Sunday, January 27, 2008

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Gower surfing, surfing lessons all year round in the UK?


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Was the question asked whilst sat in the line up this morning out at Sunset beach. Yes we do in fact, there was some guys enjoying a gower surf lesson at Caswell beach Saturday morning. The guys all nearly fell off their boards with surprise, they didn't even realise that we surfed in the UK, perhaps I should get them a copy of Surf Nation by Alex Wade.

British surfers are hardcore surf junkies willing to put up with the worst conditions, in fact I remember Carwyn Williams praying for big South west storms as they produced perfect conditions for Langland beach, which you can take a peak at from clicking here 'gower surfing cam'

Anyway with the wetsuit technology available in surf shops today the water is warm even in Iceland. All our gower surfing customers get to wear five mill winter wetsuits, boots and gloves so yes you can surf all year round and as we all know the best waves are in the winter.

I have been wearing an Xcel 2 mil shorty all the time whilst surfing on the North shore keeps me warm as toast and helps with the floatation!

Sunny_days_on_the_north_shore_oahu Here is a picture of the North shore and for live cam and surf report click here 'north shore surf report and news'








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Anyway it is Saturday night and time for a pint have a good surfing weekend and stay warm and if you did want gower surfing lessons or surfboard hire contact us.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

CROESO I SURFGSD.COM

Mae ein ysgol nawr ar agor ac yn cymrud wersi ar yr Gwyr, lawr yn Cernyw ac hefud tramor yn yr Algarve ym Mhortugal.

BYW...TONFYRDDIO...TEITHIO

Mae GSD yn hyfforddi am bob oedran ac am bob achlysur, gan gynnwys wersi unigol, penwythnosau penodol ac ysgolion wythnosol.

Fel ysgol, mae SurfGSD wedi llwyddo gael eu dynodi 4 seren gan yr B.S.A (British Surfing Federation), ac oherwydd hyn mae’r gally da ni i cynnig cyrsiau arbennig am pawb, or unigolyn sydd byth di bod or blaen hyd at tonfyrddwir uwchraddol.

Mae pob darn o cyfarpar sydd angen yn gael eu cynnwys gan yr ysgol, ac mae’r fantais da ni i cynnal y wersi ar sawl traeth – Caswell a Llangennith ar y Gwyr, Fistral lawr yn Newquay, Cernyw, ac hefud lawr yn De Orllewin Portugal yn ystod yr hydref ar gaeaf.

Rhywbeth i ddathlu? Chwant i trio rhywbeth newydd a wahanol? Ffrindiau yn yr un sefyllfa? Da ni gweithgareddau am bawb!!
Clicio fan hyn am wersi tonfyrddio gyda twrfeidd fawr.
Clicio fan hyn am penwythnosau anturiaethol.
Rydym hefud yn wneud wersi/ penwythnosau am ferched yn unig.

Mwy Amdano Ni :

Rhan o ROSPA, mae Surf GSD wedi cael eu cymeradwyo gan yr WTB ar sir cyngor Abertawe, ac yn ddiweddar wedi bod yn rhan or ymgyrch “Wales in Style”.

“Surfing for Everyone” yw un or elfennau creiddiol ein cwmni, a dros yr flynyddoedd diwethaf rydym ni wedi datblygu nifer o glaslancwyr hyd at yr tîm Gymraeg a sawl i’r timoedd Prydeinol.

Mae ein dynesiad tuag at datblygiad tonfyrddio yn cynaliadwyol - rydym yn trefnu PDSP (Personal Development Surfing Plan) er mwyn ein cwsmeriaid gael y gorau oi gallu ar profiad.

Agorwyd ShopGSD nol yn Tachwedd 2005, a twy hwn rydym nin werthu pob darn o cyfarpar, o tonfyrddiau a wetsuits, talebau achlysurol am wersi, hyd at canllawiau teithio a llyfrau/rhychion i ddatblygu adnabyddiaeth personol.

