After the John John Florence JetBlue fiasco we were pleased to learn Dutch KLM are now taking surfboards on board free of charge on international flights. A boardbag can now be taken on board instead of a bag. If you are flying internationally that means no extra fee is charged; https://surf.klm.com/#!/surfgearonboard”
Dutch Pro surfer Yannick Jager was behind the KLM campaign and their celebration of surfing;
‘As a proud Dutchie, I always preferred to fly with KLM, my native airline who flies to a lot of great locations around the world straight from Amsterdam. Whenever I stepped on board of a KLM flight it always felt a bit like ‘coming home’ after having been away for long periods of time.
So about a year ago I started talking to KLM airlines, with high hopes to find a way to make board bags free as a part of your standard baggage allowance. Fast forward to half a year later and it turned out there were holy corporate soldiers living within the concrete world of big business and dusty decision making dimension of multinationals. People that were dedicated in making a positive change for surfers and people that travel with a passionate reason.
A boardbag can now be taken on board instead of a bag, if you are flying internationally that means no extra fee is charged; https://surf.klm.com/#!/surfgearonboard”
They also gave me the opportunity to come up with a concept to shoot inspirational content around the campaign. I’ve always been looking to document my travels in the nicest way possible so it was a dream job come true. I wanted to work with a ambitious and dedicated, yet small team to work on the production and that really worked out. Stoked I got to work with some great people and to be able to portray a few of the KLM destinations in a way how I perceive them. Excited on the results.’’
Whether you’ve got your board in the back of the car planning an after work surf or you’re travelling long haul, your boards need protection… here’s some of the best board bags which will do the job. Click here…
Ninety kilometres off the coast of Morocco lie a group of Spanish islands which have become synonymous with heavy waves – the Canary Islands. Entirely volcanic in origin, they’re blessed with year-round sunshine and epic waves. Dubbed the ‘Atlantic Hawaii’, some of the Canaries’ urchin-infested slabs hold incredibly heavy waves with barrels as thick as hydrodynamic theory allows. The islands are surrounded by deep water so incoming swells slam in with full Atlantic power producing thick, heavy waves which require 100 percent commitment from the second you think about getting to your feet. What comes next depends on your ability to control your rail and line up the section; if you don’t, you’ll suffer the consequences. From playful four-foot peelers to top-to-bottom quadruple-overhead monsters, Canarian reefs tick all the boxes. There’s also a selection of less intense beach breaks which can be fun, although the reefs are what the crowds froth over.
The islands hoover up swell from all directions, but most of the big winter swells come from slow-moving North Atlantic lows which churn out a steady supply of northwest groundswell throughout the winter months. Hurricane swells from the east coast of the US can also reach the islands if the storms peel away from the continent early and don’t dissipate too soon. Trade winds blow almost all year round, predominantly from the north east; the winds tend to be lightest in October and November.
There are seven main islands in the Canaries, and each offers a selection of surf spots ranging from good to world-class. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the furthest east of the islands and they’re also the least mountainous; consequently they offer the best access to the coastline and they have the highest concentration of breaks.
Lanzarote’s heaviest and best known spots lie in a cluster around the fishing village of La Santa on the north coast. El Quemao, a crunching left next to the village’s tiny harbour, bears more than a passing resemblance to its Pacific cousin Pipeline. Offshore on a southeast Sirocco wind, El Quemao will tear you a new orifice if you don’t treat it with the utmost respect. The takeoff is always steep, and you’ll need to nail a heavy bottom turn to line up the second section which can sometimes suck almost dry. El Quemao is shallow, fast, heavy and will give you a shot of adrenaline you won’t forget. The locals are a tight-knit bunch who aren’t too wild about visitors, whether you rip or not. Show respect and it’ll improve your chances, but even then they won’t welcome you with open arms.
