We're suckers for bleeding heart sob stories here at GAS so when local ripper and surf coach Paddy Daniel rocked up ashen with worry and lacking his usual exuberance we knew that we were about to get guilt-tripped into doing something.Paddy (far right), and his partners in crime Tassy Swallow, 17, (left) and Harry De Roth, 13, (the other one) are all from the area and have been chosen to surf for … [Read more...]

Spring is here. For definite. It must be spring - the surf has gone flat!Well, not quite flat but it's been pretty small as the Atlantic begins to calm down after a very busy winter. Meanwhile the Easter break is just two weeks away now so its time to put the finishing touches on the surf school. We gave her a lick of paint back in early February and now the summer stock is arriving so it's should … [Read more...]

What is supposedly the coldest time of the year is passing by nicely thank you very much. Sure, we're not in shorts and t-shirts but its been dry and relatively warm though the mist has been a bit of a pain. I haven't even had to light the fire in the evenings so thats a pretty good sign.And the surf? Well, that ain't been too shabby either. There has been plenty on swell in the last week or so … [Read more...]

Half term is upon us so its time to get things up and running for a week or so. Cornwall is still a little on the quiet side despite the kids having broken up for a week. This is not unusual for this time of year -  there may be a few more people around but its barely noticeable. I guess if you are thinking of a holiday at this time of year most people would prefer to hit the slopes in Europe … [Read more...]

To mark the beginning of what must surely be the best week of weather for the entire winter I did something extraordinary on Tuesday. I witnessed the birth of my son Finn Luke Bear Greenaway who weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs 10. Clearly I haven't been getting in the waves at all this week and from the screaming I heard earlier its doubtful if I'll get back in the water for a week or two but for … [Read more...]

There was I prattling on about how good the weather had been when all of a sudden the heavens opened. Its been a bit damp and stormy for the last couple of weeks to say the least and we have been stuck in a Westerly wind cycle. Westerlies are the 'pointless' winds in this part of the world. They just bring rain in the winter and there are no coves where you can shelter unless the swell is so large … [Read more...]

We are well and truly into 2012 and it looks like at long last there is going to be a break in the cycle of westerly winds that blight Cornish surfing.And hurrah for that.A nice big high pressure is looming into view but she just needs to track north past Portugal and over our fair shores. It'll bring some cold weather thought the winds will be much lighter; definitely lighter than the 100mph … [Read more...]

And 2011 draws to a close. Not with the bang that the early Autumn swells promised but with a bit of a whimper. There has been surf during December but there hasn't been a lot on offer other than some surfs down at Hayle on Boxing Day and the 27th and a few, by and large, diabolical surfs at Praa Sands.Overall though you'd have to say that 2011 was a good year. Surf-wise its been an incredibly … [Read more...]

I so hope this isn't a fake. … [Read more...]

For the first time that I can remember the waves and weather have ensured that we have been able to continue with our Junior Surf Club right up in to November. Normally by early winter the beach is being demolished by colossal  storm swells and the chance of taking a lesson out is very slim indeed.This year however, unseasonably warm (it was snowing this time last year) weather and good quality … [Read more...]

It's fast approaching Christmas so why not give the gift of surfing? Let us take the strain out of the festive season and free yourself to sort out the lunch/booze/annoying relatives. Our surfing gift vouchers can be purchased online and then all you have to do is sit back and wait for the grateful recipients to send their thank you letters!Remember to order before the Post Office's last delivery … [Read more...]

Some epic waves have been smashing into the South Coast today and due to the angle of the swell it has caught a lot of people cold. While most have been gazing out at ankle high waves at Gwithian and other West facing beach breaks on the North Coast those in the know, and those who had a tip off such as myself, have been presented with overhead waves the likes of which only break during a once in … [Read more...]

The Autumn swells are continuing to roll in and, frankly, this year is one of the best I can remember. I've spent most of the last week surfing all the out of the way breaks that hardly ever get swell and even the big British newspapers (Telegraph, Express and Mail) have featured the colossal swell that came through last Sunday. I just hope that it can continue right through winter.This crazy week … [Read more...]

