Surfing – you know you’re addicted to wave riding when…

Surfing – up every day at dawn’s crack, missed appointments/meetings and family gatherings, shirking responsibility in favour of snagging a wave (or three). And telling porky pies just to hit up your local when it’s firing. Yep, if you’re surfing addicted then you’ll no doubt be nodding your head at this point. The fact is, with Mother Nature’s ever-unpredictable personality in the mix, getting your surf fix in the UK is pretty tough. You’ve got to be an opportunist. A multitude of different factors come into play, making scoring a sweet session all the more difficult so ducking and diving is almost a necessity.

Surfing quandries.

Scouring surfing forecast data religiously, bouncing texts to mates and those in the know about firing spots, pouring over wave buoy info and live wind readings; it’s any wonder anything else gets done. When a magic chart pops up you’ll already have racked up the mental hours deciding on where to put in. And even then you’ll most likely change your mind umpteen times.

And then there’s preparation. Stripping and re-applying wax on boards, making sure wetsuits are dry and turned the right way round, checking leashes and fixtures, all in anticipation of dropping into that first liquid roller, arcing a buttery slice out of the trough and hurtling back up towards the lip. That first hit can be oh so sweet and a sign of things to come during the next few hours.

Reality bites.

Then reality bites. That meeting you fobbed off and the appointment you missed. The girl you stood up or family birthday you missed. All for a seemingly unfathomable activity (what do they know?). At least that’s the perception from the outside looking in at surfing.

For now, it’s dragging your sheepish carcass back to the van, playing over and over in your head the excuse you’re going to give this time. Inwardly though you’re stoked off your noggin about the session you just scored. Surfing when it’s that good does make it all worthwhile. And let’s be honest, those in your life care about you enough to understand – right?

When you’re heading for a surf session you’ll need the right tools for the job – don’t worry NCW have got you covered. Check out everything you need in the surfing wetsuits and accessories section here. If you need a hand gives us a shout.