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5th November 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

Toris Winter Wetsuit Reviews are in!

So winter is here! Time to hang the summer suit up for the year and get fully prepared to take on the great British weather and make the most of the winter swells. A good quality winter wetsuit is essential here on the cold east coast! Keeping you in the water for longer and getting the best out of every surf session whatever the weather – this guide has been put together by Tori Gower, secretspot surf coach and all round top waterwoman

As a qualified surf coach at secret spot surf shop and committed cold water surfer. I’ve been surfing on the east coast for around 15 years through some of our coldest winters. We all want to be on top form in the water and quality kit is key.

Its exciting to see women’s surfing really taking off and seeing more and more women in the water! The development of women’s wetsuits has come such a long way over the past few years with more performance suits readily available for the enthusiastic waterwomen of today! I’m very lucky to have first pick of the best brands in the industry through Secret Spot, so I have put together my top picks of my favourite go to brands of women’s wetsuits for 2018/2019.

Lets keep you toasty whilst shredding this winter!

First up – Sizing is key!

In the past I’ve had issues with sizing and finding the perfect fit with women’s wetsuits. I’m 5’3 and generally take a size 8 wetsuit. I’d always recommend trying on a couple of different suits in store to find the right fit for you or at the very least checking the brands size guide.

For example I’m not the tallest of people – With some brands if I were to try a size 10 suit it would be too long in the leg for me, so a taller lady would need to go up a size. Fortunately this seems to be a issue of the past nowadays! With more brands offering a tall or short sizing option, catering for all body types. The brands I have chosen in my opinion have nailed the sizing as well as performance with more attention to detail to suit women’s needs. Nice flattering cuts, comfortable to wear and nice and snug.

Here are my top 3 suits for the winter 2018/19

O’neill womens O’riginal FUZE hooded – 6/5/4mm (black)

Excellent value for money!! I’ve been really impressed by O’neills range this year! I’ve been wearing theirs 4mm suit all summer and its by far the best suit I’ve tried to date and the hooded FUZE doesn’t have any complaints from me either.

If you want warmth and flexibility without having to splash out too much this is the suit for you! This is going to be my go too suit to brave through many cold surf lessons this winter. It’s super toasty, soft on the skin and comfortable.

Its extremely durable which is a must with everyday use, yet surprisingly flexible throughout the whole body for a 6mm suit. I’m particularly impressed with the flush fit of the hood and very little resistance around the neck and shoulders. It fits like a glove and has a classic flattering cut – Top marks from me!

Rip Curl Women’s Flash bomb 2018/2019 – 6/4mm (black)

I’ve been wearing Rip Curl’s Flashbomb suits every winter for at least the past 3 or 4 years and have never been disappointed. Its not one of our best-selling suits for no reason and this year’s batch is no exception! It’s very popular amongst our local ladies here on the east coast and I can see why!

The Flashbombs’s super flexible and lightweight, which is a must for me during winter sessions with that extra added weight of boots and gloves. It’s a lovely snug fit, I’ve never experienced any flushing and the taped seams are soft and durable. Its highly rated by our local ladies including myself! Its E5 flash lining is an added luxury! Not just for warmth but its quick drying, so that second surf on a frosty day is that bit more appealing when faced with putting on a wet wetsuit.

Personally, I always choose a more flexible wetsuit over warmth but with this suit I don’t have to it undoubtedly meets both needs.

Xcel infiniti hooded 2018/2019 – 6/5mm (black)

So! Xcel never fail to deliver! These guys have got cold water surfing sussed! Several of our hardcore local girls here won’t wear anything else. These suits are built to last and guarantee warmth. If you tend to feel the cold this is the suit for you!
he Thermo dry celliant on the chest and back keep your core and main organs super warm and it has the added lightweight balance of the new thermo light lining throughout the whole lower body, keeping you toasty without having to sacrifice any flexibility. This is an incredibly comfortable performance suit that’s easy on the eye. We all know the only downside to the chest zip is getting the damn thing on and off but with the new one shoulder wide entry design of the infinity suit this isn’t an issue. Gone are the days of wiggling round on the roadside trying to break free whilst withholding your dignity! Ticks all the boxes for me! Hats off to Xcel!

