Hand Plane Sessions

WHAT IS HAND PLANING?

Riding a wave using just your body and a 30cm handboard is an art in itself. It’s also regarded as the original and most pure form of wave riding. This ancient au naturel style of catching waves (which even predates surfing!) is thought to have stemmed from early Polynesians emulating the graciousness of wave-riding dolphins.

Popular throughout the 60s and 70s, bodysurfing was deemed “a lost art” in the early 90s, and abandoned by the surfing industry as it offered very little to marketers. However, the 2000s has seen a renaissance for hand planing following surfing’s neo-retro movement and renewed interest in alternative surf crafts. It really is just you, the surfer, and the wave. There are no logos or sponsorship deals – people bodysurf for the sheer love of it!

WHY HAND PLANING?

On the one hand (no pun intended!) hand planing in Cornwall is accessible to all and offers immediate results. It’s easy to master the basics and we guarantee you’ll be riding your first wave within the first ten minutes of trying. To begin, you’ll learn how to use swim fins efficiently, catching white wash in the shallows as you practice. Next, it’s onto the unbroken (or green) waves. What’s more, bodysurfing in Cornwall is safe. There’s no wayward 8ft surfboard tied to the end of your leg and you require no previous surfing or ocean experience to give it a go.

On the other hand, for experienced wave riders, hand planing in Cornwall is an additional string to their bow in the pursuit of becoming a true waterman. World body surfing champion Mike Stewart describes handplaning as, “the best interaction between man and nature that exists.” It offers a completely different wave riding experience and forces a new raw perspective. You can feel the wave from within your soul whilst achieving a greater sense of speed and control.

It’s also a great way to mix up your wave riding – especially if you’ve lost your surfing mojo or when the waves are not suited for surfing but ideal for the handplane (shore breaking waves in particular). 

WHY NEWQUAY ACTIVITY CENTRE?

For your handplane lesson in Cornwall, we provide you with first-rate equipment including handplane, swim fins, rash vest and a top of the range Rip Curl wetsuit. We have heated changing rooms to get kitted up in, as well as separate male & female toilets. We also have storage space for your clothes and bags before you make your way down to either Fistral or Towan beach. We will assess the conditions on the day and choose the best beach to match the group’s ability.