Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing and filming the Women & Waves surf coaching weekend down in Newquay. Cornwall really pulled out the stops weather wise on the Saturday - it was such a beautiful day! The surf, however, didn't rise to the occasion and the ocean was perfectly flat. The team didn't let bad surf get in the way of an amazing morning though. SUPs, kayaks and megaSUPs were all put to good use as the group leisurely paddled their way around the bay from Towan to Fistral. The water was crystal clear and it was a joy to shoot.
The saying of time passing quickly when having fun seemed incredibly apt here as, seemingly within minutes, two hours had passed and we were paddling our way back to Towan for a spot of lunch enjoyed overlooking the ocean.
The afternoon was spent learning surf techniques such as paddling for waves and duck diving out at Fistral. As a perfect end to the day, the surf conditions picked up just enough for the group to practice their newly learnt skills and stoke the excitement ahead of Sunday's session.
To kick off the Sunday morning, Women & Waves organised a Q&A session to take place providing information on a wealth of surf knowledge such as downsizing with boards; surf safety and etiquette and reading surf forecasts. It was a really interesting session and I, for one, definitely learnt a lot.
The weather on the Sunday may not have been as stunning as the previous day but that didn't matter at all as there was a perfect little wave rolling in along the length of Fistral - such brilliant conditions for the group to surf their way through the morning.
It's such a lovely position as a photographer to be able to see the joy that comes from successfully catching and riding a wave into the shore. The group all had an awesome time out in the water and, with the video analysis session held back at the centre afterwards, were able to reminisce on their waves (and wipeouts!) as well as learning tips and tricks for how to improve their surfing.
It was my first time experiencing a surf coaching weekend and I was so impressed with how the Women & Waves team ran this one. We all had such a lovely time and it was great to see the improvement made in the group's surfing over such a small period of time - a clear indication of the skill and knowledge of the instructors!
Women & Waves are holding more surf weekends for women throughout the rest of the year and I would highly recommend booking yourself on to one. Whether you are a complete beginner or are a dab hand at riding the waves, there is always more to learn and what better way to do so than with a company championing women's surf experience and expertise.