Shop for these suits at –

9th October 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

King Of the Point 2019!

King of the Point 2019

King of the point is back! Due to the massive success of last years competition its back in a big way. Last December ‘ King Of The Point ‘ debuted delivering possibly the biggest surf ever contested on the UK’s East coast with conditions of 3 – 4 metres powering over the Scarborough points .

LOCATIONS – The same two locations of Cayton Point and Cloughton Wyke located in the scarborough area will be where the meeting of the clans do battle. A third location is to be considered under Ripcurls ‘ The Search ‘ programme and with over 50 miles of wave rich coastline to search, there are many spots capable of being included in this years ‘ King Of The Point ‘

FORMAT OF EVENT – The format has slightly changed as last year we were swamped with entries. A maximum of 28 surfers will be chosen to compete in hopefully once again huge surf conditions. Entry details are located further down on this blog. As the event has only run once in two years the top placing 4 surfers from last year will gain automatic entry into this years event, these are Tom Wilson, Gabriel Davies, Evan Rogers and Danny Allot.

THE CONTEST OVERVIEW – The contest will be called on when XL clean surf conditions present themselves.The waiting period will run from November 1st 2018 – May 1st 2019. The same traffic light system will again be used to notify competitors the event is on: RED – No | Amber – Maybe | Green – GO King Of The Point could be called on within as little as 24 hours notice. Scotty will be keeping a keen eye on any would be monster low pressure systems this winter and ultimately will make the call. Miniumum size required will be 6 – 8 feet + . If conditions do not meet our criteria during the waiting period the contest will simply not be called on.

COMPETITORS – Secretspot and Ripcurl are wanting 28 competitors and 12 alternates to fill places if someone can not make it on the day. The Event will still run if we do not fill all the 28 places as this is the maximum. Last years legendary event ran with 20 competitors all doing battle over the Scarborough points. Due to tidal restrictions at both breaks it only leaves us with 3 – 4 hours contest action at each location. Competitors will be required to be registered by 7.30 AM on the morning of the event. Heats will take on a format of approx 1 hour, ensuring that every surfer in the event gets to surf twice (one at each location ).

HEAT SCORING AND SPECIFICS

Due to timescales surfers will be scored on their two highest scoring waves at each location and the highest accumlative 4 wave score of the day will be awarded the ‘ King Of The Point ‘ title.
To make this event fun, there are loads of accolades (and some pretty sick prizes) to be won. These will include

1. King Of The Point – Highest scoring accumulative points through the day gets crowned the winner
2. Best wave – The individual best wave ridden throughout the event
3. Best manoeuvre – The best single manoeuvre of the event
4. Best late charging takeoff – Awarded to competitor who truly shows commitment and probably shows psychotic tendancies also.
5. Longest wave – Its not unkwown for surfers to go out of sight at one of the locations.
6. Worst wipeout – We are expecting many so you can win this by default.
7. Golden mile / worst beating – At one location its not uncommon to blow the take off and get washed the entire length of the point.

We are looking to get the whole event videoed and photographed for a future presentation. As this is a charity event, if any would be people are intested in capturing the day please e mail scotty at shop@secretspot.co.uk for more details. We aim to make this a bigger success than last year folks and there will be a large alclcohol fuelled celebration in a scarborough bar somewhere to be announced.

HOW TO ENTER

To be considered for King of Point 2018/19 we just need a photo of you charging at least double overhead surf – the best way to enter is by getting on instagram and tagging us in your photo – @secretspotsurfshop – and using the hashtag #kingofthepoint. We will then message you back to get more info. If you dont use instagram, you can send your entry photo to shop@secretspot.co.uk.
Once we have your image, we will notify the chargers that have made it into this years comp
please note, there is a small entry cost of £20.00 for the chosen few, with all proceeds going to the local RNLI and Surfers Against Sweage.