SurfGSD yw un or prif ysgolion tonfyrddio ym Mhrydain, ac yr ydym yn cymrud bob ofal i cynnal yr safonau uchaf, gan gynnwys gorchwyl yr hyfforddwir gorau i ddysgu.

Trwodd ein gwefan ShopGSD cei’r cyfle i bod yn rhan o penwythnos anturiaeth “Wild West” rydym yn cynnal ym mhartneriaeth da ddau cwmni antur arweiniol arall yng Nghymru. Ceir cyfle i ymuno a trio tonfyrddio (surfing), llynfyrddio (wakeboarding), mordirio (coasteering), canyoning, ddringo, skio ddwr, kitesurfing, paintballing, quad-feicio a ceunantio (gorge walking).

Mae’r penwythnosau ma’n ardderchog ar gyfer cwmnioedd sydd yn edrych am ffyrdd i hybu perthnasau ac i ddatblygu sgiliau personol. Hefud yn boblogaidd iawn am mhenwythnos adfaedd neu iar, lle geir cyfle i trio sawl disgyblaeth wahanol ofewn yr penwythnos.*

Dy ni’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr i weld paeb ar y traeth yn fuan, mae’r brofiad o tonfyrddio’n caethiwus!!!

Am fwy o wybodaeth annibynnol ar gyfer GSD, ofynnwch am cylchgrawn di-dal Anturiaeth Cymru oddiwrth yr WTB a trowch i dudalennau 18-25. Mae’n llawn wybodaeth o wahanol syniadau a ddisgyblaethau, rhai falle na geir son amdano or blaen, fel bog-snorkeling!!

*Trwy gydol 2006, dim ond yn Nghymru fydd yr achlusurau perthnasu (teambuilding events) yn digwydd. Dim ond wersu 1-2-1 fydd ar gael lawr yn Cernyw.

SURFING COURSES

Neulltio wersi tonfyrddio a cwrs wybodaeth :

GSD yw’r unig ysgol da 4 seren o’r BSA ofewn Cymru, sydd yn golygu mae’r gallu a chroeso da ni yn cynnal wersu o ddechreuwir gyfangwbwl hyd at yr safon uchaf!!

Mae yna gormodedd o wersi ar gael, os na welwch un sydd yn addas ar dy gyfer, rho galwad i ni neu e-bost a chawn addasu wers yn arbenning ar dy gyfer.

Ffurflen neulltio :

I prynu wers, i gyd sydd rhaid neu yw clicio’r cysylltiad isod i fynd trwodd i ein tudalennau e-commerce – mae’r dudalennau’n ddihangol, ddiogelwch yn gael eu darparu gan banc HSBC.

Manylion y cyrsiau:

Rhywbeth ar gyfer bawb, mae’r gweithgareddau sydd ar gael am bawb, beth bynnag yr oedran neu’r gallu!!

Cool camping weekends with Gower surf school, weekends including all surf equipment, why not stay in a Tipi or Celtic roundhouse?

Cool camping ideas with learn to surf and surfboard hire included

Camp_in_a_teepee_and_surf_all_weeke Do something different with your mates (ideal for stag or hen activity weekends, corporate group team building or a large family) and stay in alternative accommodation such as a Celtic roundhouse or a tipi each can sleep up to 10 people, and with larger groups we simply pitch more tipis in a seperate area to the camping field.

You are welcome to bring your own food or arrange for us to cook for you!

The surfing equipment will be looked after by us at the beach and therefore you do not have to worry about looking after it, at the end of the day we will rinse your wetsuits and hang up for you ready for you to collect in the morning along with your surfboard.

N.B BYO tents are welcome and cost £5 p.p per night with a minimum stay of 2 nights in July and August

Facilities include:

Showers - solar powered communal and family rooms
Toilets
Changing rooms

Washing up room in restored railway wagon with solar powered hot water

A stone barn as an emergency sleep space if you get rained out
Pool table
Table tennis

Horseriding and activities on site
Vending machines
Pay phone

A snoring rabbit!

