24 . 08 . 14
It’s the August Bank Holiday weekend and the surf forecast isn’t looking all that promising. All roads leading south and west will be clogged as every man and his dog try to make the most of an extra day off work (and so they should) and many surfers will be tempted to avoid the beaches altogether. Please don’t. Go anyway.
Pack a picnic and perhaps some firewood, take a sleeping bag, your wetsuit and swim fins; use the free day and the busy main beaches as an impetus to get off the well-worn path and seek some time away from it all. If there are waves, be they tiny ankle-slappers or messy waist-high wind-chop, then get in to ride a few on a surfboard, bellyboard or handplane. If there aren’t waves then go for a swim, cast a fishing line, walk the coast path or make a camp fire to cook your dinner over (but obviously be careful to leave no trace). Spend a day tucked away on a little beach with no mobile phone signal and leave your watch behind. It’ll be better than staying at home and painting the fence.
