Just wondering if there will be any new faces on the beach this year once the new crop of students arrive next month.

I don't understand why, but there seems to have been very few windsurfing / kitesurfing students in the past few years. We had Jonny last year as a windsurfer, but he didn't quite get his act together until the end of the year (He seems to be getting out quite a bit now though), and Rob as a kiter. Sound as though he is properly focused this year and coming back a couple of weeks early to concentrate on kiting. But other than that, there haven't been many.

There weren't loads when I was a student, but there was always a few (me , Adam, Jay, Charlie, Rich, RIP etc.)... Where are they all now? Surely lectures and the student bar can't be better than the beach!

Al.

Maybe windsurfing and kitesurfing are just too expensive for students to spend their loans on?

As Ive still not managed to find a job yet. I think im gonna head down to Aber for threshers week and bring all my toys with me. Hopefully the wind fills in and I'l get some windsurfing sessions in the daytime and partying every night. Make the most of a student lifestyle before I settle into a job. Should be coming down next Sunday or the Monday and there for a week hopefully. Just gotta ring my mates and see whos house im gonna be crashing at.

A guy called Glen has taken over the windsurfing club whos a Postgraduate student for this year. Theres also a guy called Bongo who I used to go windsurfing with who I think is gonna be still there doin a PG course as well. There wasn't any interest in the windsurfing club at all last year. We had me, Glen, Bongo and 3 other people who wanted to learn. Ashame when theres some relatively new kit to be used as the girl who ran it the year before managed to get a grant for some kit.

See you on the beach Al.
Jonny

well im going to be a student im goin to uni next week but its at brighton

hopefully i;ll be joining the windsurfing club in brighton as long as we dont have lectures all days all hours lol

I guess it can be pretty expensive for students... but I managed it, and as Jonny has pointed out the university club here actually has some kit that memebrs can use anyway. Just a shame its in the boathouse really and not out at Borth as windsurfing from the harbour isn't really ideal.

So, did Glen and Bongo actually get on the water much last year Jonny...I didn't see them out here at Borth at all, if they only went out from the harbour, they don't know what they are missing... I take it 'Bongo was the guy who used to come to the beach with you? See you next week anyway.

Nickie... I'm sure there must be a pretty decent windsurf club at Brighton Uni, and I'm sure you'll manage to find a bit of time between lectures! If the uni club isn't up to much, then get in with the locals as there are loads of them in and around Brighton.

Al.

Bongo came out a few times but it was quite rare when were both free, right conditions, tides etc. Dont think Glen went out around the coast, he said he headed up towards Bala lake a few times.
The socials were one of the best apects of the windsurfing club, we usually had massive turnouts every other Wednesday as we combined them with the Tennis and Squash socials which was great fun from what I can remember. The people who came along to the windsurfing socials had a vague interest in the sport, they were there to meet new people and get pissed! All those socials throughout the year merge into one night for me as I dont remember much from them at all apart from being hungover all day Thursday and abondoning Thursday morning lectures.
I missed so many potentially good windsurfing sessions last year by just being lazy and hungover stayin in bed all morning.
It seemed such an effort to go to Borth as well cos I had to go to the boathouse and then load all the gear on my car and drive up there but looking back on it I can see that people spend hours driving to the right site and I was quite lucky having Borth 10 minutes away.
If only I had another year at uni

thats what i was hoping justal, and i was also looking at the hove lagoon site and that looks quite good if the uni club isnt very good,

i've never sailed on the sea before tho, but my course is 5 years long so i've plenty of time to get better

I suppose kiting is a bit expensive to take up, but there are always cheap ways around it, and plenty of bargains to be had, if you know where to look. I do bargain prices for students if you get a group of 3 or more togeather, ( for lessons). A couple of years ago there was a good student kite club, with loads of kit. Im sure there are grants available towards equipment, some one should set a club up, Im always willing to help. Its always good to have more people on the beach to go playing with.

I really wanna learn to kitesurf but the kit seems so expensive especially when I haven't got the money to splash around. It looks great fun and I hope should be easier to learn than windsurfing which im still trynna master. Where can I get some good second hand bargains in a few months time when Ive hopefully got the money???

All over the place, there is just LOADS of 2nd hand kit out there. A decent 2nd hand kite should set you back around £200 and you'll be able to get an OK 2nd hand board for less than £100... Graham sold his old big board yesterday for £70.

Theres no point looking unitl you have the money though as kites change hands pretty quickly.

Al.

heres hoping for some more female kiters!


just heading down to borth to try the board out al, fancy joining?!?

rob