Surfers travel light at Watergate Bay

Travelling surfers can now hit the Cornish waves with ease thanks to a brand new service from a specialist extreme sports school. The Extreme Academy at Watergate Bay near Newquay have taken delivery of a £15,000 hire fleet of advanced surfboards, liberating travelling surfers from the experience of taking bulky equipment on public transport.

And with many airlines and train operators charging punitive fees to carry surfboards - or in the case of British Airways banning them outright - the Extreme Academy’s new premium surfboard hire service allows visiting surfers to choose from a large range of advanced surfboards at their end destination.

“More and more people are taking a flight down to Cornwall after work on Friday night for a weekend surfing, and with our new premium surfboard hire service they can reserve a ready-prepared surfboard to be waiting for them when they arrive,” said the Extreme Academy’s Sports Manager Carl Coombes.

“Our customers really want to get the most out of every moment of their time here, and our new service gets people out into the waves as soon as possible. All our boards come ready-waxed with a leash and protective board bag, and with 28 premium boards to choose from there are shapes to suit all abilities and conditions.”

The Extreme Academy’s fleet encompasses the complete range of TakeOff epoxy surfboards. The 15 different shapes are suited to a wide range of surfing abilities, from improving surfers who have mastered the basics and are looking for a better quality board than the standard surf school foamy; to experienced surfers who want the convenience and flexibility of having a large fleet of boards at their disposal.

Improving surfers can choose from mini-mals in four different lengths, from 7’4” to 8ft. These boards are perfect for beginners and those who don’t get to surf too often, with their extra length, width and thickness giving good stability and making them easier to paddle.

There are also four ‘Big Boy’ styles: shortboard shapes from 6’8” to 7’2”. More suited to experienced surfers in good wave conditions, these boards allow for tight turns and are extremely responsive, but have more volume to help catching waves.

Four retro models take surfboard styles from some of the classic eras of surfing, and refine the shapes, rockers and rail profiles to suit modern-day surfing. Two ‘Flying Carpet’ models and a ‘Retro Egg’ shape are perfect for small summer waves; while the ‘Retro Fish’ with vintage-style keel twin-fins perfectly complements the modern fish in the range.

Longboarders can choose between six custom-shaped longboards, and there are also two epoxy noseriders (a 9’2” and 9’6”) from the TakeOff range.

“Surf conditions can really vary from day to day, and to make the most of the waves often requires a quiver of different surfboards, which really isn’t practical for visiting surfers,” says Carl Coombes.

“With our premium board hire, surfers can pick and choose between our boards to find something that is right for the conditions. Our instructors love the retro 6ft fish which is just perfect for small summer days at Watergate Bay; then there are the ‘Big Boy’ shortboards which are great when it gets a bit bigger. And as long as the boards are available, customers can switch between the different shapes as many times as they like.”

Premium board hire costs £20 per day, or £10 for up to two hours. Reduced rates are available on request for longer hire periods. More details about all the boards can be found online at Wwatergatebay.co.uk/extremeacademy.htm.

The Extreme Academy hire centre also has a range of intermediate and beginners’ surfboards, as well as wetsuits, bodyboards, fins and waveskis. The sports school offers a range of lessons led by qualified insructors, including surf, kitesurf, traction kite, kite buggy, waveski, mountain board, and stand-up paddle surf.