Did you know that regular sun cream is harmful to the environment? The chemicals contained in sun cream destroy plankton and are toxic to fish. In addition, the coral is dying in various parts of the world. Fortunately, there is more and more sustainable sun cream available nowadays. This way you can lie on your board in the waves and feel a lot better.
Moving to a cleaner sea
Good sun block of course is very important to protect your skin from the sun. Fortunately, more and more brands introduce sun cream that contains natural products and do no harm. Using a sustainable sunscreen as a surfer is at least a first step towards a cleaner sea.
Every year, more than 14,000 tons of sun cream ends up in the oceans. In addition to non-degradable substances, sunscreen also contains microplastics. And we all know that plastic is a major problem. The other culprits are two chemical substances in sunscreen: octinoxate or oxybenzone.
Natural and plastic-free sun cream
Lovea
This sun cream is water resistant and certified by Ecocert. The cream remains a little on the skin and acts as an invisible shield. Lovea contains no chemicals and is also vegan. In addition to being organic, it is free of the ‘forbidden’ ingredients.
“Protect yourself and at the same time our ocean by using sustainable sunscreen”.
Naïf
Naïf skincare is made of natural ingredients and is suitable for all skin types, and especially for small children. Naïf products contain no mineral oils, chemical preservatives or hard chemicals. Instead, natural ingredients such as flaxseed oil, avocado oil and lycosol (tomato extract) form the basis. They have set the goal of being zero waste by 2021 by using 100% recycled packaging and refill packs. They are developing a clear raw materials plan.
Lavera
Lavera is certified with NaTrue, an international quality mark for natural cosmetics with very strict guidelines. This means that Lavera meets the highest standards for natural and organic products and ingredients. Lavera’s products are therefore completely free of harmful substances. Nice fact: The products are made in Hanover and the production is based on green electricity!
Lush
Sustainable and animal-friendly production and sale of cosmetic products, including sun cream, is characteristic of Lush. They have a number of types of sun cream: powdered, a lotion and a sunblock. The Sesame Suntan Lotion smells like sesame but protects the skin well. Unfortunately still contains some harmful substances.
Sun Safe
This is a natural sun cream from Dutch soil, made by the Dutch brand The Ohm Collection. This brand offers natural care products that are good for people and the environment. Sun Safe lotion does not contain any chemical ingredients such as alcohol and perfume and does not leave a white haze. The packaging can also be recycled. There is a Sun Safe sun cream with a sun protection factor of 15 (SPF15) and a cream with a sun protection factor of 30 (SPF30).
After a 13hour drive(!) we arrived at a huge cliff. We took the road downhill and we wove through small towns surrounding the cliff. When we finally got down we drove by a harbor. The harbor was filled with boats and a small road let us around it entering the town called Siouville-Hague. The first thing you see is the beach. Between the houses on the boulevard you could see the enormous sandy beach stretching out for as far as the eye can see.
We checked in on the campsite just behind the boulevard. A road and 2 blocks of houses are between us and the waves. You could hear the waves pumping when we stepped out of our camper. Excited as we were we waxed our board and walked to the beach. The walk was even shorter than the wax job! The waves were amazing. On the app’s there was a 1 to 3ft forecast but in reality it was closer to 3 to 5ft. We surfed for 2 hours and went back to the camper to rest a bit. We were exhausted!
As we got back, we unpacked all of our stuff. We found out that if we stood on the roof of our camper, we could see the ocean!
In the evening the wind came on a bit. The swell got bigger and left us with over-head barrels! We surfed until dark.
Surf Siouville
The beach is very wide. In the middle there is a separation for swimming and bodyboards. The local surf school has a section next to that and then you have the main break. On weekdays there are not so many people in the water. Locals are mostly during morning and evening sessions. There are a lot of kooks but they’re the ones having the most fun and are respectful to the advanced surfers. Bodyboarders however do not! Watch out for them. Especially because they have no clue what they are doing. My guess would be that the most bodyboarders are also tourists and none of them had seen an ocean before.
For kids is perfect! On the left side you have an enormous cliff that you can pass around on low tide. Endless walks on rocks, searching for seashells and crabs. Also on the low tide you have a lot of rock pools where kids can play safely. When it’s high tide most rocks are under water so it’s wise to check on low tide where the rocks are. That’s also handy for surfers because mid to high tide is the best time to hit the water.
After your beautiful day at the beach you have a cold free shower waiting for you! That kind of unique for France in this region. A little town square where you can find a barber and a cafe where the serve you a great meal. On the playground behind the cafe they sometimes have a market! Local food trucks and souvenirs can be bought.
