Hi, we much prefer peace and quiet caravan sites, usually heading to the North of Scotland to beach campsites. But the kids are 17 and 13 now, looking for more to do and the obligatory WiFi. We we've been to Devon Cliffs ( which appears to no longer take tourers ) and CC site Hillhead near Brixham. Can you helpful people offer suggestions for the best sites with pools, bars, amusements etc etc preferably on the coast ? We live in Dundee, but are prepared to travel anywhere in the country, as it will be for our 2 week summer holiday. Thanks in advance for your help. ps. we're thinking far south, as more likely to get Sun.
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far south? try Cofton in Dawlish ticks all the boxes, last time we went we were next to a family from Fife they go every year,your holidays are before ours, cause I was surprised the kids where out of school, there eldest was about 16, early July they have an American weekend with a car show etc
If you dont mind heading to Devon, the north coast is excellent for surfing which might appeal to your kids, whilst Crofton is on the south coast and looks pretty good with whats on offer in its own right.
The board/wet suite hire shop in the car park at Saunton Sands (nr Barnstaple) lets you take the boards "offsite" if you hire them for more than a day so you can catch the waves whenever the surf is up which can be first thing in the morning or late evening. I prefer these times as its less crowded with general beach goers but you still have the main part of the day to do other stuff. Roof rack or Van would be mandatory as these boards are big though.
a1surf.com and magicseaweed.com to get the low down on wave conditions. Its a good beach to learn to surf on as well, just stick with hiring a foamie (foam long board) as this gives you the stability much like a big boat compared to a little dinghy, making it easier to stand up on compared to the mini mals (small trick boards you'll see the pro surfers using) and you can even surf on the white stuff with thease which is ideal for beginners.
Its a case of pick the wave you want to surf, start paddling about 5-10 seconds before the wave catches you, when the wave catches you, the board firms up and you can feel it being propelled forward, and then at that point you can jump up into a stand or kneel up to begin with, but _remember_ to look up at the horizon when you try to jump up/kneel up, it helps the balance. If you look down to the board you are almost guaranteed to fall in. Everyone I've taught admittedly only a few have all been able to surf within 30mins of trying on their first attempts.
Feet at the end of the board, I find if you let them hang in the water they cause a bit of a drag and have the ankle leash on your right ankle if right handed & vice versa, with your dominant foot about 8inches from the back of the board when standing up.
Thats all there really is to know to be able to start standing up, only other thing to really know is how to pick the right wave, you dont want a wave to close to another as they sometimes join up (you'll get a feel for this on the day anyway) and for Saunton a < 6ft wave height is good for beginners, with the tide coming in 2/3rd's of the way in, is probably its sweet spot just left of the ramp down to the beach. You dont want to be close to the cliffs on the right as theres hidden rocks there. You'll find over time, each beach has its sweet spots and to get the clues, just check out the web cams to see when its popular out of hours.
Croyde next door isnt bad but theres a rip tide and would recommend that only for those who know the beach & current.
Generally the best summer time surf because its mainly flat during the summer, is about 5-7 days after a hurricane has left the US and has headed across the Atlantic which you can track on those websites, but with foamie long boards, beginners can easily surf the white stuff even with just 1ft waves.
Hang Ten is when experienced surfers walk to the front of the board and hang their ten toes over the edge, which might be something to aim for if your kids are quick learners and surfing is like riding a bike, once mastered you can do it anywhere in the world where ever you might end up, so perhaps a sociable life skill to have maybe?
Sadly I dont know of any sites thats all in near to Saunton, but if a bit of surfing appeals I'd certainly recommend Saunton Sands for it if you are wanting to head down to Devon, but get to the car park early as its a very popular tourist spot being a UNESCO area in its own right, with the highest concentration of wild flowers in the world!
Check out Woolacombe bay holiday parks. They are near Saunton and Woolacombe. I have never stayed in them but they have loads of entertainment for kids. Might be worth a look.
Touring area is amazing
Pool Area : Slides, wavepool, lazy river
large arcade and entertainment area etc
Lot of activates including go ape type rope course
Local are lots to do, nice beaches etc
negative: Being Haven its gets expensive in school holidays.
Perronsands Haven also very nice, but pool not as good.
Woolacombe resorts also mentioned, we stayed at twitchn house part of the complex which was pretty good also.
Weymouth area is lovely, stayed at Haven little sea only small maybe not enough to do for teenagers but has indoor and outdoor pool
Pentewan Sands near St Austell
Has a lot going on and is sited on the beach
------------- April Peak District Beech Croft Farm
May Peak District Duke of York
May Holland Delfse Hout
June Cotton Arms Nantwich
july/aug Cornwall Pentewan Sands
And quite a few local weekenders
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Best All Singing All Dancing Site ?
