The Best UK Surf Blogs

A good surf blog is a rare thing, especially in the UK.

There’s a few surf magazines and surfwear brands with blogs, but they have advertisers to please and products to sell.

If you want fresh organic surfing, you can’t beat real surf blogs, by real surfers based in Blighty. So here’s a few of my favourite British surf blogs for all you hungry surfers:

Real women have curves and surfboards

Wanna know what surfing and burlesque have in common? Find out (with mind boggling visual aids) in this unique blog, by a twenty something surfer living in a city.

Bound to Birmingham, Sophia seeks pleasure in a range of non-surfing activities from contemplating Buddhism On The 140 Bus to skateboarding in bikinis. But fear not The Landlocked Surfers whisk her away on quests for waves whenever possible.

A board, some wax and a leash

A self confessed ‘wave bastard’, Thos Sharpe shares his North Devon surf journey from the beginning. Four years have passed since his first splash, and Thos has overcome his bugbears, surfed the rough with the smooth, collected an impressive quiver and now shares the grumbles and smiles of every middle aged UK surfer.

An artist by trade, ‘A board, some wax and a leash’ contains fantastic and original local surf photos, accompanied by creatively crafted and honestly spoken words.

Kernowfornia Dreaming

Polaroid lover, pessimistic optimist, coldwater endurer. Rebecca Pepperell loves living in Cornwall, working on the cliffs of St Agnes for an ubercool surf clothing company and taking vintage style coastal snaps. She’s even “trying to see the bright
side of spending nearly half the year in 5mm neoprene.”

Kernowfornia is a surf blog ‘on the button’, but with a vintage feel. With news and reviews of all the coolest surf events from the Grenaway Pro to the Slyder Cup, dreamy beach photos and the odd water temperature tantrum, it’s one to add to your bookmarks.

For City Surfers

‘Smear vaseline on your face to avoid winter wind chill’ is just one pearl of wisdom waiting to be discovered on this treasure island of surf culture. There’s also advice and tips for short trips, flat days, family surf holidays and a video section dedicated to Bustin Moves.

This generous and vibrant community of city surfers share the same energy and desire to surf as the most dedicated beach bums. So visit For City Surfers, meet the gang, share a story or just check out the cool videos.

Surf Nation

Writer, freelance journalist, media lawyer, lecturer, father and surfer – Alex Wade is an interesting man. He’s published two surfing books, most recently ‘Amazing Surfing Stories’ and before that ‘Surf Nation’..

Surf Nation – the blog, is an eclectic mix of surfing, football, writing, and boxing. From apologies for Surfside Sex to the joy of getting punched at 47, Surf Nation allows us an insight to the life of a real surfer writer.

Vintage Surfboards UK

Vintage videos of surf sailing in the seventies and a photographic guide to restoring a G&S Fibreflex skateboard is what greets you with a quick flick through Vintage Surfboards UK. Check out this eclectic collection of vintage boards, from a John Hall swallowtail with wings to an Ocean Magic quad fin from the 80s.

Author Alisdair Lindsay is a contemporary surf artist with five toes hanging in vintage surf culture. Many of the vintage surfboards and surf memorabilia shown are from Alisdair’s personal collection, some of which can be seen and touched at the Royal Cornwall Museum’s Endless Summer Exhibition until 7th March 2014.

Surfhog

A proper surf blog by a dedicated surf stalker. Surfhog is well informed, he knows (and shares) the coolest surf events, surf film premieres and will be sure to tell you when it’s about to go off. He’s the secret service of surfing.

Bored of pro surfers and the latest World Tour commercial hype? Wanna know more about local legends, qwerky contests, with a video of Maya Gabeira surfing Teahupoo thrown in for balance? Then Surfhog is for you.

Adventures in trim

Longboards, single fins, VW vans, grey waves and satisfying sunsets in The Shire (North Devon) and that’s just the images. The photography alone make this blog an unmissable UK surfing gallery.

The words are also worthy of your time – with musings on board shapes for beardy types, an appreciation for shoreline fresh board deliveries, and a healthy respect for local curry companies. As Chris Preston (the author) sagely says “Whatever your choice of trousers, corduroy lines never go out of fashion!!”

Surf Photo

Amidst informative articles revealing the joy of freeballing or curing haemorrhoids with hot tea bags, are drop dead gorgeous surf photos by the man himself – Roger ‘Sharpy’ Sharp. Sharpy is the editor of Carve Magazine, surf photographer, Guinness and gravy lover.

Whilst Sharpy occasionally recycles the best bits from his days spent at Wavelength or shares a sneak preview of a Carve article, it’s mercifully free from surf brands and advertorials. Surf Photo is like your favourite surf mag, where you can fast forward through the adverts.

The Soul Surfers

It started as a place to jot down thoughts and observations inspired by the sea, but has become a community consumed by the lure of the ocean. With nostalgic flashbacks to snowboarding in school playgrounds, surfing and running for tins of beans (for charity), and Soul Sunday sessions, there’s plenty here to inspire and ponder.

Here you’ll find a group of Christian surfers from a variety of backgrounds but all with a common love – surfing. I’m not Christian, but there is something spiritual in surfing that The Soul Surfers capture better than most. So well worth a pensive perusal whatever your religion.

If you regularly read or write a UK surf blog I’ve overlooked, please let me know below.