Surfing in Scotland - 04/09/07

Our office was closed for the Easter Holiday recently so I drove with co-worker John (of Ben Lomond repute) and a few others to go surfing on the east coast of Scotland at Coldingham, not far from the border with England.

We brought John's surfboard along by strapping it to the roof of my car, but the rest of us rented boards and wetsuits at a small surf shop at the bay.

I tried surfing with a longboard in Southern California once in college, but between the crowded water and the unwieldy board, I lost interest quickly. I had much more fun this time, since I had a more manageable board and more room in the ocean to flail about.

The North Sea water was cold, but I hardly noticed since my wetsuit did its job well. Gloves and boots were included in the rental package, but since I didn't rent a cap, my head was the one place vulnerable to the cold. When I'd go under a wave (which was frequently), it felt like my head was getting slammed into a snowdrift and pounded with ice picks. Fortunately I've got somewhat of a pin-head, so there wasn't enough surface area getting cold for my body as a whole to get chilled. Maybe that's why I felt like I could stay out in the water longer than the rest of the group...now I'm excited to go back!


John was able to secure his surfboard to the roof of my car with a couple of small ropes and sailor's knots of some type. My own expertise with knots is limited to granny-style ones, so John told me, "if you don't know knots, tie lots!"

Coldingham Bay down the path from the car park. The wind really kicked up as we were returning to the surf shop, and one of the biggest challenges of the day was getting myself and my board up the hill in one piece. I had to constantly fight the wind from spinning me in circles as I carried the board at my side. Rookie problem, I'm sure.

John's friend, Pete, and me getting a quick surf lesson on the beach from John before heading out to catch the waves. I wasn't able to fully stand up and ride many times, but I caught one wave just right and rode it long enough to surf right over the top of Pete, who was still flat on his board. No blood (and no sharks), no foul.