Surfing in the U.St.A

The last thing I wanted to do when I woke up on Saturday morning was run into the North Sea. I muttered this to myself as I left hungover friends […]


The last thing I wanted to do when I woke up on Saturday morning was run into the North Sea. I muttered this to myself as I left hungover friends at home and walked down to meet a surf board.

Soon enough, Maurice Bryson of St Andrews’ new surf school, Oceanics, was giving me a tutorial on how to paddle, kneel and stand up on my board – all before we’d even hit the water. But the next hour proved to be my best hour in St Andrews so far. Whilst my flatmates monged out at home, I surfed Fife waves like they had never been surfed before. It was totally invigorating (so much so that I have signed up to 4 more lessons). The wetsuit kept me relatively warm and the adrenaline kept my blood pumping. What a way to spend a spare few hours and hell, what an excellent work out. Beach bods, here we come.

Oceanics was started fifteen years ago by Paul and Linda Tuohy in Tramore, Waterford, Ireland (the original home of our very own Principal!). Tramore strand and West sands are both long and fairly flat, offering similar, and most importantly, beginner-friendly waves. (Maybe not yesterday, though – did anyone else see those tidal waves hitting Catch?)

Maurice toldThe Stand that the idea came like an epiphany: ‘why not teach something I know heaps about and have an enormous passion for? So I approached my bosses, Paul and Linda, who taught me to surf when I was twelve with the idea. It all came together this summer and here we are!’

Having surfed all over Ireland, France, Spain, US, UK, having won silver at Irish junior nationals and competed last year at surf championships in Newquay, and having been a qualified surf instructor since he was eighteen (not to mention he’s a Marine Biologist and certified sailing instructor), we think we can safely assume Maurice LOVES the sea.

Go OOON, become a surf-dude; you know it’s cool.

For the month of September lessons will run at £15 per person for a 2 hours, gear included. Prices are normally £30 per lesson, with a student discount of £5, and if you book four lessons you get a fifth free!