Surfing in the Algarve - Portugal with us!!!

www.extremealgarve.com


The Algarve has some of the best waves in Europe to offer. Year round swell, two coastlines, uncrowded beaches & points, as well as year round sunshine make the Algarve probably the best place in Europe to be especially in winter.

On this blog our aim is to tell you exactly what the surf is like each day (if it's awesome) but really updates every week. Nowhere in the world is the surf perfect every day, not even here unfortunately. BUT one thing I can tell you for a fact is last summer for one, there wasn't 1 day when the surf was too small to not at least surf with a longer board - for fun! Even this winter has been awesome. Surfing in the Algarve is still an experience where you can get a whole beach to yourself with perfect peaks. You look at poor old Morrocco with it's perfect point breaks. Some of the best waves around, and every man and his dog are on them - all the time.

Fortunately that hasn't happened here - yet. I know some people back in the UK that think Portugal is on the Mediterranean!!! Let em believe it for now.
Right so if you guys want to come surfing with me it's a little bit different. Otherwise you can choose from the hundreds of surf schools out there. If you want lessons you got it. If you want to improve, you got it, even if you want to be left alone to flounder in the shore break you got it!! We aren't a surf school where we get the masses in and out on specific times - regimented but we also don't just take you to the beach and spend the day reading trashy novels leaving you to find the only crowded 1 ft peak to share with a thousand spongers.

Sunny days at Zavial

Hey guys

After a few days of a chilly NW wind it was roasting at Zavial beach, so much the large naked Germans were in full force down the far end (where we unintentionally ended up sitting, the poor kids that were with me!!!)
Nevertheless lessons had to be given and waves surfed. The west coast was massive - apparently - so we ended up surfing Zavial on the south coast. Much of the beach has changed by the recent large swells and hence the beach is a lot more rocky.
There were still great little waves, perfect for begginners and long boards as well as those with a bit of extra volume.

Other than Frodo getting into a fight with the water dog from the German surf school, the day was pretty mellow. we surfed, ate, slept, read and surfed again, ending with a coffee up by the little beach cafe.

Another sweet days surfing on the south coast.
Take it EZ until the next time.

Small Thursday

Hey everyone.

After about 3 weeks of awesome weather in the Algarve, it finally got a bit chilly but only due to the wind. Arrifana has been pumping, however the only pictures I have included are the fun waves we had on thursday. It was a longboarders paradise.
Myself and one of our begginners had a little scare on the rocks and the rip going out on the right side of the beach on wednesday. So on thursday we checked out Amado. The surf was good wowever just before lunch the wind got all over it and 'luckily' we all ended back up at Arrifana.

On the pictures you can see Kalu from Algarve surf school and Jez from Surf experience as well as a bunch of other guys having an absolute ball on longboards. I haven't seen that many drop ins, board swapping, hopping, handstands, twirls, pirouettes etc with not an angry sole in the water - how could you be, we all love each other down here 'In a manly way ofcourse'

Really knackered from all the surfing so apologies for not writing more but the pictures speak for themselves.

Enjoy!!!

Arrifana Pumping

Well it's March, 20 odd degrees, the beach is almost empty, one or two surf schools. This time of the year in the Algarve is awesome for surfing. As I've mentioned before nobody knows the good waves we have here in the off season.
So me and my small crew were pretty much first on the beach, the lesson was had in near perfct conditions for begginners. Lots of powerful white water, great for not having to paddle too much and great to practice turning as well.

As the crew were warned the night before not to drink too much, we arrived fresh and ready. However the toll was taken early as tired muscles were the order of the morning. The beach break was too big and closing out to surf so most stayed to top up their tan or play with their dogs. I had other plans however, kangaroo point was calling. It was near perfect conditions. Kangaroo if anybody doesn't know is our big wave spot. The usual big wave suspects were all amazing absent. So me and a few others paddled out into double overhead bombs. By the time we arrived a few of the big boys were there, Schooner from REDEYE bar in Lagos and a couple of other locals. My first was the steepest drop in I ever had, so late I almost had air time before landing on the bottom of the wave, miraculously I made the drop in and surfed it all the way to just before the big rock bubbbled out to eat me. My second was a classic, double overhead and the biggest wave I ever caught, unfortunately it closed out on the rock, I jumped off and my leash snapped.

So with a long swim and a helping paddle from a friend from one of the surf Schools, I made it to shore. Luckily my board was rescued off the harbour wall and all was well.
The lesson finished early as everyone was knackered - thank God.

So another day in the sunny Algarve concluded with a very special day for both myself and the crew whom all managed to stand on their first ever surf lesson - sweet.

Mointo big swell on south coast

This last weekend in Praia Da Luz (famous for Rocha Negra point break) saw the biggest swell in a few years on the south coast. The right hand side of the beach, where quite often when Rocha Negra is pumping you might not even see a ripple, had perfect right handers coming off it. They were breaking right against the point and peeling all the way into the middle of the beach.
Some of the bigger sets just closed out and Rocha Negra was off it's t*ts with no-one surfing it unsurprisingly!!
I had a small crew as is surprisingly usual for this time of year. The sun was shining, Frodo met a couple of his canine buddies on the beach and there was only one local surfing (I found out that our 'not so secret spot had every man and his dog, including surf schools there - tut, tut guys) So we had it to ourselves until the camera showed up. yes I was finally going to be on the cover of Surf Portugal!!!! But no, it was the sponsored dudes, Marlon et al. Nonetheless they left promptly as they saw me paddling out to the point and I think they got worried that they couldn't PHOTOSHOP their heads onto my body, so we had it to ourselves again.

After a break for lunch I returned on my own (as the crew were all cream crackered and wanted beers at the Marina) Upon arrival a good friend Jez from the SE surf school was there and we had a few sundowner waves before the tide was too high and anyway at this stage I was dropping in and going head first onto the rocks.

So an awesome day (and weekend ensued) the only dark spot was some poor Portuguese guy paddled out on his new board and caught an awesome wave all the way to the inside. He was however last seen with a very large piece of the nose of his board wedged into his chops as he returned to the beach to skim board with his mates - bummer dude!!

Until the next time guys X