This weekend, Sarah and I plan to go surfing in Wales. We’ve been told of a fantastic beach called Llangennith, 15 or so miles from Swansea, where the surf is great for beginners. And beginners we surely are. We have booked a lesson for Saturday afternoon and, to really make the trip worth while, another for Sunday morning. If anyone has any top tips for how to get from Swansea train station to Llangennith, I’m all ears. Once this was decided I had to make the hard decision of whether or not to take my (yes, *my*) surfboard. In the end, I decided against it. My reasoning is that I’ll only have time and energy for the lessons, and it’s better to learn on a board designed for learning. My aim is to be able to stand on my own board by the end of the summer, but first I need to stand on a board at all.
As for my knee, which kebab’d so kindly asked about, the jury is out. I am doing my leg exercises this week in the lead up to surfing, and I do have some concerns. However, I’ve been able to play squash and swim, so I’m hoping it will be ok, with just a bit of stiffness afterwards. I have an appointment with a knee consultant at the end of July, which I expect to result in news about a knee operation, but I’m trying to keep as active as possible in the meantime, within the realms of sanity.
And as for why we chose Wales… Well, we wanted to go for the weekend as S and I are both short on holiday time. Biarritz is our destination of choice, but not at all viable for a weekend break as plane and train times don’t allow it. Cornwall and Wales then got into the frame, and Wales is closer to get to by train, so we’re gonna give it a go. With luck, by the end of the summer we’ll have tried a range of surf locations in the UK, and I’m hoping we’ll manage a week in France (to practice my French as well as my surfing). Any advice for good surf destinations in easy reach of London would be appreciated.