We all fall into the trap of gifting items that have a winter theme, such as hats and gloves and yes they really are great presents but there’s also 3 other seasons out there, and we don’t want them to accuse you of favouritism do we? Ok so you probably think we’ve lost our Christmas crackers (all the best of us have), I guess we should probably try and set the scene……….
Imagine it’s a boiling hot Abersoch day, the sand is almost too hot to walk on and there’s a distinct smell of suncream in the air, the beach is loud and noisy with all the sounds of summer at the seaside and then something catches your eye, a couple cruising tandem on a paddle board, a little girl laughing catching her first wave on a bodyboard, a lady throwing a towel robe on to grab ice creams, a little boy in wetsuit boots climbing in the rock pools, a teenager waxing a surfboard, You take it all in and make a mental note that ‘that’ would make a great Christmas present, so incase you’d forgotten, consider this your reminder… don’t be a seasonal gifter, think about what they REALLY wanted back in the summer.
If you can't see what you're looking for on our website or need gift ideas, please give us a call: 01758712483 or email: info@abersochwatersports.co.uk
Ps. We do still love socks for Christmas! #socksforever
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So whilst you get ready to open that 1st window of your advent calendar, sneak in one of many mince pies for breakfast and Google ‘Presents for awkward teenagers’ we thought we’d clear up a few of our Christmas conundrums, questions we often get asked, just to make gifting season go as smoothly as possible:
🎄FREE POSTAGE on all UK web orders
🎄All surfboards/ Paddleboards are carefully and properly packaged and sent with our trusted couriers
🎄GIFT CARDS come in multiples of £10, £25, £50 and £100, bought on our website and can be redeemed instore or online and do not have an an expiry date
🎄ACTIVITY GIFT CARDS for surf lessons, SUP lessons and Coasteering, can be bought online and then booked/redeemed at any time during Spring, Summer and Autumn 2024
🎄Gift cards are redeemed using the code in the confirmation email, we can send one of our Abersoch Watersports celebration cards out free and on request.
🎄Click and collect is available
🎄We will accept exchanges/returns into the New Year
🎄Our last day of postage is 22nd DECEMBER but this could be later depending on the item
🎄If sending direct, ofcourse we can use our best wrapping skills before posting out
🎄If you can’t see what you’re looking for on our website or you would like advice on choosing a gift please pop in the shop, send us a message via our socials or
Call on 01758712483
Email info@abersochwatersports.co.uk
Support small, independent and local and finally Happy Christmas from us all here at Abersoch Watersports.
]]>Over a year and a half ago our 6year old, now 7 was entrusted with a fancy new Hydro Flask kids drinks bottle with a cool straw lid. Now parents of little ones will understand that their water bottle really must be top notch to live up to being a sidekick of a little terror and I can honestly say that it has really lived up to the job.
I hear you laugh, but genuinely a kids water bottle needs to cut the mustard! A reusable water bottles job is simply to just provide a cold drink on the go, but a kids water bottle is so much more…………its about survival!
So the Hydro Flask in question seems to be quite invincible, for a 7year old especially ours, who’s described as ‘wreck-it Ralph”. Its actually endured daily abuse in his school rucsac, rolling around at sports matches, carried/swung in the air to the beach everyday in the summer, shaken quite vigorously with ice in, thrown in the car boot, taken on SUP/ surf adventures, suffered 5013 ‘bottle flips” (if you know you know) along with being dropped countless times and sustained many dents that all tell a story. We’ve had no leaks! Yes I repeat no leaks and that really is unusual. And despite peer pressure it’s not been swopped for a certain other bottle with a fancy smelling ring that some might call a fad. Its even been found and recovered after an all-nighter on the beach. Its has his name written on the base 300 and something times after its washed off (must invest in a decent sharpie, I know!) How this hydro flask has not been lost and lives another day is completely beyond us, but that’s where Hydro flask comes out as the true champion in this strange water bottle experiment. They really are worth every penny of the investment, look after it properly, reuse time and time again, keeping those drinks cold, on the go, whilst not relying on plastic as your vestibule of choice, its a win-win in our book! So before you go and check out the Hydro Flask range, the question is………..do we think he deserves a new jazzy Hydro flask, to replace the one that probably needs to retire?……………sometime soon, maybe!
