Around The World In 80 Waves

I had hoped to wrap up the number of beaches I surfed during this adventure on a round number of 150 breaks, the last of which was supposed to be a triumphant return to the break where it all started for me in North Wales.

However the weather has been so foul since I have returned to the UK that all I could have expected to find there was a view like you see here. The surf in the UK, and North Wales in particular, is so fickle you can never guarantee clean waves. It has been an early reminder of why I decided to head off on my quest to find great breaks worldwide.

My original aim was only eighty breaks and I have managed to surf 149 different beaches on my travels. However if you consider the number of breaks I have surfed more than once (e.g. Steamer Lane, Telescopes, The Pass, Weligama) I have probably doubled my target in terms of surf sessions.

Perhaps I should I have tried my hand at one of the breaks detailed in this article to bring up the 150? Then again giving them a miss was probably wise!

Sadly it looks like I will have to wait for the artificial waves being planned for North Wales to be completed in 2015 before I get to enjoy local surf that breaks with the sort of mechanical perfection that I have seen over tropical reefs.

Sadly I realise that the chances of hot ladies in thong bikinis hanging around the site of a former aluminium factory in Dolgellau will probably be quite slim.

I couldn’t have gone surfing on the board I brought back with me, even if I had wanted to. I took it out of its board bag for the first time the other day and discovered that the nose looks like it has been beaten with a cricket bat.

(The less I say about cricket at this stage is probably wise, due to the appalling efforts of the Poms in the latest ashes series!)

It won’t take me too long to repair after all the practise I have had over the last year. The only issue will be getting enough sunlight to make the ultra violet resin cure. It is ironic given that I had to work so hard to find shade for such work at other times during my adventures.

In a final comment about surfing I should congratulate another Australian, Mick Fanning, for becoming the world champion again after doing so well in the Pipe Masters on Oahu in Hawaii, and the other rounds worldwide.

I should also congratulate Kelly Slater for winning the contest there. It is hard to believe that it is only twelve months since I was watching him score perfect tens in the awesome surf there last year. (You can see the best of the action by following this link.)