself three things.

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Visiting New York? Check out its top surfing spots

Jeff    surfingholidays     new york, surf destinations, surf spots, Surfing, surfing holidays, Surfing in New York, US, USA holidays

New York City never quite makes it to the top of the list of surfing destinations. With so much financial, cultural, and political bustle, the city is often overlooked as a surfing destination altogether.

Great waves near New York Image: Flickr/ Dr DAD

But geographically, Manhattan is the converging point of two notable Atlantic coastlines: Long Island and New Jersey. The beaches and shores that stretch east and south of the great metropolis can drum up some of the finest waves in the world – winter produces the most consistent surf, so don’t forget your hood and boots.

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Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds: Surfing Dropouts?

Jeff    surfingholidays     ASP tour, pro surfing, Surf, Surfers, Surfing, surfing holidays

Recent months have seen two of the ASP’s top competitors deliberately and indefinitely drop from the roster. This summer, Bobby Martinez unleashed a flurry of expletives for the association after his swan song session in New York – effectively cutting his tie with professional competition.

Association or not, it's a solo sport Image: Flickr/Daniel Flower

Then, in December, ever-popular Dane Reynolds tendered his resignation with an unusually revealing blog post on his website. The tour they are leaving behind represents the apex of the sport to many: the best of the best duking it out on the best waves in the world. Competition is fierce just to be considered for the world tour.

Money. Travel. Fame. Waves. What could make these two men willingly leave the “Dream Tour”?

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Top 10 Surf Spots in the Canary Islands

Jeff    surfingholidays, Top 10s     Canary Islands, Spain, Surf, Surfing, surfing holidays, Surfing spots

Enjoying warmer water and sunnier weather than the UK, the Canary Islands is a great surf holiday destination. The Canaries pick up swell from all directions and their craggy coastlines convert the ocean’s energy into a variety of waves capable of satiating every type of surfer.

Serious surf potential: Image Flickr/ El coleccionista de instantes

From heaving lefts to peaky beach breaks to long, peeling right points, these islands provide such a vast array of choices you could surf the entire winter without surfing in the Canary Islands and visiting the same spot wave twice. But, in the interest of fine tuning your holiday plans, the following is a list of the top 10 surf spots in the Canary Islands.

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5 of the best beginner surfing spots in Australia

Mark Pawlak    surfingholidays, Top 10s     australia, learn to surf, Surf Clothing, surf schools, Surfing, surfing holidays, Surfing in Australia

It is all too easy to become a beach bum in Australia. With so many glorious sandy stretches, there are ample opportunities to kick back with a cold brew and enjoy some quality sweet-doing-nothing me time. But watching so many surfers gliding effortlessly out at sea, curiosity might start to get the better of you.

Oz: the place to catch your first wave. Image: Flickr/daveconray

And why not? Surfing is Australia’s national sport and with so many surfing schools dotted around the country, it is one of the best places to learn. So, check out 5 of our favourite places to learn to surf in Australia whether you want to avoid the crowds, need a convenient location close to the city or want to hide your wobbly falls or bikini mishaps from the boys.

Find out how you could win a free surfing lesson for you and 3 friends in Australia below, then visit the HostelBookers blog to get involved!

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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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