A kilometre along the coast is La Santa Right (known locally as Morro Negro), a long, powerful righthander which breaks along a boulder-strewn point. It’ll hold waves up to 15 feet and can be world-class on its day, with big open walls begging to be carved to bits. The inside can sometimes get bowly, with the odd barrel to be had. The current down the point is quite strong and the paddle outs are wearing, but catch it on a perfect six-foot day and you’ll be hooting your head off. Get there early to beat the crowds.
Other quality spots on Lanza’s north shore include the heavily localised La Santa Left (‘The Slab’) and San Juan, a long smashable left.
On straight north swells a cluster of reefs on the east side of the island turn on. Jameos del Agua, Punta de Mujeres and Arrieta offer softer waves which will appeal to intermediate surfers more than the bone-crunchers around La Santa.
The long arc of sand at Famara provides a beach break option for beginners, although wave quality is dependent on the state of the banks. If the swell is from the north or northeast, another beachie to check out is Orzola on the far northern tip of the island.
Most of Fuerteventura’s best waves can be found at the northern end of the island, around the resort town of Corralejo. The Bubble, a few kilometres west of the town, is a sick A-frame which offers hollow lefts and rights breaking over a sharp, shallow reef. It works best on a northwest swell with a southeasterly wind. Deep-water waves jack up quickly and morph into good-length pits for those lucky enough to snag one off the locals. The Bubble is one of the busiest spots on the island and the locals aren’t too willing to abide by general etiquette, so expect drop-ins when it’s on, even if you have priority and have been quietly minding your own business for a while. Hang around, be nice and let your surfing do the talking, then you’ll have a better chance of taking one of the well-protected set waves. And get in early to avoid the crowds.
Other challenging spots for experienced surfers include Las Lagunas (‘Spew Pits’), a gnarly righthand barrel near Cotillo; and Lobos, a long right point that peels down the side of a volcano, a short ferry hop from Corralejo. Intermediate level surfers can find fun waves at some of the less demanding reefs like Rocky Point, as well as a selection of beach breaks like Glass Beach, Cotillo and Playa de Esquinzo.
When the publishers of Kelly Slater’s autobiography For The Love were looking for a covershot, it was pretty much a no-brainer that they’d choose a sick action photo of The Great One standing tall in some mental, grinding world-class barrel. They did…but the wave wasn’t Backdoor, Chopes or Cloudbreak. Nope, the shot in question was actually taken at Soup Bowl, one of several gems on the small Caribbean island of Barbados.
Yes, Soup Bowl can be absolutely epic on its day – a wedgy, powerful righthand barrel, as intense as any other wave in the Caribbean. Trouble is, those epic days occur about as often as the West Indies cricket team trouncing England by 500 runs. Soup Bowl – situated at Bathsheba, halfway along the island’s east coast – faces straight into the prevailing northeasterly trades, so a lot of the time it’s howling onshore and blown to smithereens. If you catch a couple of calm mornings during the course of a week, you’re doing pretty well. If you score proper offshores plus a chunky groundswell, then you’ve hit the jackpot. Give the locals some rrr-respect, they’re a cool bunch and they rip. Getting in and out of the water across the ledgy reef can be quite interesting, with abundant urchins adding to the fun.
Fortunately, you still have plenty of options on days when the trades are trashing the east coast. Since the island is only 14 miles (22 kilometres) wide, it’s a doddle to drive around and scope out the other coasts.
Up towards the northern tip of the island you’ll find Duppies, a righthand point which offers long rippable walls when there’s a moderate north or northwest swell running. Although it may look inviting to intermediates, it’s best left to experienced surfers due to the long paddle out and currents. Avoid high tide as the waves get messed up by backwash from the cliffs.
Maycock’s, a few miles down the west coast, is a mellow righthand reef popular with longboarders and intermediates. Its beautiful setting could almost be described as idyllic…if it wasn’t for the clatter of the cement factory nearby.
