Men's Fitness at the O'Neill Surf Academy

Surf. Without it, a surf trip just becomes a plain old trip. A trip where you stand on the beach willing the pancake-flat sea to transform into energetic yet well-spaced sets of waves. After a week of that, you’d end up going home with nothing more than an increased tolerance to alcohol and a better understanding of sandcastle engineering. 
 
One reliable solution to this typically British problem is going on a surf-improvement break with the O’Neill Surf Academy, based in Watergate Bay, a stone’s throw from Newquay, Cornwall. While most surf schools cling limpet-like to one beach, the pro riders that run and teach at the Surf Academy check Cornwall’s surf reports every morning, then herd their charges towards the county’s best waves. This dramatically increases your chances of riding something every day you’re with them. Need proof? Then check out this video of the two days MF's Nick Hutchings spent with them. Possibly the two flattest days of the year.

For workouts with some of the UK's top surfers, subscribe to Men's Fitness. You can download digital versions of the mag here.