SELECTION OF CONTESTANTS BY AREA

Scotland – 2 competitors
Cornwall, Wales and SW – 4 competitors
Scarborough and Whitby area – 14 competitors
Saltburn and Clevland area – 4 competitors
Newcastle and North area – 4 competitors

Secretspot, alongside Ripcurl, want to bring together a group of like minded surfers from across the UK. This is as much a gathering of clans as it is a normal run of the mill surf contest.

LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE !!!!

21st August 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

SUPdate!

We’re super excited here at Scarborough Surf School to be updating our fleet of SUPs to the 10’6 Ride model produced by Red Paddle Co and be able to offer Red boards for retail. The award winning 10’6 boasts being the worlds most popular paddle board with loads of float and glide on flat water and with just the right amount of rocker to allow it to be really enjoyable in the surf. From the beginning Red Paddle have been the market leader in producing the lightest, stiffest and most robust ISUP’s on the market.

Their drive to create an ISUP that looks and performs as good as a hard board is truly remarkable! This has led to significant leaps in technology over the last 10 years that has led to their boards being unrivalled in both innovation and design and the 2018 models are no exception! Their best yet!

So whether you are just starting out with SUP or an experienced supper looking to extend your skills, come to Cayton Bay to learn and explore on market leading equipment making the whole experience even more enjoyable!

We have made a short movie on with one of our recent SUP groups, check out here and get a feel of the vibe:

Book your SUP Lesson now

Here in the UK we are realising that SUP is fantastic way of getting out on the water, not just as a flat water alternative to Surfing but as a fabulous pass-time in itself. What makes SUP so accessible is that the basics are fairly easy to learn and so progress is quick. However there is much more to learn if you want to progress and here at Scarborough Surf School we have fully trained staff to help you make the most of your SUP adventures.

From just £40, the SUP offers a great way to get on the water and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

24th July 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

Come Coasteering!

Coasteering is one of the fastest growing coastal adventure sports in the UK – Join us one of our missions and see for yourself how awesome it is! A brilliant day out for families, stag & hen do’s, corporate events or just because you can!

With many years of experience and local knowledge, our coasteering guru Tomo (or Paul if you want to be polite!) is able to provide an experience that rivals all others in the UK for shear exhilaration and excitement! – read on and watch the short film below, to get a sense of what happens on one of our coasteering adventures – click the ‘book now’ button to get involved!

Saturday 10:06am:

We Arrive at Flamborough Head, basking in beautiful sunshine, we are greeted by an amazing vista from the top of the cliff. All kinds of sea birds taking to the skies against a backdrop of dazzling white cliffs and emerald green seas. We are taking to the water again, this time stoked to explore the hidden caves, arches and ledges of this hidden slice of paradise on the Yorkshire Coast.

Meg (the coolest spaniel you will ever meet) takes the lead, as we disappear off the well trodden paths, creating our own unique routes through the stunning chalk headland. Sometimes you forget what a stunning part of the world the Yorkshire coast is – the picture postcard views reminiscent of a somewhere in Corfu, its nice to be reminded what natural beauty sits so close to home.

As we leave the beach behind, we wade out into the sea making our way to the ‘washing machine’ – an open tunnel through the cliff exposed to the full force of the swell. The excitement and adrenaline build and the whole squad is hooting and cheering as we take on waves from both directions, playfully rocked by the tidal currents, we emerge victorious on the other side. A long traverse followed, climbing up to the entrance to Smugglers Cave. What better way to enter its cathedral like majesty than a 10ft pencil dive into the crisp clear waters below?

Swimming to the back of the cave we ascended a narrow gully to climb into natures own jacuzzi from where we viewed an impressive array of seabirds; Puffins high up on the cliff feeding their young, kittiwakes in their dozens swooping in clouds out to sea and the pre-historic looking cormorant surveying us with eager attention. ‘Where next?’ everyone cheers… We’re off to legends leap came the reply!