Further down the west coast are some really good reefs, among them Tropicana, Sandy Lane and Batt’s Rock. Most days the west coast is mirror flat and you wouldn’t even know those spots were there. But every now and then during the winter months a beefy north swell wraps down the coast and lights up them up. They all get hollow, and Tropicana is so shallow you can only ride it at high tide. Advanced surfers only.
Past Bridgetown, Brandon’s is a south coast spot which doesn’t show unless there’s a decent swell running. Its short, fun lefts break over a flat, urchin-infested reef.
Continuing along the south coast, Freights is a sand-bottom left point tucked in behind the headland at the eastern end of Oistin’s Bay. It’s so sheltered you rarely see anything but anklesnappers here. But very occasionally, when a southwest hurricane swell slams into the island, Freights transforms itself into a dreamy lefthander with aquamarine barrels for the lucky souls who happen to be on the island at the time. Around the headland, South Point is a far more consistent spot that always seems to have a wave of some description (even if it’s only a disorganised windswell) thanks to the relentless easterly trades. When a lined-up groundswell hits, South Point shapes up to provide fun racy lefts which break over a flat coral reef. Hit it at lower stages of the tide as it gets messed up by backwash towards high.
There are many other spots on the island, including one or two classic secret spots. So jump in your rental car and see what you can find. Happy hunting!
With a warm year round climate and two coasts to explore, the Algarve is a perfect family surf destination.
There comes a time in every surfer’s life, a terrible time, a time when you are sliced in half emotionally, torn between chasing your passion, living your dream and, well, none of the above. Quite possibly ending up being tortured in a small apartment in a waveless, soulless part of the world. Yes I am talking about booking the annual family holiday.
Obviously as surfers we are obliged to refuse to grow up, be selfish and try and train our offspring to be surfers at the earliest age so we have any excuse to go to the beach and go on surf trips. Unfortunately most children can’t machete through the jungles of Indonesia, or surf Nias until they are at least hmm … two? Three? Okay, lets face it, it’s much later in life. Add to this the long suffering “other halves” desire to enjoy themselves on holiday rather than spend all day waiting for swell, tide and wind while being eaten alive by mossies or be harassed by hawkers and you can see the quandry. We want to surf, they maybe, are not so keen. And you both need to keep the kids entertained. Yes it’s the “family” in “family holiday” which puts the kibosh on what in your head actually means ’surf trip’. Even if you have put in time and effort to train your first born and are the proud possessor of a surfing grom, you still have to find a location with grom friendly waves: i.e. not Graviere, or Desert Point, so you can both have fun without half drowning the apple of your eye and heir to all your worldly possessions. Yes booking the family holiday is a time of searching and torment, when we have to curtail our self obsessed wave chasing nature and offer … concessions.
Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is a luxury complex consisting of a hotel, self-catering houses, villas and restaurants located in Sagres in the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal.
As a semi-responsible adult and father of two I have reached this point. And I, as many other surfers really, really don’t want to end up in the islands of Mediterranean. Unless there’s an imminent swell arriving and I have the map
to a secret spot. Or any other surf challenged resort minus my most treasured worldly possession: my surfboard.
And thus I have set upon a search of the globe for locations that offer waves for me, waves for my grom and entertainment, comfort and a true holiday for the two non-surfing members of the family. Fortunately in September an email sent from the Gods arrived in my inbox presenting an invitation to experience what I found to be perfect solution to all our problems, that is all of my clan and yours too. Ladies and gentlemen I give you: the Martinhnal Resort.
The pool view
Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is a luxury complex consisting of a hotel, self-catering houses, villas and restaurants located in Sagres in the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal. It is a child friendly, inexpensive, two and half hours flight from practically any UK or Irish airport. It has five heated swimming pools, as opposed to the usual unusable ice holes found in the Canaries, including one indoor/outdoor pool which kids naturally gravitate too. It has kid friendly five star restaurants with amazing child minders so you can sit and enjoy your meal no matter the age, free spirited nature (!) or inclination (!!) of your offspring. Yes, several of you may want to lay back and imagine that for a moment … Ahhhh.
