Cornwall juts out into the Atlantic Ocean making it a great destination for watersports adventurers. Inland reservoirs, lakes, rivers and estuaries are ideal for sailing, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing while the beach and ocean offer even more challenges.
With wide sandy beaches and consistent surf, Cornwall is a great place to find surfers and bodyboarders enjoying their sport. One of the few surf schools to offer coaching and tuition in bodyboarding is Rob Barber's Bodyboarding School, based at Fistral Beach in Newquay. Lessons include instruction, equipment, insurance and changing facilities with tuition from some of the top bodyboarders in the UK.
Freediving and snorkelling can be enjoyed in Cornwall's pristine waters which are home to a surprising range of marine life and sea creatures. Freedive Cornwall offers AIDA freediving courses for all levels with the chance to dive with seals, dolphins, basking sharks and smaller fish and crabs amidst underwater canyons and rocky reefs. Wreck diving is also available from this Newquay-based dive school.
Stand-up Paddle Surfing is a relatively new sport to Cornwall, first perfected by the Hawaiian surfing culture. As the name suggests, surfers stand on a 10 to 11 foot-long board and use a long-handled single paddle to ride the surf. Tuition, wetsuits and equipment are available from the Extreme Academy on Watergate Bay including boots and gloves for winter surfers! The school has excellent facilities including hot showers and changing rooms.
Water-skiing is making a comeback and offers the chance to ride the waves at over 20mph behind a powerful speed boat. Lessons are available from Camel Ski School at Rock. Beginners' aids include extra wide skis and a training bar on the side of the boat for the instructor to teach and assist. Wakeboarding is similar to waterskiing, being pulled by a speed boat, but using a single board rather than two skis.
How about waveskiing? This dynamic sport combines kayaking with the performance and control of surfing. Rather than standing on a surfboard, waveskiing involves riding the surf in a kayak. Courses and equipment are once again available from the Extreme Academy on Watergate Bay, which offers excellent surf conditions for practising this fun sport.
If the surf goes flat, surfing junkies head to Flowrider Cornwall which provides an artificial wave sensation with water being pumped up a steep curved bank. Flowboarding simulates the environment for riders to practice their techniques in a similar way to surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding or even skateboarding. This is a fun place to hang out even for non-surfers with sundecks, music, great food and viewing areas for watching the action. Tuition is available with fully trained instructors. For those staying in a holiday apartment in Newquay, Flowrider is the perfect place to hang out whatever the surf forecast!
Born in Cheshire, Gillian Birch moved to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity and never looked back. After 20 years, her ongoing discovery of popular attractions, quiet footpaths and local eateries has made her a fount of knowledge as she entertains readers with her informative articles on the hidden gems of Devon & Cornwall from a local point-of-view.