Minimum two nights booking for weekends in July and August

The Tipi and Celtic round houses hire nitty gritty

*Erection of tipi on our campsite
*Coir matting floor
*You will need to supply your own sleeping bags and mats
*For safety reasons we do not allow fires or candles in tipis
*We do have barbecue areas around the Centre

Costs below also include a surf lesson and surf hire for the duration of your stay. EG 1 night stay will entitle you to a surfing lesson and a days surf rental, the longer stay will give you all a days surf coaching and two days surfing rental. All prices below are per person, to secure a booking we will require £50 p.p and then full payment prior to your activity weekend.

Group size 2-5 6-10 11- 20 20 plus

1 night only
(inc a surfing lesson £190 £180 £170 £160
and one days hire)



2-3 nights
(inc a days surf coaching
£180 £170 £165 £155
and hire for two days)
and three days hire

Monday, January 14, 2008

Gower surf weekends, stag and hen activity breaks and surfing packages


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Surf weekends, stag and hen activity breaks, surf holiday ideas please contact us if you would like a tailor made package

Stag and hen group last weekend of freedom? We can offer one/two nights b and b in a 4 star hotel near the famous 'wine street' arrange taxis if required and supply vital info of the best places to drink, we can even provide a guide (at extra cost) if you require. Spend the day at the beach with a surfing lesson in the morning not to early, have lunch around 13.00 and then use the equipment for the rest of the day.

We can bolt on other activities such as paint balling, gorge walking, spa sessions for the hens, strippers, pole dancing classes, reservations for dining at the best restaurants in Swansea up to you. To get the ball rolling simply email me with dates, numbers, activitity bolt on's interested in and we will get back to you with several options and quotes. We will need a deposit at time of booking and full payment prior to your arrival click here last weekend of freedom

Live surf travel weekends meet on the friday night and get the first session under the belt, then you can enjoy Swansea's apres surf, but hopefully not too much as we meet at around 10.00 a.m on the Saturday and surf all day with a break at around 13.00 and finish by 16.00 'ish'. Then you can go and have a big night out as we will not be meeting for the last session untill 11 a.m or you can skip this and meet us at 13.00 for a surf before you hit the road home, refreshed and surfed out. The prices below include all surfing equipment two coaching sessions and use of equipment for your stay to practice your new skills. (n.b we will be at the beach all day)Camping two nights tent pitch plus surfing starts at £100.00 Hotel two nights with breakfast and surfing starts at £149.00 Simply email me your proposed dates and numbers I will get back to you with the best options for you click here to enquire about live surf travel weekends

GSD weekend surfing special is simply pay for the Saturday and Sunday and get monday all day free with GSD. All equipment and coaching included, this offer only applies to weekends in July and August 2008 book here via the following link surf three days for the price of two

Surfboard hire, surf equipment hire for exsisting customers and those that have had surfing lessons with an approved BSA surfing school click here surfboard hire information

Surfing courses all year round here at Gower surf school


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Surfing courses all year round here on Gower

We have all the equipment you will need for your surfing course with us here on Gower whatever the weather.

During the months

of April - October 31st, we operate surfing lessons and surfboard equipment hire seven days a week

November - March (with the exception of school holidays) we operate weekends only, however we can cater for bespoke customer requests during the week

We offer a wide range of courses trying to cater for all, here is a snapshot of some on offer click on key words for more info; stag and hen weekends/days, junior surf academy, school holiday activity breaks, outreach work, youth and community work, Local Authority contract courses, summer holiday academy, private small groups, group courses, 1-2-1, women only, Welsh medium, activity weekends, intermediate surf courses, corporate team building, surfboard hire, camping in tipi or celtic roundhouses...