After browsing through Google Maps (campsite near the beach), reviews (at least 4 out of 5 stars) we saw a small campsite in Southern Brittany. Between La Torche and Penhors, near the village of Tréguennec.
dawnpatrol at plage de Kermabec
La Torche and Penhors are also two great surf spots by the way, but more about that later.
Camping Kerlaz is a surf campsite in Brittany. A relatively small campsite with a maximum of 70 pitches. Some chickens. A table football table, play caravan and bouncy castle for smaller children, a swimming pool and a surf school.
Surfschool
A local has a shed and a van at the entrance. Olivier is the owner and surf teacher. A cheerful and sympathetic Frenchman. At Olivier’s place you can rent boards and of course take surf lessons.
surfschool at campsite
Small charm campsite
The campsite has been run by a French couple for a few years now. In all relaxation. Before that the owner worked in the financial sector. But now they both radiate pleasure and relaxation. Also in high season.
Relax in the swimming pool after a surf session
They take the eggs from the henhouse and take the time to make pancake batter with the children.
Once a week you can eat pancakes. Once a week you can eat moules-frites. One day locals come and sell delicacies. There is a local (pretty good) band along at one evening in the week. All in a cosy and small-scale way.
Small and nice too.
Environmentally conscious camping
The owners do everything themselves. And think clearly of our planet. You are subtly but clearly reminded of the fact that you should not leave the lights on, not use too much water. And the toilet paper is only supplemented on Mondays with the request to also use paper in moderation.
The surf spot
Then more good news, maybe the best news. At 3 minutes drive (less than 3km) you will find Plage de Kermabec. Recognizable by the bunkers in the lineup. Here, at average conditions, a mellow wave breaks at the bunkers (mid to high tide) and a nice wave at the left side of the beach entrance.
Early morning swell
It’s not busy here. Even on a sunny, warm, windless day with 1 metre of waves, you’ll find yourself here with just a handful of people at the peak.
Sunny surf days in Brittany
An ideal place to sit for at least a week. To chill, surf, dive into the pool, eat crepes and check the forecast for the next day.
By the way, you feel extra welcome as a surfer because they also have a bath that is only meant to rinse off your wetsuit.
Rinsing your wetsuit
What else is there to do
Is that surf forecast a bit disappointing? Then there is plenty to do in the area. A few tips:
Quimper. In less than half an hour you’ll reach this cheerful little medieval town. Nice shops, squares and a world famous macaron shop. The church in the middle of the city is also very old and big, which makes it worth a look.
La Torche. La Torche is the surf spot of Brittany. Not that it is a big place, but you will find here a few surf shops and shapers. And it’s always a lot busier here. Nice to once a day on the beach to be. Or a SUP to rent and along the rocks to suppen.
Pointe du Raz. The westernmost part of the region. A point in the ocean. Here you feel at the end of the world. Rough coast. Thick rocks. Fantastic views over the ocean and the lighthouse that stands a little further on a rock. Worthwhile to do a de-tour.
Visit the market in the village of Pont L’Abbe. A clear authentic village, where they once a week have a market. A standard market as we know it in the Netherlands, but also a real typical French market. Much more fun of course.
Local market Brittany
Penhors
Then we’d come back to Penhors. Penhors is a 15 minute drive from the campsite. It is a playful surf spot, because the waves here usually break crumbly. And you have a small harbour where children can play at low tide in a pool that then arises. Or mussels, crabs and fish can see and catch between the rocks.
The wave at the harbour is a righthander that breaks best from mid tide.
Why this campsite?
On this small charming campsite you are at the right address if you:
Likes empty line ups
Want mellow waves to surf
Fancy a small charming campsite, but with the luxury of a swimming pool, for example
Like to be close to other fun things besides surfing.
His entire life rehabilitation specialist and surfer Tijs Bezeij has been fascinated by the sea. So for good reason he is very satisfied with his place of work in Heliomare, in the dunes of Wijk aan Zee.
This is the place where Tijs came up with his plan to start his new physical therapy and his foundation Surftherapy. This is already the fourth season Tijs is guiding unilaterally paralyzed patients in there rehabilitation process.
How? By surfing.
‘Surfing with rehabilitating patients originated when I was walking here with my surf board and ran into a patient of whom I thought: he is at a loose end. He was stuck in his rehabilitation process, learning how to walk failed.
So I said: “Why don’t we go surfing?” That’s how it began. And the remarkable thing was: it had an immediate effect on him. He even stood upright on his board. I took his picture instantly.’ Tijs laughs. ‘And even then people did not believe it. They probably thought I had been photo shopping it.”
SURFING ON THE KNEES
Together with Tijs, three participants of surf therapy have pulled up a chair: Paulien (31), Richard (52) and Dirk (69). Every Friday afternoon, when the weather is good, they are in the water.
