CORNWALL
It might be a bit chillier than Bondi, but if you want to learn to surf in Britain, the best place to do it is the string of beaches around Newquay (pictured right), on the north coast of Cornwall, which receive some of the UK’s most reliable swells. Fistral is the prima donna of the town’s surfing beaches, and there are lots more, including Lusty Glaze, Watergate Bay, Mawgan Porth, Crantock and Holywell Bay. Don’t even think about trying it without a wetsuit.
* Newquay has good bus, train and air connections. Numerous surf schools offer lessons for novices, as well as skills and tuning sessions for more established surfers (visitcornwall.com). The Escape Surf School in Newquay offers half-day (two-hour) lessons (£35; escapesurfschool.co.uk).