It also has kids’ clubs that kids actually want to go to, and tennis and football coaches so the little darlings (I use this term loosely) are endlessly entertained. And the end result of all this marvellousness? A stress free holiday for everyone. And here is the hook: you can go for guilt free surfs. In fact it is that good you will be sent on guilt free surfs! Yes, sent … away … to surf … on a family holiday!
Plenty of spots to explore.
As for the surf, well, being based on Sagres you’re in the thick of it. The resort is actually based on a very good beach break, and being sheltered it only really shows under huge winter conditions or “Le vente” swells which is ideal for winter breaks. Being located on the south coast you have the choice of fun breaks like Tonel, Beliche, Mateta, Zavial, and further up Lagos, Luz and everything in between. The beauty of the beaches is that they offer very friendly options under large Atlantic swells and get really fun swells from the south east if “Le vente” has been blowing. I was impressed by the latter as I hadn’t really seen them before, but these swells can be a decent size, arrive at any time of the year (even mid-summer) and the beaches will hold shape even under the windiest conditions. Fun!
The swell soaked west coast is a very short drive away with a plethora of beaches, reefs, points and secret spots that spread crowds and practically never go flat. The net result of the two coasts is an abundance of choice for surfers of all abilities; so even if you are learning you won’t come away with reef rash, feet full of urchins or your boardshorts or bikini full of gravel and wrapped around your head. If you’re lucky you can even witness the two swells running at the same time, as we did, from the north west and south east which means endless choices of fun waves on both coasts.
Back in the resort the accommodation has been designed firmly with families in mind. And when I say designed I mean properly thought through in every detail. The villas (we stayed in a Garden Villa) are the perfect size for families (you can spread out as opposed to being squashed in a small apartment) and have large open plan lounge/kitchen/diner so you can chat while preparing food and get the kids round a table easily. The kitchen has everything you need and is so easy to use and clean that cooking is actually a pleasure! (Yes, I just said that).
The lounges feature flat screen TVs, free wifi, huge, amazingly comfortable sofas and the coffee table is even round and lined with cork – it’s a toddler safe coffee table! I didn’t even think they existed. Even the towels have been hand picked to provide the right softness yet perfect drying quality (as opposed to just pushing water about). And the villas are cleaned every day by a small army of fastidious staff.
There is a gym, a surf bar, a room for teenagers complete with free to use consoles and computers to avoid tech-free meltdown, daily activities such as treasure hunts for under 12s, a spa, yoga sessions, and London fashion boutique (DANGER!) all on site. You can rent bikes and go on no end of activities, or just chill out. The resort is so compact it is easy to get about, yet so well laid out it feels spread out over acres. You could actually live there.
As far as booking is concerned you can stay in the hotel with sea views, or go self-catering in various villas, or even book out five bedroom luxury villas (read small mansions) with amazing barbecue areas and private heated pools. And you can take advantage of really good deals such as a five day/four night winter break including three course family dinner per day (in amazing restaurants) use of jacuzzi, steam room, spa/pool, complimentary kids club for two adults, two children from €776 (£619). Eight days (seven nights) €1,330 (£1,000). Given you can fly there from £200 for the whole family it’s a luxury holiday the value of which you can’t argue with. Don’t believe me? Compare the cost of taking the family out for a fantastic three course dinner every night for a week here at home in the UK against the Martinhal cost which includes that plus your villa.
To sum up my experience I surfed perfect waves every day with no stress, my grom loved every minute, my daughter put in nine hours a day in the pool and the missus wouldn’t leave the resort. I had the best seafood dishes I have possibly ever eaten and met some of the friendliest staff, surfers and locals anywhere in the world. And I would go back tomorrow. As holidays and trips go I am fortunate to have had more than my fair share over the years, and this one goes straight into “highly recommended”.