And here it it, heroic proof of Hydro Flasks survival:
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NEW to the change robe rail is the The Red Limited Edition Recovered Pro Change Robe Evo and they sure are brightening up the shop this autumn with its splashes of colour and environmental creds to match.
Now we were excited about this one landing, and they didn't disappoint as they were pulled out the box the moment they were delivered, and they make so much sense in the world we live in right now, a limited edition version of the award winning Pro Change EVO with the same incredible technical spec whilst living up to Red’s B-Corp Company, high environmental standards of performance, looking for ways to reduce their impact and here they've managed it, as this robe uses up all the surplus material usually left without a home or left on the cutting room floor, made using 100% recycled materials, so limiting impact on the planet and aiming to help make a u-turn on the throw away culture we live in.
The Recovered Pro Change EVO comes in 3 colours and we’ve got to admit the design team needs a raise, they’ve really out done themselves on the colour combos here, the colourblock look works so well, with different contrasting colours on the arms, pockets, trims, piping, inside and outside pockets they’ve properly nailed the brief.
Fushcia Pink/ Red: Its the orange pop of the fleece that grabs us on this one, especially teamed nicely with the clashing red and pink of the outer robe, a proper eye catcher.
Teal/ Navy: We were always big fans of the teal but with the navy panels and red piping it takes it to the next level of grown-up cool.
Mulberry wine / Fuchsia pink: Now this ones got it all going on, this is a 4way splash of strong colours, there’s blocking on all the panels and we particular love the yellow piping matched with the grey inner fleece, this colour way completely works for both men and women.
Its actually hard to choose a favourite, we’ll leave that to you. Whether you're conquering the waves, scaling peaks, or simply enjoying the great outdoors, this robe is your loyal companion. Grab your limited edition Red Recovered Pro Change Robe Evo and embark on your next adventure with style and comfort like never before.
Mrs. AW signing out and quietly considering if Captain Woods will let her add another robe to her collection........
]]>What is coasteering?
We popped it into google and the World Wide Web oracle came back with “Coasteering is movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft."
Well we kind of agree but we’d probably add a few extra words like exciting, energetic, exhilarating, fun and most definitely an experience to remember. Coasteering isn’t just about the adrenaline rush of the cliff jumps but an unforgettable adventure traversing, scrambling, rock climbing, and swimming whilst getting up and close to all the local wildlife and incredible welsh coastline.
So who do we take on our Coasteering tours?
We’ve taken all groups over the years from families (children 8years +) sports teams, stag-dos, corporate team building groups, hen-dos, grandparents, lads & Dads, work colleagues, kids birthday parties and we’ve even had the odd grumpy teenager who’s snapped out of it on that first jump and completed the course exhaustedly smiling, so yes we welcome you all if you can swim and are fairly fit.
Location?
While our course route depends so much on the conditions for the safety of our customers and changes regularly and often daily, the location is no secret. Its a 15min drive from our Abersoch Watersports HQ in Abersoch village, where you will need to pick up your wetsuit before your session, then a short drive to Nefyn Golf Club Carpark, LL53 6DA, which is £5 to park where you will meet our instructors.
So what’s included?
All safety equipment, lifejacket and helmet, along with a wetsuit. You will need to bring some decent fitting trainers you don’t mind getting wet or water shoes that have good grip, that properly stay on your feet. To the ones who’ve turned up in flip-flops, they’re definitely not going to cut it and you will get a ‘must try harder badge’ and to the lady who stomped on the course in platform trainers, you looked damn cool but we had genuine fear you’d roll an ankle out there!
Photos are also included, because without a doubt you want to show Dave in accounts how rad coasteering in North Wales is or prove to your fiancee your stag do wasn’t just spent in the pub! Photos will be sent on request via a photo link, after your session, we always hugely appreciate a tag if used on social media.
Im feeling anxious about some of the jumps?
We never ever would force you to do any jumps or anything on the course that doesn’t make you feel comfortable, every jump has a different height to go from or an emergency route out, our main goal is to keep you safe and make sure you have fun, our experienced instructors are with you every step of the way. We once had a guy out with us, he was beyond scared of heights and when it came to his turn he stood there with the Elvis knee wobbles, frozen! But after being cheered on by his family and encouraged by our patient instructors, he did it and carried on to completely smash the rest of the course like a true hero! I remember him walking out grinning from ear to ear, so proud of what he’d accomplished that day. Sometimes it’s good to be pushed out of your comfort zone. On this note make sure you listen to our safety brief, Instructor Nic has it dialled and its his tried and tested course, so he definitely demands your full attention for your own safety and others. Any concerns don’t be afraid to speak up and ask any questions.