After 2hrs of adrenalin fuelled adventure we swam back through an awesome arch, a gateway back to the norms of reality. But for us coming in from the sea with spirits raised, limitations challenged and new friendships born this was a day that would forever be remembered!

Coasteering really is an awesome activity that we cannot recomend enough! Call Tomo or Carl on 01723 585 585 to find out more, or you can book your coasteering adventure here (also makes an awesome gift!!):

Book your Coasteering adventure Now

24th July 2018 Blog by Carl

Surfing and Yoga come to Scarborough!

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Fancy learning to surf with some of the most experienced instructors in the UK? Not only that, but you’ll be fully-warmed up when you get in the water with a signature TYR surf-yoga class, and cooled-down and chilled-the-heck-out post surf, too.

Scarborough Surf School have been teaching folk to surf for over 10 years, and all of their instructors are RNLI Lifeguard trained and fully-insured so you can be sure you’re in safe hands.

The surf lesson will last two hours, and all kit is included in the price. And you’ll get even more out of their amazing lessons (other than successfully riding waves!) with a surf-specific 45-minute yoga class to get you fired up, and a 30-minute yoga cool-down.

We’ll fire the barbecue up too, so bring your favourite BBQ food to help you recharge and replenish.

Sessions will be held at the beautiful Cayton Bay, just 4 miles south of Scarborough town centre. They’ve got a huge carpark, warm showers, men’s and women’s changing areas and a surf shop stocking some of the best surf brands in the world (not to mention the best tea in Yorkshire!).

You can choose either the 9am-1pm session, or the 1:15-5pm session on either Saturday 4th or Sunday 5th of August. Spots cost £53 per person – just choose the right ticket when checking out.

If you book on, don’t forget to bring suitable yoga clothes – something stretchy and comfortable – and a swimsuit or trunks (for under your wetsuit) and a towel.

Feel free to get in touch with either TYR or Scarborough Surf School if you’d like some more details.

17th July 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

SUP Weekend!

Making full use of the sunny weather and calm seas Scarborough Surf School launched what felt like an armada of Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPS) on the water this weekend, as we were fully booked both days. On Saturday afternoon we had an open group lesson for 9. After a SUP specific warm up and stretches and on land and briefing on SUP Basics (Hazards and Risk Assessment/Equipment/Entry and exit/Paddle technique/Rescue and recovery) we took to the sea.

Our group made excellent progress in acquiring basic skills and soon were mastering more advanced techniques including the Pivot and Kahi turns. Now equipped with the knowledge we set a course to explore the seal colony at the southern end of Cayton Bay.

Not to be disappointed we were fortunate to discover a young inquisitive seal pup. Keeping our distance so as not to cause undue stress, we were able to get pretty close and were closely inspected by our new companion in the water! We then parked the SUPS on a sheltered private beach created by high tide conditions and set to explore for dinosaur footprints! By the time we’d paddled back I think we could all agree that we all had spaghetti arms, a good tan and a great afternoons adventure!

We have made a short movie on with one of our recent SUP groups, check out here and get a feel of the vibe:

Book your SUP Lesson now

Here in the UK we are realising that SUP is fantastic way of getting out on the water, not just as a flat water alternative to Surfing but as a fabulous pass-time in itself. What makes SUP so accessible is that the basics are fairly easy to learn and so progress is quick. However there is much more to learn if you want to progress and here at Scarborough Surf School we have fully trained staff to help you make the most of your SUP adventures.

From just £40, the SUP offers a great way to get on the water and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

14th June 2018 Blog by Carl

2018 Grommets after school club is off to a flying start!

This Wednesday saw the Second session of our 6 week after school Grommets Surf Club here at Cayton Bay, as usual the surf was pumping and with glassy 2ft sets exploding into the high tide shore break it was hard work for the younger ones!

The session began with a lesson in Surf etiquette and awareness, as always this had tom be kept brief as the kids were itching to hit the surf!

