Stage 1 — The Beginning
It all started at Trevaunance Cove — and it had nothing to do with surf travel
Before Bali. Before the Maldives. Before the Mentawai Islands. There was a three-year-old in a too-big wetsuit, falling off a foamie in the whitewash, coming up every time with the biggest smile you've ever seen.
Most surf travel blogs start with an exotic destination. A perfect barrel. A boat trip somewhere with no name on a map. This one starts in Cornwall, in a cove you've probably never heard of, in water that was almost certainly too cold.
Trevaunance Cove, St Agnes. That's where it began.
Stage 2 — The Push
Tungku Beach, Brunei — where the real surfing began (and yes, there are crocodiles)
We moved from Cornwall to Brunei when Ben was six. I had no idea what the waves would be like. What I found was an empty beachbreak, a handful of the friendliest surfers I've ever met, and the perfect place to push a kid into his first green waves. Oh, and saltwater crocodiles in the river next door.
Sri Lanka with a seven year old — surf, safari, and a fisherman called Podhi
This wasn't just a surf trip. It was a family holiday that happened to have some of the best parent-child waves we've ever found — and it ended with a butter fish, a handline, and a BBQ at a local fisherman's home that our whole family still talks about.
The Telo Islands, Sumatra — no electricity, karaoke at 2am, and the best surf trip we've ever done
Like everyone else, Covid put the trips on hold for a couple of years. When we finally got back in the water together properly, Ben was twelve — and something had changed. This is the trip where we found out what.
Lombok — two weeks, two bases, and the start of six weeks in Indonesia
Two weeks, two bases, and the start of six weeks in Indonesia. Ben was thirteen and the golden era was in full swing. From the sheltered lagoon at Ekas Bay to the reef barrels at Mawi — a complete guide to surfing Lombok with a young surfer, including where to stay, where to eat, and every wave worth knowing about.
Bali — five days, a new board, and the Rip Curl Cup
Five days in Bali on the way from Lombok to Rote — a new board for Ben, a stop at the surf shops, and the extraordinary luck of being there when the Rip Curl Cup ran at big Padang Padang. Plus an honest take on a place that's changed but still earns its place in any surf traveller's heart.