No two coasteering sessions are ever the same, that’s why people come back and do it again and again and our reviews speak for themselves, and with some exciting new tours/locations up our wetsuits watch this space, but in the mean time come and make a splash with us this summer, let us wear the kids out, watch Grandad smile, Mum climb the ropes, watch that bride-to-be be have best party instyle and then enjoy that well earned post-jump drink at the Ty Coch, voted one of the best beach bars in the world.
The Nitty Gritty:
Coasteering is £45 per person and can be booked online, head over to the ‘Activities” section of our website or give us a call on 01758712483
Please get in touch for multi activity sessions, corporate team building days or large groups we can organise bespoke activity days just for you.
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Abersoch Retreats is an independent family owned, premium holiday letting agency in the area. They have some truly incredible rentals on their books that cover a diverse range of requirements for any holiday maker visiting our beautiful part of the welsh coast. They have an office on Abersoch High st, pop in and say Hi, they’re a friendly knowlegeable bunch and go check out their unbelievable salt water fish tank while you’re at it.
We grilled Chloe about seeing The Llŷn in the eyes of her guests, often Abersoch newbies , so here goes:
‘What would be your top tips for people coming to the area on holiday?
‘Always try to book your restaurants and activities in advance, you want to get the most out of your stay and the best of what the area has to offer, its a small village and can often get booked out quicker than expected so do some research and have some exciting things to look forward to whilst you’re here’
‘What are the questions that your customers always ask before booking their holiday rental?’
‘How close is it to the beach? Is such a common question, some of our customers don’t understand that The Llyn is a peninsula and you are never very far from a beautiful sandy beach to explore’
‘What is your favourite time of year?’
‘Without doubt it’s September, still on a high from summer but the children are back to school, the weather is still good, the village is still alive and not quite into their autumn opening hours and in the off-peak months our properties are into a new price bracket so can be at a reduced rate’
‘Name your Top 3 properties?’
A17 ,The Warren; ‘The Warren takes me back to childhood memories having holidays in my Grandfathers chalet, which coincidentally was very close to A17. Every time I visit A17 I feel nostalgic about walking down the steps to go to the beach and playing in the sand dunes. It takes me back to where my love of Abersoch began. It’s a great feeling to recreate that for our guests.’
Hyfrydle, Mynytho: ‘The interior I would want to embody in my own home. It has amazing sea views and plenty of outside green space; you can definitely exhale from the outside world. Hyfrydle is a high standard property with all the mod cons, but being in Mynytho makes it a more affordable property.’
Pen Y Mor, Abersoch: ‘It’s everyone’s favourite property. It’s a Derwen Llyn masterpiece. It’s beautiful, it sings, its dances, it has it all. I have yet to meet anyone that disagrees. It’s one of the first properties to come under our wing when we started Abersoch Retreats so it feels like home.’
Whilst we welcome all our lovely customers Chloe floated the idea of how important she thinks ‘responsible tourism’ is in this day and age. As part of a community of small independent businesses that relies on the visiting holiday makers in such a short few peak-seasonal months we couldn’t agree more, this can cover so many aspects of your time here on holiday from beach safety, supporting local and respecting the beautiful area that we’re lucky enough to call home, so were diving straight in to explain.
How can you be responsible at the beach:
-Stay safe in the sun: wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a sunhat. Seek shade and stay hydrated.
-Research the beach properly
- Does the beach have rip currents and know what to do if you get caught in one.
-Research tide times incase you get cut off
-Understand where the safe swimming areas are?
-Keep an eye on your children at all times.
-Assess the sea before heading into the water, as conditions can easily change
-Always have means of calling for help on the beach and at sea
-Leave the beach as you found it, leave no rubbish
-Understand what to do in an emergency-CALL 999 and ask for The Coastguard
How can you support local while on holiday;
There’s so many small independent businesses that make this little village special and unique, almost all rely on tourism, there’s obviously all the shops on Abersoch high st, where you can get all your supplies but also such a broad range you may not always consider like the the fishermen, the tractor drivers, the cleaners, the harbour master and all the local volunteers like the Abersoch RNLI crew and Abersoch Coastguard, all these people and many more, as a community keep the Abersoch cogs turning. Its not just all about buying local and using local services, there are also very simple ways to support local independent businesses like tagging them on social media, leaving a positive review or even just recommending them to friends and family, it all counts and I promise it really is appreciated.