Everyone caught some good waves and tackled the swell with confidence, some of the older kids did very well and are beginning to turn across the waves..

After a good surf with plenty of wipe outs it was back up the hill to Scarborough Surf School HQ for a well earned BBQ…

20th April 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

Simply Supping

This week saw our fist Stand up Paddle board lesson of the season delivered by newly qualified instructor Carl, and what a glorious day it was!

Sophie had originally booked in for a private Surf lesson but as the Sea was mirror flat it presented perfect Supping conditions, oh yes and it was the hottest day recorded in April ever!

As the tide ebbed out the outer reef revealed itself at Cayton Bay, this is a great area to explore, we even docked on our own private island!

A private lesson is quite intensive and people are always surprised how much skill is required to paddle and manoeuvre these huge boards safely and effectively, Sophie improved hugely during the 2hr session and by the end of it she was gliding across the smooth water with confidence.

During your lesson you will also learn how to asses the conditions and recognise any hazards before hitting the water, we then teach you basic manoeuvres, paddles strokes and self rescue methods add to this winds, tides and swells and suddenly you realise there is a lot to fit in a 2hr session!

A big well done to Sophie, and if you fancy getting fit and learning a new skill then give us a call…….

3rd April 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

Summer Supping at Cayton Bay

Here at Scarborough Surf School we have been busy gearing up for the Summer season, this year we are hitting Paddle Boarding in a big way, firstly by investing in new inflatable Paddle boards which a far lighter board making the walk to the beach far easier and improving safety for our students.

The next task is to brush up on our instructor skills, so off I went to the beautiful St Ives in Cornwall (yes its a hard life) to attend the ASI level 1 enclosed water and level 2 exposed water paddle board instructor courses.

I soon found out there is more to paddle boarding than meets the eye, body position equipment choice, risk assessing and paddle strokes are essential to get the most out of this fun sport and that is before we attempt a toe-side step back pivot turn!

The Course was run by Glenn Eldridge who is the elite coach for the ASI and competes globally in SUP and Kayak events, Glenn certainly put me through my paces to bring me up to the high standards expected by the ASI. This involved hours on the water each day, video analysis in the classroom and a couple of gruelling timed paddles for good measure!

I can now see the many benefits of Supping, the fitness aspect was particularly evident from my aching shoulders, and its a great way to explore or coast and inland waterways. Most importantly you need to develop awareness of the environment you are paddling in and identify potential hazards which is what you learn in our SUP taster lessons.

There are many other skills to gain in paddle-boarding such as catching waves and down-winding, our sessions are all run in flat water and will give you the skills and knowledge needed to keep on paddling safely and effectively.

I was pretty stoked (and tired) at the end of the 4 day course to be told by Glenn I had got through it and passed and I am looking forward to taking our first sessions this spring.

15th March 2018 Blog by Scarborough Surf School

Community Lifesaving at Cayton Bay

Life-saving facilities at Cayton Bay are now available all year round, instead of just during the busy summer season.
In an emergency, trained volunteers can access life-saving equipment at the lifeguard unit in Cayton Bay.
It has been organised by lifeguard supervisor Matt Jones, who says: “The initiative came about a few years ago when we realised that a lot of lifeguards in particular had made various assists – rescues involving casualty care over the off-peak times of year and after work shifts had finished.
“They only had their surfboards and wetsuits as opposed to the specific kit for rescue we carry on beaches – trauma bag, rescue boards, rescue tubes, wetsuits, fins and defibrillators”.
All the equipment is kept at the lifeguard unit in Cayton Bay.
It’s only the second unit of its kind in the UK. The other is in Newquay, Cornwall, where a similar initiative was set up after three people drowned the week after the lifeguards had finished.
The local community got together and came up with a plan to install accessible equipment for use by trained persons at any time of year.
To date seven lives have been saved.

The photo shows Matt Jones in the lifeguard unit (on the right) with surf coach and lifesaver Carl Walsh from the nearby Surf Shop.

(Words and photo by Scarborough RNLI press officer Dave Barry)

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