Leisure in Penzance

Penzance is ideally situated for those wishing to take full advantage of the excellent surfing beaches in Penwith. Six miles west of the town lie Sennen Cove and Gwenver which is acknowledged as being the most consistent surfing beach in either England or Wales. The same distance north lies St Ives, which has several excellent surfing beaches, one of which, Porthmeor, is particularly favourable for bodyboarding.

Mount’s Bay has its share of good surf, especially in the winter months when the north coast surf is often too big and dangerous even for experienced surfers. Indeed, the best surfing break in England is to be found in the Bay at Porthleven, a 15-minute drive east of Penzance. Here the waves break over a shallow rock reef which causes them to ‘tube’, enabling the surfer to ride across the wave whilst inside the ‘tube’ formed by the falling lip of the wave. This is what every surfer lives for and many travel the world to experience. Surfers not only look for beaches that have consistent waves but also for offshore winds which give quality to the waves. With beaches facing in all directions there is normally good surf to be found somewhere in the district. There are good surfing beaches at Gwenver, Sennen, Porthmeor, Gwithian, Godrevy, Praa Sands, Perranuthnoe and Porthleven.

Lifeguards patrol most of the beaches during the summer months. Sennen and St Ives have their own surf schools and equipment can be purchased or hired at several local shops. Malibu boards must be registered before use. Major surfing events such as the English National Championships have been held in the area and the British Club Championships are currently held at Sennen in July.

The British Surfing Association was formed in Penzance in 1966 and since 1990 the office of the sports national governing body has been located in the town.