Surf & Turf
“Portugal’s ‘Silver Coast’ stretches from Lisbon all the way up to Porto and it’s famous for surfing. Like a fool, I decided to give it a go! ”
The fishing village of Peniche is only minutes from the Praia D'El Rey Marriott Golf Resort and for some of us more intrepid journos, they organised a surfing lesson.
Crazy seals! We were looking good posing on dry land but things soon got a lot less dignified!
A two-hour training session organised by the hotel is only €35 including transport to the surf school near Peniche. They pick you up at the hotel, drive you along the back beach tracks to the centre, squeeze you into a wet suit, set you up with a surfboard and give you a few pointers on the beach. And before you know it, you’re ‘stoked’ and ‘hanging ten in a barrel’!
“I don’t even know what that means!”
I don’t even know what that means! So, as you can imagine, the experience was a bit of a shambles. For me, standing up on this darned ironing board was all but impossible and I spent most of my time getting ‘wiped out’ and tossed around like a rag doll. My sympathetic instructors conciliated me by saying it was easier with bigger waves.
I ducked and dived, paddled and plunged and the next day was sore all over with bruises in places I'd never been bruised before. But it was worth every tumble and spill!
Nils, my golfing buddy feeling board in Peniche.
Escola de Surf is the main surf school in Peniche. You can choose between one surf lesson or a pack and prices include everything you need, ie surfboard and wetsuit, insurance and personalized instruction by certified teachers.
David & Goliaths…I must have shrunk from being under the water so much!
If I lived in a surfing area, I’d like to get the hang of it. Even at my age, I’m sure it’s not impossible and like Rita, our instructor says, if the waves were a bit bigger, it would actually be easier.
But in reality, I’d probably get tossed around like a spare sock in a spin cycle. Maybe better to stick to golf!
For more information on surfing lessons on Portugal’s Silver Coast, visit www.escolasurfpeniche.com/en
