Surfing is often a way of life for those brought up by the sea. It’s also become a tool for lifesaving. Claire Vandvik finds out about the joys and the dangers of the waves

Surfers were once dismissed as beach bums but now everyone’s getting involved – from city slickers to young families. On a good day at the beach you’ll see stand-up surfers, kitesurfers, paddleboarders, bodyboarders and kayakers. People from all over the UK and RoI go on holiday specifically to surf.

Worldwide competitions and company sponsorship have even made surfing a rewarding career. Relaxed, self-deprecating and fun-loving they may be but when you examine an experienced surfer more carefully you discover years of honed skill and fitness, dedication and knowledge.

Then there’s the lifesaving. Surfers and bodyboarders, including top champions, make up a high percentage of the RNLI lifeguarding team – a team now covering 141 beaches in England and Wales who aided 11,027 people in 2008.

Surfing’s growing popularity is partly thanks to it being easier to access. Wetsuits are cheaper than ever and their quality has much improved so it’s now possible to surf throughout the year – even in the chill waters of January and February. And at more and more beaches, anyone can simply hire the equipment and rush into the sea.

RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor and veteran surfer Drustan Ward explains the outcome: ‘In years gone by, surfers were locals with sea knowledge so they could pretty well look after themselves but as its popularity rockets RNLI lifeguards and experienced surfers are having to look after them.’

Drustan has surfing in his genes: ‘When an Australian brought the first surfboard to the UK in the early 1950s he visited Bude lifesaving club and gave the local youngsters lessons. My mum was one of the first – if not the first – female stand-up surfer in the country!’

Thrill of the chase

Finding the right place for that day’s surf takes patience and perseverance. Drustan explains: ‘Conditions change every day so one beach can be more favourable one day and another the next. Sometimes, sheltered beaches can suddenly become attractive. It’s usual to be a bit cloak and dagger and not tell everyone!’

But aren’t there forecasts? ‘You can try to forecast by looking at the low pressure weather systems developing and the wind and swell. There are also websites that measure the rise and fall of surf buoys but they aren’t always that accurate. People usually go on a surfing safari, going from beach to beach in search of the best.’

The knowledge that each wave is unique also seems to be at the heart of an indefatigable passion for surfing. ‘You’re out in the elements in an environment that is unpredictable. No two waves are ever the same so there’s no sense of it being repetitive – you are always drawn to the next wave and what it will bring. Riding the wave is a surreal feeling. Concentration levels are so high, it’s all consuming and all about doing it to the best of your capabilities,’ says Drustan.

Care and respect

RNLI lifeguards can boast many former champion surfers and high-profile, sponsored competitors among their number. So what’s the appeal of lifeguarding for them? Surfing comes with a strong ethos – a love of and respect for the sea, often a deep care for environmental matters, and a strong community feel.

Drustan believes lifeguarding is a natural progression of this lifestyle. ‘When we’ve taken so much enjoyment from surfing it’s good to now look after people and to make it possible and safer for them to have the same kind of fun. We’re sharing the joy.’ He also admits, though: ‘Sometimes you’ll see a really nice wave when you’re on duty but you can’t go out on it. You have to watch others enjoying it and wait your turn!’

Surfer and RNLI Senior Lifeguard Robin Kent is going even further by fronting a new campaign to reach the surfing world. He leads something of a double life: ‘I work on a building site through the Winter but I’m a lifeguard in the Summer. I’ve been a lifeguard since the RNLI took on Carrick beaches in 2001 so this is my eighth season and I love it. It keeps me fit and I get to spend so much time in the sea.’

Robin describes lifeguarding as being like a shepherd watching over his charges, moving them into safer territory. ‘Lifeguarding’s all about anticipating dangers before they happen so it makes sense for us to be stationed at our own local beach because we know it so well – we know the hazards.

Board skills

Robin’s unit, Chapel Porth in St Agnes, North Cornwall, doesn’t have an inshore rescue boat or rescue watercraft as they can call on the D class at St Agnes lifeboat station, so the rescue board is key. Lifeguard rescue boards are large! At over 3m long, they can carry two people if necessary, and each paddle takes the user a long way quickly.

It’s no mean feat to manoeuvre one but, as Robin explains: ‘We’ve brought our knowledge of a standard surfboard and adapted it to the rescue board so that we use it as effectively as possible.’ (See page 26 for a reallife example from one of the RNLI’s newer recruits.)

The RNLI is working hard to support grass-roots development of such skills through the UK’s volunteer surf lifesaving clubs. With the beaches getting busier, we all need the help of more people like Drustan and Robin – young men and women who are passionate and knowledgeable about both the joys and dangers of the sea.