Simply type the course you are looking for into the 'contact us' box and send to me I will send you more info catering for your requirements

We pride ourselves on a 'surfing 4 all ' policy and all are welcome to attend, we have wetsuits that fit 6 year olds up to front row forwards and even the odd second row player

Surfing is great way to get fit, get healthy, meet friends and improve your confidence

Surfing is also used as a great way of bonding on stag weekends, team building or working with young people

Our surf courses generally start at about 10 a.m until noon then there is a lunch time followed by a session 13.00 - 15.00 ish The 'ish' is always added as most of our customers travel from far away and not always turn up on time, the day is flexible and we will do our utmost to ensure you get plenty of time in the surf

We also offer surfing lessons first thing in the morning or after work which are popular

You can book your session by going to our secure surf shop and paying online, if you can not find what you want simply email me via the contact us form, describing what you would like to do and we will try and cater for your needs

All our course fees include the use of our surfing equipment and coaching provided by a BSA certified coach with CRB certificate

Gower surfing beach locations that we use for our learn to surf lessons

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Gower surfing beaches we Use

GSD uses two beaches on Gower, South West Wales. For Gower we try to pick the best beach to help progress the surfing development process. Therefore we ask customers to check in 4 days prior with us by email ot TXT to find out which beach to meet us on.

Caswell Beach (Mainly during colder months/days and when the surf is too big at Llangennith beach).

Caswell Beach on Google Maps. [51°34'6.56"N :: 4° 1'50.77"W]

This is a great beach to learn at due to its safe sloping sandy beach, beach rescue patrol and location close to Mumbles. We use this beach when the surf is too big at Llangennith.We have a GSD changing hut here on the beach at Caswell.

Llangennith Beach (When the surf is too small at Caswell beach).

Llangennith Beach on Google Maps. [51°37'21.25"N :: 4°16'34.20"W]

At Llangennith you need to drive into and through the famous Hillend campsite, we always park our large white mini-bus with GSD all over it down by the bottom car park near the beach access. This is near the coastguard phone.

Directions to Llangennith beach from the M4


It takes 30 minutes to get to Llangennith from junction 47 on a quiet day. If it is a hot weekend day, the roads will be busy so please allow twice this time.

NB Dont turn off on any other junction apart from junction 47. If you take an earlier turning and go through Swansea you will add at least half an hour to your journey time.

Exit the M4 at Junction 47. Take the A483 towards Swansea. At the next roundabout take the A484 towards Gowerton. Go straight over the next roundabout towards Gowerton. At the next roundabout take the B4296 towards Gowerton. At the next traffic lights turn right on the B4295 towards Penclawdd. Stay on this Road (approx. 10 Miles) through Penclawdd, Llanrhidian, Bury Green without turning off. Drop down the hill into Llangennith, past the Kings Head Pub to a mini roundabout. Turn left towards Hillend Camp Site. At the entrance of the caravan site head towards the camping field. Drive past the entrance to the camping field and head straight down towards the sand dunes, our large surfgsd van will be parked down near the bottom car park, the emergency txt only mobile number is 07739536122 if you are running late click here to see images of the GSD vans

Directions From Swansea/Mumbles to Llangennith beach It takes 30 minutes to get to Llangennith from town on a quiet day. If it is a hot weekend day, the roads will be busy so please allow twice this time.

If you are on the Mumbles road (A4067).

If you are coming from Mumbles the sea should be on your right and turn left at the lights by the boating lake up past Singleton hospital.

If you are coming from Swansea the sea should be on your left and turn right at the lights by the boating lake up past Singleton hospital.

After ½ mile turn right at the mini roundabout. After 200M go straight through the traffic lights. After 200M as the road meets another road turn left. After ½ mile go straight over two mini roundabouts (passing the school I teach at on your left by the way). After 1 mile turn left at the mini roundabout. Drop down the hill and back up the other side and after 1 mile the you cross a cattle grid onto common land. 100M after the cattle grid turn right onto the B4271. Continue on this road for approx 5 miles until the road joins another road at Llanrhidian (Esso petrol station on your right). Turn left and stay on this road through Bury Green. After approximately 4 miles with ever narrowing roads drop down the hill into Llangennith, past the Kings Head Pub to a mini roundabout. Turn left towards Hillend Camp Site. Drive past the entrance to the camping field and head straight down towards the sand dunes, our large surfgsd van will be parked down near the bottom car park, the emergency txt only mobile number is 07739536122 if you are running late click here to see images of the GSD vans

Gower Surf School-surfing lessons and surf hire equipment all year round



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Frequently Asked Questions

Are your instructors and surf school qualified and approved ?