How can you help to appreciate and respect the area whilst on holiday:
It really is a beautiful part of the world and together we can help to keep it like that, here’s a few of our ideas:
-Always take all your rubbish off the beaches, especially disposable BBQ’s, glass bottles and other items that may cause harm to others
-Recycle, yes even on holiday
-If you can, try and walk not drive, so the village and local area doesn’t get so congested.
-Stay on the footpaths, keep dogs on leads and respect the dog-free beach zones
-Do a ‘2minute Beach Clean’
-Do keep your distance and respect the local animals and sea wildlife
-Don’t ignore warning signs, they are there to keep you and the environment safe.
-Always leave areas as you found them.
We are more than excited to welcome everyone to our little part of the world and look forward to a great summer ahead, have a great holiday!
Thanks so much to Chloe from Abersoch Retreats, be sure to check them out online. Each of their premium properties have tablets with lots of great local info including booking any of our watersports activities.
https://abersochretreats.uk
]]>Firewire Surfboards demo program
We’re so pleased to be able to offer our customers and the local Llyn Peninsula surf community the chance to try, rent and demo any of the boards in our Firewire Demo range. We know its rare to get the opportunity to rent a high performance surfboard, hire boards usually fall in the beginner category, so we've decided to up our game and all for the standard surfboard rental price of £30 per day.
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The wide choice of surfboards on the market can often make it hard to make the right decision, especially if you’re upgrading to your 1st performance surf board, so don’t just be stuck with the board you thought would be right for you, talk to us, surf all the demo boards and match your ability to the right board perfectly suited to you. On the flip side you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle and not enough room for your surfboard in the car for your holiday to the Llyn Peninsula or if the charts suddenly come alight and you’re a bit passed a standard beginners surfboard or if you just really wanted to try that surfboard that Rob Machado seems to cruise on so effortlessly, especially with the fancy new volcanic construction, well we’ve got you covered.
Well why Firewire surfboards for the demo quiver I hear you ask. For a start we surf them ourselves which always says something, with our choice of the board rack. They've been making surfboards for over 17years with a reputation for being the 1st global surfboard manufacturer to introduce 100% EPS/Epoxy construction, they’ve pushed the boundaries of trying to use construction methods that cause less harm to the environment. We like their mission and vision of aiming to improve the surfing experience as much as possible while impacting the environment as little as possible with core values being maximum fun and minimum environment impact. They produce a wide range of surfboards from the shortest fishes to longboard cruisers, and the name speaks for itself with their worldwide brand recognition and a long list of pro surfers that ride them from pros on the WSL like longstander Kelly Slater and old school ripper and wave icon Rob Machado and Barrel pro Timmy Reyes.
So what are we putting in the Firewire Demo Program:
The Sweet Potato : 5'10": Small wave board that's fast, fun wide, flat and rockered with a refined swallow tale. This boards got an insane amount of volume packed into a very shortboard and packs a ton of drive in even mediocre waves.
The Mash-up: 5'10": The brainchild of Rob Machado and Dan Mann, a mix match of their favourite elements of their successful shapes the Seaside and the Spitfire. Fast in weak waves that equally drives vertically in good waves, the ultimate everyday board built in helium technology.
The Revo: 5'9": Featuring a vee quad concave, the cutting edge in performance hull design, combining exceptional manoeuvrability and rail to rail transitions. Catches waves easily with exceptional lift and response, whilst maintaining a controlled feel to give a unique high performance surf experience that can be ridden as a thruster or a 2+1 set-up.
Volcanic Seaside: 5'4": This is one of our Firewire favourites, its cruisey yet fast and skatey for more carves and lighter turns. This Seaside is in Volcanic Tech construction so made from Basalt Fibers Extruded from Volcanic Rocks that are crushed, melted and extruded into woven fibers that make up the cloth, because the fibers are derived from Organic Raw materials, when combined with Bio Resins it serves as better degradable ECO alternative than using traditional carbon fiber cloth. One of Rob Machado's shape of choice and named after his home break. Its a quad only and the Helium construction makes it light, responsive and really flexi and durable with a softer feel.
