Winner of Surfer's Path Travel Operator of the Year 2007 - Shortlisted for Cornwall Tourism Leisure Pursuit Provider of the Year 2007 - Nominated for Sustainability Awards 2007 - Highly Recommended by the Fat Face Guide 2007 - Official Sponsors of Surfers Against Sewage environmental campaign group
Global Boarders › Contact Us › Frequently Asked Questions
OK, so we put this question up! But it's for a good reason. There are a lot of companies offering surf vacations and breaks down in Cornwall but a lot of them are sharks and we can confidently say that even the reputable ones don't offer the level of quality in both accommodation and surfing tuition that we do. The worst ones will simply take your money and strand you.
There are 2 ways: (i) If you do not have any further questions then fill in the booking form and either e-mail it to us and we'll contact you or post it with your deposit cheque (ii) If you have further questions then e-mail or telephone with your details i.e. dates, group size, type of holiday required and we'll get back to you either the same day or within 24 hours.
It depends on the time of year you come - we've surfed in just shorts in the summer and in the winter a winter suit does fine. In extreme conditions you can wear a hood, boots and gloves, but the gulf stream keeps the Cornish waters more than bearable for most of the year. The average temperature of the sea is 12 degrees celcius (53 degrees fahrenheit).
This is a misconceived view which some International visitors may hold. You can see some great surf photography involving Cornish surf spots and surfers here.
Non-surfing partners are welcome. They will be charged the single supplement prices. Should they choose the catered option a further charge of £55 for a long weekend and £105 for a week will be charged.
An excerpt from the New York Times reads "Cornwall... is now considered one of the hip places to visit in England, no matter what your age. With numerous beaches for all levels of surfing, an outpost of the modern Tate Gallery in St. Ives, and the environmentally avant-garde Eden Project in St. Austell, Cornwall is increasingly becoming a popular (international) family destination, particularly for those families with painfully trendy teenagers".
No. We still have to have all the equipment necessary for the total number of guests - if you damage your suit and board we will supply replacements for the length of your stay.
No. As the restaurants we use are some of the best in West Cornwall we have to book places a long time in advance.
No. This is no more our fault than yours! We similarly have no control over the tide times, so there will be occasions when you are surfing at a low tide time. However as the alternative is a dawnie or a night surf, this may not bother you too much!
There's nearly always a wave to be found somewhere, but if absolutely necessary we can take you go-karting, windsurfing, kiteboarding, wakeboarding, skateboarding, deep sea fishing, kayaking, pleasure cruising, scrambling, horse riding... the list is endless! All of the activites will be at your own cost - however we can instruct you for free (although any equipment and venue hire will be at your cost) in rock climbing (static walls), sailing, canoeing, mountain biking (rough terrain), flying of small power kites and mountain boarding (hill boarding to be precise!), CBT (Motorbike training)... We can also arrange trips to The Eden Project, Lost Gardens of Heligan, St. Michael's Mount, The Tate st. Ives and other such attractions.
Yes, just contact us with your requirements. All of the restaurants have vegetarian options (some of which are listed and some are Specials on each night).
All of the restaurants and menus are hand selected by us so we are confident that they are (a) good quality and (b) the portions are substantial.
We generally ask that guests are able to swim 25 metres easily. However, we will never put guests into a situation or conditions in which they are uncomfortable. Coupled with this, our instructors are qualified and experienced lifeguards.
Generally the shoulder months, in the spring March and April and in the autumn September to December. The summer months do bring a reduction in average wave size and swell but there are nearly always waves to be found somewhere - this is why we offer a choice of beaches each day.
We have three vans - two VWs and a Mercedes - so we can transport up to 20 surfers at a time, plus wetsuits and boards and safe storage for clothes.
There was - three of us were in the water with it! But no-one was attacked. There hasn't been a shark attack in living memory. Sharks (except harmless Basking Sharks) are an extreme rarity.
Our wetsuits are all Rip Curl as we have found these to be the best. Learners and day surf school clients will use Swell boards, unless they have their own boards. Please be aware that we can't teach sessions that have a mixed line-up of soft and hard boards.
Dolphins are a common sight in Cornish waters. Surfing with a dolphin is one of life's most extraordinary experiences.
We have a pool of BSA qualified instructors we can choose from, many of which have travelled widely and have more than one language. Please contact us well in advance and we will see what we can do.
We are Global on two levels: Primarily we are committed to caring for the planet on both a local and a global level. This is reflected in our attitude towards the companies with which we deal; our banking policies; the use of environmentally safe products and the provision and sourcing of local, organic produce, wherever feasible. Secondly, between us we've surfed from the States to Australia and snowboarded from Canada to the Lebanon. We plan to use our experience and contacts made on these trips to expand the Global Boarders idea abroad... .
Children are welcome, and if over 7 years of age and able to swim 25 metres we can include them in the full programme of lessons. Non-surfing kids are charged depending on the size and make-up of your group - please contact us for our discounted rates. We have registered child minders who can care for kids from 3 months old and five of the Global Boarders staffers have young children so we are well used to entertaining the younger customer!
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Global Boarders, Lowena, Chynoweth Lane, St Hilary
Penzance, TR20 9DU, Cornwall, UK
Copyright © Global Boarders 2007
Registered Company Number: 5660242
