Surf's up

With its gently sloping west-facing shoreline, the three-mile stretch of golden sand at Woolacombe Bay is loved by surfers from near and far.

Well known as a surfing destination and famous for its long breaking waves, the beach is ideal both for beginners and experienced boarders. Woolacombe and the surrounding area host a number of local, national and European surfing events every year, adding to its long-held reputation for surf excellence.

Like Cornwall, the west of Ireland and southern Wales, North Devon is predominantly fed with swell by low pressure systems tracking across the Atlantic. When these storms out in the Atlantic push swell towards us at a time that coincides with a high pressure system over us, we can often see "classic" surf conditions on our beaches.

Our main surf beaches are west facing which catch oncoming Atlantic swells, which means winds from the eastern corner are preferred, to create smooth, peeling waves. When the prevailing south westerly winds are blowing, shelter can be found at Putsborough, though this sheltered spot can become very crowded.

Beach Safety

As well as being an exhilarating and rewarding sport, surfing can also pose dangers to the inexperienced or foolhardy. Even if you are just paddling or bathing care should be taken on and around the waters edge as the power of even small surf and the rips they create can be underestimated.

If you want to try surfing, and you should, then there a few simple rules to adhere to:

• If you haven't surfed before sign up for surfing lessons at an accredited surf school.
• Always check the sea conditions, including the tide and weather.
• Speak to lifeguards or local surfers about where it is safe to surf.
• Make sure you are physically up to the challenge of surfing.
• Check your surf equipment for signs of damage.
• Take notice of what the beach lifeguards say and of the flags displayed which denote the designated areas for surfers and bathers.

Lifeguard Flags

Red & Yellow Flags - These mark areas of water that are patrolled by lifeguards. These are the safest places to swim. Board riders are not permitted within these areas.

Black & White Chequered Flags - When you see black & white chequered flags, it means an area of water has been marked for use by craft. For your own safety, do not swim in these zones.

Red Flag - The red flag indicates danger. Never enter the water when the red flag is flying.

Surf Etiquette

Once you've had a few lessons and you're starting to make it out to the line up, there are a few important points to remember that can keep you and others safe, and will gain you respect by abiding by them.

Right of Way & Dropping In

The surfer closest to the breaking wave or peak has the right of way on that wave. If you find that you've taken off or "dropped in" and notice him, pull off the back off the wave immediately retaining control of your board.

Paddling Out

If you are paddling out to the line up and a surfer is coming towards you on a wave, you need to do one of two things quickly, either:

• paddle towards the open shoulder so that the surfer can pass underneath you
• paddle towards the broken white water of that wave and duck dive

Do not freeze and try to make the decision that will avoid a collision, your primary objective here is to leave a clear path for the standing surfer which is all part of surfing etiquette which you should hope is shown back to you as you gain experience.

Don't Discard Your Board

More often than not you'll find that you are surfing with a group of surfers with varying abilities, which will spread them throughout the beach from the shoreline, through the impact zone to the line up. All this means that you are likely to have people in close proximity to you so it's important to hang onto your board at all times and learn to duck dive as quickly as possible.

Don't Snake

There are a few variants of snaking but essentially it's when someone deliberately paddles inside a surfer with priority, closer to the critical peak, after they have either committed to the wave or are already standing.