Clear Filters
Clear Filters
 

Property

 

View

 

Key Features

 

Pets

 

Apartment Block

 
 
Clear Filters
Clear Filters
Home | News | North Devon first in UK to become World Surfing Reserve

North Devon first in UK to become World Surfing Reserve!

A surfer riding a wave off the coast of North Devon
A couple of surfers on a North Devon beach
Surfing in North Devon

North Devon has become the first place in the UK to be selected as a World Surfing Reserve (WSR).

It joins a list that includes Malibu and Santa Cruz in California, and the Gold Coast and Manly in Australia.

The WSR recognises the quality of the surf as well as the sport’s importance to the wider community. The WSR programme was launched in 2009 in California with the aim of “protecting surf ecosystems around the globe”. The North Devon coast already has Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty protection and an area around Braunton Burrows is a Unesco Biosphere for its landscapes, wildlife areas and cultural heritage. The reserve covers about 30km (19 miles) of coastline.

A WSR spokesperson said: “Its high density of outstanding surf, at iconic breaks such as Croyde, Saunton, Woolacombe, and Lynmouth, caters to wave-riders from beginner to expert and a variety of surfing styles.” North Devon surfer Kevin Cook, who proposed making the area a surfing reserve, said he hoped the new designation would “help influence” decision makers. “We are about collaboration and taking existing good practice to keep an eye on what’s going on and ensure that the future of north Devon is protected,” he said.

Water pollution was a “key thing”, it seems crazy to be pumping out gallons of sewage into the ocean and spoiling the beaches we have,” he said. “Our water quality is good but it could be better and we need that extra spending on infrastructure by water companies to make sure we are not tarnishing the future.” He also wanted to support “projects to encourage wellbeing because there’s something very special about surfing”. He said: “Being in the water brings a special feeling you can’t experience anywhere else so it’s important for as many people to share it as possible.

“We are really excited about it, North Devon is a very special place.”

Adam Hall, co-founder of the surfing reserve in North Devon, said: “Our core focus is looking after the quality of the waves themselves and preserving the ecosystems that produce them. “Surf spots need to be celebrated, recognised and protected in the same way we protect and recognise beautiful national parks like Exmoor.”

Source BBC NEWS

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. We use necessary cookies to make sure that our website works. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. By clicking “Allow All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
These cookies are required for basic functionalities such as accessing secure areas of the website, remembering previous actions and facilitating the proper display of the website. Necessary cookies are often exempt from requiring user consent as they do not collect personal data and are crucial for the website to perform its core functions.
A “preferences” cookie is used to remember user preferences and settings on a website. These cookies enhance the user experience by allowing the website to remember choices such as language preferences, font size, layout customization, and other similar settings. Preference cookies are not strictly necessary for the basic functioning of the website but contribute to a more personalised and convenient browsing experience for users.
A “statistics” cookie typically refers to cookies that are used to collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with a website. These cookies help website owners understand how users navigate their site, which pages are most frequently visited, how long users spend on each page, and similar metrics. The data collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it does not contain personally identifiable information (PII).
Marketing cookies are used to track user behaviour across websites, allowing advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements based on the user’s interests and preferences. These cookies collect data such as browsing history and interactions with ads to create user profiles. While essential for effective online advertising, obtaining user consent is crucial to comply with privacy regulations.