The nights are drawing in and the Indian summer seems to have drawn to a close but the surf is continuing nicely. The quality might not be quite as good as you'd expect for this time of year but at least the water is still fairly warm and with a little bit of local knowledge you can get a quiet, clean wave to yourself. This and May/June is also the best time to learn to surf and you can do it … [Read more...]

Still no sign of the promised Indian summer  but at least the waves (accompanied by howling wind) are with us.This is proving to be good from a training point of view allowing me to get at least two surfs a day and because the surf is so lousy I can pretty much guarantee I'm the only one in the sea.The wave where the competition is due to take place is a beautiful reef in County Donegal called … [Read more...]

Summer is well and truly over but the waves are making a welcome appearance. We have had a load of swell in the last week or so and the weather seams to have settled down a little bit. The odd shower here and there but by and large dry.We managed to run the No pro on Saturday 10th (full right up here) and young Adam Bayfield, 15, from St Ives  won the junior and open categories - a first in the 17 … [Read more...]

No one likes hurricanes. As one of the most destructive forces on the planet they seem to bring only misery and despair to anyone caught in their paths.No one except surfers that is. Even surfers on the East Coast of the US look forward to hurricanes as while they can be devastating they also create perfect, powerful surf for their normally wave starved shores. It's no coincidence that the East … [Read more...]

It's not often that a little bit of surfing history turns up at the surf school but I guess if it was going to happen it would be this week.The surf and weather have been stupendous for the last week so naturally we have been fairy busy. In theory this week is the busiest of the year - something of a hangover when factories used to close the doors for their two week summer holidays 100 or so years … [Read more...]

The schools have released their prisoners and they are all heading for a beach near you!It doesn't seem like it was only 20 years ago that I too was released onto the streets with barely a GCSE to my name.Luckily surfing has been good to me. After a brief foray with John Major's Surf Team I was fortunate to work in the surf industry in some capacity. Tragically it's just as unglamorous as working … [Read more...]

There were some big, big waves hoofing through at Gwithian today. Way too big to run a safe surfing lesson so we decamped down to Praa Sands on Cornwall's south coast. There it was an oasis of calm amongst what was, for Cornwall in summer anyway, a hefty storm.The beauty of Praa is that is a great bolt-hole for surfers. While the North coast is raging during winter storms and howling NW winds you … [Read more...]

A spectacular week of sun and surf has drawn to a close. There are still a few waves to be had but its definitely dropped off a bit now. Cornwall is, however, beginning to get busier - the roads through Hayle are rammed in the morning and early evenings and you even have to queue to get a pasty. A dire state of affairs if ever there was one.Meanwhile at the surf school we have been busy with the … [Read more...]

Whisper it, but I think summer may have arrived. The surf has been trundling through at a very respectable headhigh, the winds are offshore and even the weather is cooperating.The usual signatures of summer can be clearly seen. There is a healthy layer of sand in the porch, some surf wax has been trodden into the carpet and my nose and neck are blistered wrecks. Even the surf school tortoise is … [Read more...]

The Level 1 ASI surf coach course that we ran this weekend has to go down as an unqualified success.  All seven of the candidates were successful and achieved their Level 1 qualification and will be released on an unsuspecting public this summer. We had a great mix on the course - everyone from ageing hellmen like big wave surfer Dan Joel to local 16 year old ripper Paddy Daniel, lifeguards … [Read more...]

Half term is over and the whole place has calmed down again. Its eerily quiet in the village at the moment, hardly any cars driving through and all is generally very restrained.Still doing a few lessons but the surf isn't really cooperating at present. It's small and windy which is fine for beginner lessons but not so great if you want to venture beyond the whitewater. At least it's a lot hotter … [Read more...]

Some absolutely colossal waves coming through at Godrevy today. It wasn't a great day for surfing, just far too windy and way too much swell for Gwithian to be anything other than a mass of bubbling, foaming mayhem. A good day to catch up with paper work and sneak off to Praa Sands for a quick high tide surf though.Its looking like there will be a fair bit of mayhem on land this weekend with the … [Read more...]

Its taken a long time but the new website is finally online. What began with a trip to Jon (a really good St Ives surfer) at Fuse2 8 months ago for a cup of tea and a chat about a 'few minor tweaks' mushroomed into a full scale revamp that involved the designers at Dis-similar and a month hunched over a keyboard, eyeballs bleeding and a severe case of repetitive strain injury from date input.I … [Read more...]