Richard: ‘In 2017 I ended up at Heliomare. I was in day treatment and ran into Tijs who asked me if surfing would be up my alley. I immediately thought that was a nice idea. Surfing actually was my first encounter with sports again and I noticed it made me very happy. Being in the sea, picking up speed through a wave, learning how to steer. You work on your balance, you become more daring and at a certain point you are even confident enough to stand up on the board.’
Pauline: ‘When Tijs asked me I immediately thought: let’s do it, even though I could not picture it. The first time I was a little insecure. It’s cold, exciting and you are so focused on getting on that board.’
Tijs: ‘You sit on the board, you’re not lying down, so in fact you are much more unstable than a ‘regular’ wave surfer. And still, they tend to quickly switch to automatic behaviour. By changing your focal point, you focus on the horizon. Because of that you start to move in a completely different manner, more goal-oriented. The moment a good wave approaches we give them a little push.’ Tijs laughs. You can’t paddle with one hand for that matter. At the beginning everyone leans on their ‘right’ side for 80%, after that it becomes more natural.’
Dirk: ‘I had a catamaran from the age of sixteen. Therefore I can read the waves quite well so my introduction to surfing was successful. Only sitting down did not work, it made me get spasms in my legs, but I found out that if I went down on my knees, it worked much better. That gave me confidence. Amazingly enough it went well from the start: a wave approaches and they give you a push. I quickly realized that by leaning to the right, I could also steer.’ Laughing: ‘Right until the moment I found myself parallel with the waves.’
‘Waves are unpredictable: you have to react fast and because of that you react automatically.’
ACTING AUTOMATICALLY
In order to give a scientific basis of the positive effects of surfing on the rehabilitation process, Tijs started to work out a theory. ‘We still have to do field tests, but we can see that our participants in the water show automatic behaviour. If you are learning to walk again, you are literally thinking; where do I place my leg so that I don’t fall? By thinking your actions become slow and usually awkward.
Think about the conveyer belt at the airport where at the end a voice announces: Mind your step.” When you hear that message, you tend to act awkwardly.
At sea during surfing you learn to let go.
Waves are unpredictable, you have to act fast and because of that you react in a reflex. You make an appeal to the fast part of your brain and override the damaged area.’ Tijs gives an example. ‘There was a lady who’s left arm wasn’t functioning. During surfing she fell in the water and nearly got hit by her board because the next wave was approaching.
When she came out of the water she said: ‘That just went well, I was lucky to be able to react with my good arm.” But when we looked at the footage we saw that she stopped the board with her bad arm.”
Tijs laughs. “She couldn’t believe it and was convinced that the camera footage was the mirror image. We see amazing things happen during surfing. The participants really make progress.’
POSITIVE EFFECTS
We also see that progress reflected in the everyday life of participants. Richard: ‘I found surfing the first time a very good preparation for the holiday that was planned right after it. It gave me confidence to go into the sea.’
Paulien: ‘Through surfing I have more balance and more self-confidence. If, after a surf lesson, you find that you caught good waves, it makes you think: I can do this.’
Dirk: ‘I’m very impatient and maybe I can’t see the effects right away. But therapists tell me that I have more balance and that I am more able to keep my balance.’
Richard: ‘It also helped me in learning to walk again without a cane. Precisely because we get that push when we are on that board and also because we experience some spectacular wipe-outs, it became easier to train how to fall at the therapy centre. I gained more self-confidence. Because that was my problem at a certain point: That I was afraid to put my cane away.’
Tijs: ‘With Richard I saw his self-confidence grow. At the beginning everyone thought he was acting unsafe. But my perception changed completely when I went into the water with him. He is not acting unsafe at all.’
Laughing loudly: ‘He is just not communicating what he is going to do. Richard is good at doing unexpected things. Last summer he fell off his board and I said: “What are you doing?” To which he answered: “I’m going to swim to my wife.” Or once when he went under water, head and all: “Okay great, this way I can check whether I can go under water with a snorkel.”
Surfing with Richard has given me so much information. Precisely because he is not actually being dangerous in his movements, but he thinks it through, always.’
‘The fun I have during surfing really affects our family life’
PROJECT BONAIRE
Just like with The Surf Project, with whom Surftherapy is in close contact with, Tijs wants his therapy to be available for everyone. Preferably all year round.
For that purpose he first wants to prove the effect of his therapy using a pilot study. Tijs: We only notice that we can’t use the North Sea all year round. All our participants suffer from muscle spasms, tensions and convulsions. The cold is not a good influence on that. So we can gain even more profit.
