Q & A with Discovery Surf School

Anyone who has ever visited Bigbury Bay will have seen the familiar sight of cars, campers and vans squeezing along the lanes with surfboards strapped on the roof racks. Bigbury & Bantham rightly remain among the UK’s most popular surfing destinations, so who better to talk to about the South Devon surf scene than Bigbury-based surf coach, Annika Connolly.

Annika is co-owner of Discovery Surf School and has helped countless would-be wave-riders to find their feet. Working alongside her husband, Martin, himself a master coach and former national champ, she is a familiar face amongst the local surfing community.

How long has Discovery Surf School been up and running?

Discovery has been running since 2002. The surf school started off as a mobile operation, chasing down ‘discovering’ the best surf spots for lessons in north Cornwall and South Devon, and we are now happily based at the best and most flexible location of all – Bigbury on Sea.

We’re regarded as one of the leading surf schools in the UK, teaching thousands of people every year. We also ‘virtually’ teach loads of people around the world through our enormously popular online 110% Surfing Techniques videos (on Vimeo and YouTube)

How vibrant is the South Devon surf scene?

The surf scene in South Devon is really vibrant, it’s nearly always busy! There’s a great surf community and so many great waves for every level to access, so it’s attractive to all types of surfers. We both come from surfing families and our dads were among the first surfers in the late 60’s and 70’s to surf at Bigbury, Bantham and the surrounding area, so there’s a lot of surfing history associated with the area.

Why are your home shores of Bigbury and Challaborough ideal for groms?

A grom (or grommet) is a young surfer – we have 2 of our own, 11 year old Sebastian and 7 year old Kira, and they love surfing as much as Mum and Dad. The waves at Bigbury and Challaborough offer loads of variety, so when you’ve got young children just starting out we can nearly always find a nice calm small wave to get them up and riding. The unique geography of the area, which is dominated by the iconic Burgh Island, offers so many options.

What’s the most common mistake people make when learning to surf?

There are loads! Some of the most common mistakes are lying on the board in the wrong position, not looking where you want to go, and unsuitable equipment.

Could you give us a rundown of the types off lessons on offer at the Discovery?

Here at Discovery Surf School we offer loads of different surfing and SUP lessons, from Beginner surf lessons in a group to private lessons, Fast Track surf courses, Junior Summer Surf Courses, Kids Surf Club and special needs lessons. Our emphasis has always been on delivering high quality lessons that suit everybody, so we often create bespoke options for individuals and groups, as well as booking in our set lessons/courses. We were the first surf school in the UK to offer paddle boarding lessons back in 2006 and these lessons have grown in popularity ever since.

What can we expect from a beginners lesson?

We greet you at our kiosk and issue you with a wetsuit and rash vest and introduce you to your surf coach. You’re then given a board and head down to the beach where we start with a surf lesson on the beach, going through safety, basics of standing up on your board, catching waves and fault correction. The majority of the coaching is down in the water, and the instructor will assist you to catch waves, give loads of encouragement and guide you towards catching waves independently. As surfers we’re all still learning, so every lesson you’ll find you’ll be able to develop your skills and keep improving all the time.

Have you seen many of your former students rise up through the surfing ranks?

Having been operating for nearly 20 years, we have seen some amazing individuals grow up through the surf school and find some really interesting paths in life. We’ve had instructors who had their very first surf lesson with Discovery, then develop into accomplished surfers and great coaches, we’ve had many of our instructors compete at national level, for example current instructor Noah Capps is the Under 18’s British Tour Champion.

We’re very much a family focussed business, and even when our instructors go on to find different paths in life they’ll always come back for a surf and catch up with us.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing the stoke that surfing brings! From a grom having their first lesson and buzzing with excitement, to the adult who has never surfed in their life before but manages to stand up and catch a wave for the first time, or the autistic child that may have a really difficult time on land but when they get in the water it becomes a super calming environment for them. We love our job!

Why is surfing good for the soul?

Just being in the water is therapeutic and then throw the adrenaline of catching waves into the mix and surfing is the best thing in the world! Surfing can be great if you’re after a mellow solo session, or if you’re with friends it’s really sociable. It’s basically good for the mind and body as it’s such good exercise as well.

Could you share with us some essential surfer’s lingo?

Duck dive – paddling your board out, then pushing your board under the wave; wipe out – falling off; line-up – the spot to sit and wait from the waves; Set – multiple good waves coming in; Foamy – a learner board; Pitted or shacked – this is a tube ride, when you are inside the curl of the wave.

And finally, what makes surfing such and fun and rewarding holiday activity?

Surfing is a very inclusive activity that everyone can enjoy. From families to groups of friends to individuals looking for a bit of ‘me’ time and people with special needs to access a calming, challenging and immensely rewarding activity. You can challenge yourself or simply enjoy the sea and waves.

Discovery Surf School
Lower Beach Car Park, Bigbury-on –Sea, Devon TQ7 4AS
Tel: 01548 810535
www.discoverysurf.com