The Godrevy Pro Junior was completed earlier today in obscenely poor conditions. Howling South winds smashing the rights to bits and making the lefts, to my mind, all but un-surfable - but the groms proved me wrong.They took to it with gusto and I have to single out a young chap called Jobe Harris who tore what remained of the waves to shreds. He won both the Under 16's and Under 18's (no mean … [Read more...]

I am gutted because April will never be the same again. It was that good.The best run of swell, sandbanks and good weather and all at the beginning of the season when the place is still relatively quiet. So much so that I am now pretty much surfed out and when I check the waves they have to be pretty good for me to bother! A very rare feeling.The surf went off the boil for a couple of days over … [Read more...]

I know we've been open for a while now but I've just got around to sorting out the accompanying video. Check it out. … [Read more...]

Yeah, I know. A week has passed and I haven't updated. But look outside - its sunny, the sunniest April ever perhaps - and the surf has been un-be-lievable. Basically we have had almost two weeks of perfect surf which for the first time ever has coincided with the Easter holidays so we have been super busy. Best of all the sandbanks (or swell direction, whatever) have been as good as it gets. I … [Read more...]

An amazing day of surf in Thurso for the O'Neill Coldwater Classic. Big waves, offshore winds and one of the best waves in the world (and its on this humble island of ours) have made this the best start to the Coldwater Classic ever.The really pleasing thing for me is that two local lads who I have been lucky enough to work with over the years and in the event and one has made it to the next round … [Read more...]

Y'know, when I were a lad a PE session was something to be feared. It inevitably involved a very long walk to the school field, getting smashed in a scrum by recalcitrant sixth formers or 8 laps around the school with a victorian gym teacher screaming abuse at you.Woe betide you if you 'forgot' your kit. Then you could pretty much guarantee doing the above in 'skins' and a grey pleated skirt. … [Read more...]

Clay Marzo - The Comeback from Heavy Mayo on Vimeo.I've lost a stone since Christmas. How come I'm still crap? … [Read more...]

No sooner had I blathered on about how the good and consistent and generally amazing the surf has been and whad'ya know. The SW's rear up and blow the beach back to its normal winter time chaos.And, yes, I'm back to referring to it as winter again. The beginning of summer is being heralded by rain, mizzle and a host of other words that describe dampness.Footie has been cancelled for the last two … [Read more...]

So winter has finally drawn to a close and the heady days of summer are fast closing in. Shame no one told the weather that as for the first time in about two weeks its gone cold and the sun has been obscured by mist.The real boon of the last few weeks has been the swell though. Its hasn't been monstrous but its been clean almost everyday and small summer like swells have been rolling through. … [Read more...]

Just outrageously warm today. Even the howling easterly wind was hot and that just never happens. This time a couple of years ago we had a really early Easter. I think it fell in mid to late March but it was one of the coldest Easters ever. A few hardy souls came for surfing lessons back then and still went in despite snow and thoroughly inclement conditions but I actually felt sorry for them.This … [Read more...]

Check out this bad boy. Might be interesting when it comes out. … [Read more...]

Not me, the guy who I am skivvying for in the flats. Turns out the swine can paint, surf, is clever enough to get into Camborne School of Mines (very hard - only 30 spaces a year worldwide for the course he is on) and he knows his way around a guitar.Git. http://listn.to/SenseOfSerenity/player#t=0&pos=952&s=613491 … [Read more...]

Bugger, missed some pretty good surf today as once again I was chained to a roller/bit of sandpaper/hammer for the best part of 12 hours. The only respite was a brief sojourn to the Falmouth branch of Trago Mills. I cant quite decide whether I love or hate the place - Trago that is. Its got a lot going for it. You can buy almost anything you could want from kitchens to carpet to light bulbs to … [Read more...]

Hmmm, early surfs suggest that this board could be an absolute beauty. Does all the simple stuff well (you wouldn't believe how many boards don't) and even an old duffer such as myself can attempt some of the not so simple stuff. I still don't complete many of the harder moves but its a start!I'll try and get some video.More painting and whatnot down at the surf school today. Beautiful weather … [Read more...]