Therefore the idea arose: find a piece of Netherlands where the water temperature is higher. It turned out to be Bonaire.
We now have gathered a group of nine participants, with whom I want to go to the island for ten days. It is a very mixed group. I also want to prove that it does not matter when you start with surf therapy. Even when three years have passed since your stroke, you can still gain so much from it. To prove this research is needed.
With the other organizations that are part of the worldwide network we can share experience, knowledge and possible locations. In doing so surftherapy gets a greater evidential value. That way more and more participants can profit from the great sport of surfing.
EUPHORIC FEELING
Why does surfing make us so happy?
Tijs explains. ‘In fact during surfing the same brain area is addressed as the one that plays a role in addictions. That creates the feeling that you want to go again, and again. The environment also plays a role. Between the waves you feel powerful and insignificant at the same time.’
But also the supporters on the beach, family and friends, are part of that euphoric feeling.
Paulien: ‘I remember I caught my first high wave and I stayed on my board. I just succeeded.’
Dirk: ‘My partner is used to me loosing myself in everything I do, so she is not surprised. But she can really see that my self-confidence has grown.’
Richard: ‘There is a video circulating the net in which I can be seen being launched from my board. The fun I have during surfing really affects my family life.’
Tijs: ‘I thought it was so nice that time when your wife was watching on the shore and she became more and more enthusiastic. She was shouting harder and harder. Well yeah, watching physiotherapy in a gym is not that exciting. This, however, is.’
The Sri Lankan Tourism Minister John Amaratunga announced at the ITB in Berlin, that for all EU citizens, the visa requirement will be no longer necessary.
This means that it is no longer necessary for EU citizens to apply for a visa in advance. In addition, the entry fees (40 USD) are waived, so that the “residence permit” for Sri Lanka upon entry is given simply and free of charge.
In addition to EU citizens, citizens of Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the US are also benefiting from the easing of entry requirements.
Already from April the regulation should come into force.
Ever thought of Greece as a go to surf destination? Well, maybe you should. Whether it’s Crete, Corfu or the mainland. Check the top 10 surf photo’s we selected.
The original article has been written by Mario Vittone, a retired U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer.
It’s an important article. It saves lifes.
Therefore we put the whole article on surf-escape.com. Please share with friends and family.
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Mario Vittone a short article about drowning in 2010. It went viral. Since then, it’s been translated into 15 languages, was published in the Washington Post, and Reader’s Digest eventually requested to buy the rights. After years of saying yes to requests to republish, repost and translate (there have been hundreds), Mario Vittone released the piece to the public domain.
For us at Surf-escape.com we want to make sure our followers will read the article below, because we’re so close to the water, many times.
Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim and headed straight for a couple who were swimming between their anchored sportfish and the beach.
“I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife.
They had been splashing each other, and she had screamed, but now they were just standing neck-deep on a sandbar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard toward him.
“Move!”
He barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not 10 feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning.
Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears and screamed, “Daddy!”
How did this captain know — from 50 feet away — what the father couldn’t recognize from just 10?
Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, learned what drowning looks like by watching television.
If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us), then you should make sure that you and your crew know what to look for when people enter the water.
Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” the owner’s daughter hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for is rarely seen in real life.
Instinctive Drowning Response
The Instinctive Drowning Response, so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect it to.
When someone is drowning there is very little splashing, and no waving or yelling or calling for help of any kind.
Drowning number two cause of accidental death in children
To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents). Of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening.
Drowning does not look like drowning. Dr. Pia, in an article he wrote for the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:
Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is a secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.
Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response, people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs. (Source: On Scene magazine: Fall 2006 page 14)
This doesn’t mean that a person who is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble — they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long, but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, reach for throw rings, etc.
Signs of drowning
Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:
Head low in the water, mouth at water level
Head tilted back with mouth open
Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
Eyes closed
Hair over forehead or eyes
Not using legs
Hyperventilating or gasping
Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
Trying to roll over onto the back
Appears to be climbing an invisible ladder
So, if a crewmember falls overboard and everything looks okay, don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look as if they’re drowning. They may just look as if they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all, they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them.
And parents — children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why.
Every year, more than 14,000 tons of sun cream ends up in the oceans. In addition to non-degradable substances, sunscreen also contains microplastics. And we all know that plastic is a major problem. The other culprits are two chemical substances in sunscreen: octinoxate or oxybenzone.
for small children. Naïf products contain no mineral oils, chemical preservatives or hard chemicals. Instead, natural ingredients such as flaxseed oil, avocado oil and lycosol (tomato extract) form the basis. They have set the goal of being zero waste by 2021 by using 100% recycled packaging and refill packs. They are developing a clear raw materials plan.