The Firewire Demo program will soon be available to book via our website, but in the meantime we want to get the ball rolling, please give us a call or send us a DM via our social media channels to reserve which board you want to hire/demo on a particular day, but please ask us any questions on what we think may suit you in certain surf conditions combined with your surfing ability.
We want your feedback on the board you've demo'd and also boards that you think we should add to the program over time, its all about offering a service you want to use again and again with the aim to help you find your perfect board.
Here's Woods taking the Volcanic Seaside demo for its maiden surf, he loved it and the verdict was "Fast, springy and so much fun in small/medium waves" and besides who doesn't love a brand new board under their feet, Be quick to get 1st dibs on the currently fresh and unsurfed shapes ;The Revo, The Sweet potato and The Mash-UP
Get in touch if you want any more details. Now pray for some fun waves and get out there and have fun trying these epic Firewire high performance surfboards.
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Just as a car needs a decent engine, so does a surfboard and that’s exactly what fins are to a surfboard and shouldn’t be underrated.
Fibreglass high performance fins can take your surfing ability up a notch, your board suddenly becomes alive with more drive and response making your surfboard free and fast through the water.
If you’re using plastic fins in your surfboard and seeing no progression in surfing ability we’d definitely recommend trying some fibreglass fins ASAP, they’re a no brainer!
Size of the fins makes a difference too, if you’re under 70kgs use a Medium, 70kg+ use a Large, kids use a Small. It’s also worth trying different styles of fins, more upright, more rake they will all make a huge difference. We’d also recommend using different fin setups: thruster, quad or twinnie for your particular board until you get that A-HA surfing moment, have fun with your board and setup to enjoy your surfing sessions more.
If you're a little unsure of what fin maybe best for you, send us a message or pop the shop in for a chat and see the fin range in store and get some good advice.
]]>So what really does a 3 in 1 parka mean, well its a technical hybrid of the outerwear jacket world consisting of 2 separate jackets that combined make up something that should come out of the artificial intelligence lab of James Bond with a side note from 'Q' about the maximum warmth.
It consists of:
This is what the folks at Red had to say about it: “We realise that our customers and our community do not exclusively enjoy just one sport or activity. Their adventures take them beyond Stand-Up Paddle boarding, and they enjoy a variety of outdoor activities on and off the water. Like us, they are searching for products that have multiple uses and can be applied and used no matter where their adventure takes them. It has taken us years, with hundreds of considered design elements, but I can safely say the Revolution is our most advanced Red Original product to date.”
So lets break it down and talk details, who doesn't love a pocket, particularly deep and fleece lined making them the hand warmers of bitterly cold dreams and let me tell you there's quite a few, infact the parka needs to come with a warning that you need to be consistent with where you put your keys or phone otherwise you end up doing the parka pocket version of the "heads, shoulders, knees and toes' dance. We especially love the secret and concealed Napoleon chest pocket on the outer jacket between the zip and popper flap for extra security.
The 2-way YKK zips have got these incredibly tactile D-shaped pulls that make life easy when your fingers have given up the ghost and verging on hyperthermia. The hood in both the fleece lining and outer jacket have got some impressive toggles that can be adjusted to keep you extra snug against the elements.
When we did all the unzipping to reveal the fleece lining inner, its hard not to be impressed with the detail of how the 2 jackets attach, not just zipped together at the front but the poppers that also keep the two hoods and the back of the jacket together as well. When hearing about this jacket, there was definitely the doubt that the inner jacket wouldn't really live up to the standard of the outer, would we really wear it solo, but we can honestly say its a winner all on its own, its a great length, again with the deep vertical outside fleece pockets and inner bottomless pockets, really nice point of difference with the shape at the bottom of the jacket going up at the sides so you can move more easily, with a nice touch of being able to bring the waist in with the toggles to make it fit more snug to the body, so yes we really would and are wearing it on its own.