GSD is the only 4 star British surfing Association surf school in Wales. This is the highest award possible for a surf school. 7 of GSD's instructors are members of Mumbles Surf Lifesaving Club, training on a weekly basis and they compete at regional and national lifeguarding contests. Mumbles SLC is currently the top club in Wales and one of the best in the Uk. All the instructors are also surfers, qualified by the B.S.A and SLSA. GSD is inspected by the Local council, Welsh Tourist Board, The BSA and Swansea Institute. GSD prides itself on being the best surf course provider due to its staff and safety record.

I am coming on a stag weekend and we are surfing in the afternoon is it ok if we have a few beers before we come to meet you ?

No, sorry we do not accept anyone whom has been drinking beer. We suggest you choose to do something fun and healthy first then go to the pub to celebrate after. Nothing like a cold one after a hard days surfing.

What do I need to bring ?

The cost of the course includes the use of a surfboard and wetsuit. If you have your own bring it along, however the cost of course stays the same. Please bring along a towel and some warm gear to wear. We also recommend high factor sun cream and in some case total sun block. Even on cloudy days the face can burn.

Are the courses suitable if I am not a strong swimmer ?

It is a B.S.A. rule that all participants must be able to swim 50 meters. The beginner surf sessions stay in waist depth of water, so you do not have to be an olympic swimmer. The great thing about this session is everyone has fun at their own pace.

What happens if the surf gets to rough ?

Here at GSD we constantly monitor the weather and surf forecasts along with liasing with beach rescue and the local coastguard. Gower, is fortunate enough to have several safe surf beaches which face in different directions and therefore suitable for safe satisfying surfing.

What happens if there is no surf ?

Flat periods are experienced all around the world, and generally the worst period for no waves is the summer. Which is a shame for us surfers as the days are long and the water warm. However, in the summer we do get consistant small surf and this is perfect to learn in and also train in. If however the conditions are deamed unsuitable GSD will credit you with any lessons missed due to conditions within a one year period. Most of the time however we can offer alternative water activities and surf fitness training that will help the development of your surfing.

What time do courses start ?

We run 4 sessions a day in the summer months some starting at dawn. The morning session starts around 10.30 a.m and the afternoon session starts around 2.00 p.m. Obviously this is dependant on the tide and surf for each particular day. We ask that customers arrive at meeting point about 20 minutes prior to session start time.

What does it take to be a 4 star B.S.A surf school ?

The British Surfing Associations Approved Surfing Schools Scheme was introduced in 1990 to help the public obtain better value for money and greater safety whilst being taught to surf.

ABOUT THE AWARD LEVELS
Each BSA Surf School is a designated level of qualification depending on
a) The qualifications of the instructors.
b) The coaching resources they offer.
c) The types of surfing courses the school is qualified to offer.

The Levels

BSA 1
- Provide recreational 'starter-beginner' to 'lower improver' surfing courses.
- Coaches are qualified level 1+ at least 1 qualified @ level 2

BSA 2
- Provide Level 1 Programmes.
- Provide recreational Higher ability surfing from 'higher improver' to 'intermediate' level courses.
- Coaches are qualified levels 1-2.

BSA 3
- Provide Level 1-2 Programmes.
- Provide 'contest & competitive surfer training + recriational 'advanced surfer' programmes.
- Coaches are qualified levels 1-3.

BSA 4 (Which surfGSD is)
- Provide Level 1-3 Programmes.
- Provide a local 'community resource' programme ( = 'kids, grommet and cadets' clubs etc).
- Provide an, 'advanced surfing' development programme for elite squad traini