There was maybe the odd time when we felt a bit of a fraud wearing it as the situiation wasn't quite that radical, but I think that's the point of this jacket, you don't have to be doing something completely off the chart in extreme conditions to want or need it. Walking the dog in the wind and rain, changing in the bitterly cold in an exposed beach car park, standing on the sidelines at the kids sports games watching the other parents shiver, almost whipping of the top layer and sharing the cozy love, checking the surf on dark December mornings, wearing the inner jacket on a dash with the wheelie bin, it just becomes the jacket you grab to deal with day to day life. In the shop the sales pitch for the 10'6 RIDE is that we always describe it as the pocket knife of the Red Paddle Co range to customers, because it ticks all the boxes and does everything you'd ever want in a premium Paddleboard, well this is the jacket equal to the RIDE, as it covers all eventualities in a very luxurious and practical way and to those ladies on the design team Congratulations its comes up gold in our book and just incase you ever happen to find yourself in the depths of the Arctic wearing the Red Original 3 in 1 Parka Bear Grylls would be somewhat redundant because you’d without a doubt survive any winter adventure or extreme weather, the warmth and thickness of the double jacket combo is insane that’s for sure! So yes we love it, another quality product from Red Originals, a whole new take on the changing robe/jacket concept.
3 in 1 Parkas are available instore and online in both Carbon Black and Nixie Blue in Mens and Ladies. Sized for your height.
Mrs AW signing out.
]]>If you’ve paid your learner penance playing in the white water water and you're now ready to progress to paddling outback and catching some green waves, then this could be a good read for you, its always a tricky subject so let’s tackle it! A surf lineup can feel intimidating, especially whilst learning, but knowing and understanding a few unwritten rules of surfing can help to build confidence, so you can respect other surfers, avoid accidents and progress and enjoy your surfing:
🌊 Always properly assess and observe all the conditions, where the waves are breaking, any rips, paddling out positions, beach dangers and making sure you’ve got functional leash that can protect yourself and other surfers.
🌊When paddling out, try to avoid blocking a surfers line who might be on a wave, instead paddle wide towards the white water and then paddle round to the lineup.
🌊In a wave hungry line up and the adrenalin or maybe frustration kicks in, take a deep breath and wait your turn, your time and your wave will come.
🌊Always share the waves, don’t repeatedly paddle round someone to get into the inside position.
🌊Observe who has the right of way, the closest surfer to the peak of the breaking wave has priority, if you ‘drop-in’ on another surfer by mistake, pull off and try not to hinder them whilst they’re up and surfing. Also worth a little polite wave to acknowledge the accident.
🌊On busy days accidents can happen, avoid this by trying not to abandon or ditch your board as it can become a real danger to others in the water.
🌊Respect and communicate with the lineup heroes, they aren’t really the local surf mafia, they’re just super keen and excited for their next wave at their home beach, learn from their experience and knowledge, listen to them or the occasional ‘Watch out’ and don’t forget they were beginners once too!
🌊Ask around, if new to the break and unsure where to paddle out or not to paddle out, ask a local, they’re usually happy to give you some basic information . Don’t expect to get all the secrets and best spots and times, but by giving you some pointers it’s helping everyone out.
🌊Only surf spots that suit your ability, there’s always a time and a beach to push you out of your comfort zone, think carefully, if ever in doubt, don't paddle out!
See you in the lineup and have fun!
]]>And for those wondering it was a JS Industries Monsta 6’0, it was very loved, well used, he snapped it, it went to board heaven and lets move on……..now good luck and go gift thoughtfully!
]]>How is it that time of year again?
So whilst you open that 1st window of your advent calendar, sneak in one of many mince pies for breakfast and google ‘Presents for awkward teenagers’ we thought we’d clear up a few of our Christmas conundrums:
🎄FREE POSTAGE on all UK web orders
🎄All surfboards/ Paddleboards are carefully and properly packaged and sent with our trusted couriers
🎄GIFT CARDS come in multiples of £10, £25, £50 and £100, bought on our website and can be redeemed instore or online and do not have an an expiry date
🎄ACTIVITY GIFT CARDS for surf lessons, SUP lessons and Coasteering, can be bought online and then booked/redeemed at any time during Spring, Summer and Autumn 2023
🎄Gift cards are redeemed using the code in the confirmation email, we can send one of our Abersoch Watersports celebration cards out free and on request.
🎄Click and collect is available
🎄We will accept exchanges/returns into the New Year
🎄Our last day of postage is 22nd DECEMBER but this could be later depending on the item
🎄If sending direct, ofcourse we can use our best wrapping skills before posting out
🎄If you can’t see what you’re looking for on our website or you would like advice on choosing a gift please pop in the shop, send us a message via our socials or
Call on 01758712483
Email info@abersochwatersports.co.uk
Support small, independent and local and finally Happy Christmas from us all here at Abersoch Watersports.
When you get to a certain level of surfing your choice of surfboard in certain conditions at certain breaks can make all the difference, so an extra litre here or there, the position of the fins, a few extra inches of length (ok we’ll move on with the length jokes) the shape of the tail, the board construction, the slightest of variables can make or break your session, and not forgetting your well earned board investment, so having a full arsenal of boards if you own a surf shop is a given, a collection that’s been carefully curated over the years to suit your style of surfing.
Credit: Phil Boyd, Outwest Images
So we’ve seen Woods, the Captain of Abersoch Watersports on a few waves over the years, but what’s really under his feet? Lets hear whats in his current quiver and why he chooses to surf what he does with the choice of the whole board rack at his disposal.
1.SLATER DESIGNS, FLAT EARTH BY AKILA AIPA AND FIREWIRE LFT, 5’8”: "This is my small wave everyday board, not a groveller, slightly more volume than I'd usually surf but these great boards surf better a bit more volumed up from your usual go to board. In small fun waves i run with a twin and when the waves have a bit more juice I usually run as a 2+1"
2.SHARP EYE INFERNO 72, 5’11” in standard dimensions: "This board goes so well in small good waves, perfect for standard everyday swell here in North Wales and seems to stick to my feet just right, its fast and drivey and everything you’d ever want in a performance surfboard."
3. DHD, THE DUCKSNUTS 6’0”: "This board is just a super performer in overhead, powerful pumping waves, its got more rocker and a pulled in round tail, one of my favourites for when Porth Ceiriad is showing her true chunky colours."
4.SHARP EYE #77+ 6’3”: "I tend to take this board on waves that get you excited and scared all at the same time, its been great on East coast trips and over to Ireland where the waves can be really hollow. The perfect board to get some barrels, its a tweaked, pulled in, longer and leaner version of Filipe Toledo’s board of choice the 77, she's a keeper and definitely staying in my quiver.......until she gets snapped!"
5.LIB TECH PICKUP STICK 7’0”: "This board is pure fun, not technically mine more Mrs. AW’s but part of the quiver for all the family and I’m more than happy to have a play on it in some micro waves at Porth Neigwl / Hells Mouth with our boys. It’s like a longboard with plenty of volume in an 8’0” package that catches any little pea roller for maximum smiles.
Tell us your Top 3 favourites currently in the Abersoch Watersports board rack:
1: Sharp Eye Inferno 72: "Stab winner, easy to surf in any conditions, such a great board"
2. Lib Tech x Lost RNF 96: "A remake of a timeless Matt Bioloss shape in a super tough construction, can be used as a twin, 2+1 or a thruster and again can handle lots of different conditions"
3. Town and Country Saint/ Sinr: "This is just a lovely bit of nostalgia, they look and feel great, again a small to medium wave performer, multiple fin set ups, fast and fun, and best of all they look amazing!"
Have fun building your dream quiver, we're here to help, ask us all the questions.
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Some of it is actually quite comedic and these days and would rack up thousands of 'likes' if portrayed online, from getting a sore neck because his surfboard has pride of place in the car whilst you're wedged in a tiny spot big enough for a small child, with the board so close to your head that your hair is getting stuck in the board wax and you're consistently getting whacked in the face by the swinging pineapple Sex Wax air freshner that's trying to disguise the stench of stinky wetsuit boots or one of my other favourites in my early years of loved-upness where you suddenly realise that his idea of a hot date is you being his 'shotgun' in the passenger seat checking every single surf spot in the locality in onshore wind and rain only for him to finally head back to the first spot he checked for 'a couple of waves' which is usually code for I'll be in for anything from 2-4hours and so you watch and you watch and be the interested girlfriend and think 'this is it' and he's going to ride 'this' wave all the way into the beach but nope he pulls of that last wave and heads back out to the lineup, and you keep smiling through gritted teeth and promise yourself to not cause a tiff and ask how his surf was instead.
The one that still to this day that makes me snigger, is the night before a swell is due to hit, he gives you no attention because he can't concentrate, his phone is hot with 'where are you heading' texts and his phone buttons are worn with the constant refresh of the wind charts and wave buoy forecasts and you can see him slowly getting more and more excited or angsty that 'the wind has now swung round" and you silently pray the swell is what he hopes its going to be. I certainly peak in favouritism when its flat but that's a different force field to his mood of not getting in the water, you weigh up the pros and cons and him getting in for a surf wins for everyone, every time! Another classic is going in for a touch of romance post-surf and its at that precise moment seawater decides to drain from his nose, yes so sexy!
Not so much now in this new age of social media and the wonderful world of the World Wide Web and the choice available, but there was definitely a time and I'm clearly showing my age here, when I knew every single soundtrack and endless tropical barrel of every pros surfers section to every single surf video that got rammed into that VHS, played again and again, on repeat all with their matching worn cardboard video sleeves night after night, if you know you know, Taylor Steele's got something to answer for! Don't get me started on knowing off by heart every single quote from point Break, it just came with the territory of surf pals permanently spouting Point Breaks renditions back to each other, thinking they're all Johnny Utah or Bodhi ( just incase you wondered Bodhi every time, got to love a bad boy)
Things have changed quite a bit since our minis have made an appearance, yes he's still the eternal Grom even though he's still knocking on Kelly's door in age, he's more precious with his time in the water, more choosey of conditions, still gets hideous FOMO and I still get utterly proud when I see him on a wave surfing like he always has and he always asks if I saw him on 'that' wave and I usually reply of 'of course it was a good'un' like the surf WAG I am, even if I was distracted with crazy spaniels and wrestling kids out of sandy wetsuits, but he doesn't need to know that, things change, but I love that his love for surfing doesn't and that makes it all good in the Watersports family hood, its how its meant to be!
Photo:Phill Boyd of Outwest images
So my advice if you're starting a new relationship with a seasoned surfer, embrace it because he's not going to change, it was his way of life long before you came on the scene, learn to love it, maybe even join him and learn to surf or accept this way of life, hold his change robe, get the coffee, take the photos, always ask how his surf was, but don't eye roll when he blows the budget on a new board or gives the tech spiel on a new wetsuit, just nod and smile, always!
So to all the girlfriends, wives, boyfriends and husbands on the beach, I see you and I hear you and officially welcome you all to the gang, you rock and shouldn't be ever taken for granted!
Mrs AW signing out on Valentines Day '22
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Yes there's an over whelming number of choices out there, its ok for a seasoned paddler who usually knows where they want to put their money, but for a newbie wanting to head on the water where do you even begin, who do you trust? We can give you all the spiel on our favourite boards and why we choose to paddle on them, but you need to decide which board is right for you, so no big selling pitch here, just our top points to consider when buying a paddle board:
-Size? Yes its everything!!! Consider the length, somewhere around a 10’6 to 10’8 is our go to length on a standard all round board. The width generally something around 32”. The thickness of the board 4-6” but always keep in mind the height and weight of the person using the board the most.
-Type of board? What are you using it for: All rounder, Touring, yoga, surf performance. SUPs can really vary in each category so you need think about what you want to get out of your SUP sessions.
-The board as a package: what comes with it? The Board, paddle, pump, leash and bag. This is where you can clearly see the differences in brands and quality. Look closely at the board, is it single skin or double skin? What’s the fin configuration? Does it have cargo d-rings? Are the carry handles comfy? What’s the paddle made of? carbon, aluminium or nylon? What’s the blade design and weight of the paddle? Is the pump single or double chamber? Is the bag durable enough and is it a roller bag, rucksack or a hybrid? All boards should come with a leash! (and should always be worn)
-Durability and warranty? Research the board construction, can you afford a good quality board with drop stitch technology that makes the board more rigid in the water, stopping the unfortunate ‘banana’ affect you often see in some brands. Look at the warranty, some paddle boards can be covered for up to 5years, yes you read that right 5years, not just the standard 12 months!
-Environmental credentials? Look at the SUP brands ethos, how they treat the planet with the least impact, it’s important to us, is it to you?
So all of these things can really make a huge impact on price and quality, so read the reviews, do your research and ask us all the questions and use demos if you can. We stock a range of paddle board packages to cover all sizes, style and budgets, available instore and online, so ask away……….
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