Museum of British Surfing

18/08/2026

We’ve just been sent this wonderful old postcard by Rob Smith, who discovered it in a charity shop in Camborne.

We absolutely love seeing little gems like this — but it’s the back that really got us. Just look at that telephone number! It instantly takes you back to another time. Simpler days, fewer digits and, somehow, a feeling of not having quite so much to worry about.

Interestingly, the postcard was published by European Surfing Co. Limited.

Does anyone remember the company, who was behind it, or perhaps even have any of their old postcards tucked away somewhere? We’d love to know more.

Another lovely little piece of British surfing history that could so easily have been lost.

16/08/2026

Best of British: Robyn Davies

For our latest Best of British we head down to Cornwall and Porthleven to look at the story of one of the most successful British female surfers of her generation, Robyn Davies.

Robyn became a five-time British Women’s Surfing Champion, represented Britain around the world and competed internationally at a time when there were far fewer opportunities for female surfers than there are today. She was part of a generation that really helped move British women’s surfing forward, but before all of that there was Porthleven.

Porthleven

Porthleven was Robyn’s home break, and anyone who knows the place will know it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. This isn’t a nice forgiving beach break. It’s a powerful Cornish reef break that, when the conditions come together, produces one of the best waves in Britain. It’s fast, hollow and powerful, and there’s a pretty unforgiving reef underneath you if you get things wrong.

This was where Robyn learned her craft and became known as a standout surfer when Porthleven was doing its thing. It’s worth remembering that this was a line-up traditionally dominated by some very good and very committed male surfers, so earning respect there wasn’t simply a case of turning up. You had to be able to surf it.

That probably tells you as much about Robyn as any list of competition results. Growing up surfing somewhere like Porthleven gives you a pretty good education. You learn to deal with powerful waves, difficult take-offs and the consequences of getting it wrong, and Robyn became very comfortable in that environment.

Taking It Further

Robyn went on to become British Women’s Surfing Champion five times and represented Britain repeatedly on the international stage. She competed at World Surfing Games in France in 1996, California in 1998, Brazil in 2000, South Africa in 2002 and Ecuador in 2004, as well as competing on the ASP women’s qualifying circuit.

We sometimes forget how difficult that route was for British surfers back then. There wasn’t the funding, exposure or infrastructure around professional surfing that exists today, and for women the opportunities were smaller again. Travelling the world and competing internationally took a huge amount of commitment.

Robyn was one of the British surfers out there doing it.

Another important moment came in 2003 when Robyn became the first woman to appear on the cover of Surf Europe magazine. Surf magazines were a massive part of surf culture back then and getting a cover was a big deal for any surfer. For a British woman to be given that exposure was an important moment for women’s surfing, but Robyn hadn’t been put there to make up the numbers. By then she had already spent years winning British titles, representing her country and proving herself in some pretty serious waves.

Giving Something Back

After her competitive years, Robyn’s relationship with surfing and the coastline continued in a different way when she became involved with the National Trust and its work around surfing and coastal conservation.

She worked on projects that brought surfers into the conversation about looking after the coastline, organising events, beach cleans and initiatives and helping recruit well-known British surfers as National Trust surf ambassadors. It made a lot of sense. Surfers spend a ridiculous amount of their lives watching the sea, weather, tides, beaches and cliffs, so we’re often amongst the first people to notice when something changes.

Robyn had spent years travelling the world because of the ocean, and later found a way of using that experience to help protect the coastline back home.

Still Part of the Story

Although Robyn has largely stepped away from competitive surfing, she remains part of the story of Cornish surfing. In 2025 she featured in the story surrounding the National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s SURF! 100 Years of Waveriding in Cornwall exhibition, which brought together 100 surfboards to tell the story of a century of surfing in Cornwall.

It’s quite fitting really. Robyn started out surfing one of Cornwall’s most respected reef breaks, went on to win five British titles, represented her country around the world and helped give British women’s surfing greater visibility. Years later, her own story and equipment have become part of the history being preserved for the next generation.

For us, though, the bit that says the most about Robyn Davies is probably still where it all started. Porthleven was her home break. It’s a wave that has humbled plenty of very good surfers over the years and demands respect when there’s a proper swell running.

Robyn didn’t just grow up around it. She earned her place in that line-up, and from there became one of the most successful British female surfers of her generation.

And perhaps the best part of the story is that Porthleven is still very much part of Robyn’s life. In her own words:

“I was out on the reef yesterday…the only thing that’s changed is the thickness of my board! The feelings that well up are still pure stoke!!”

Five British titles, years of international competition and a place in British surfing history, but she’s still paddling out at the same reef where it all began.

That’s why Robyn Davies is very much part of our Best of British.

Photos supplied and taken by Alex Williams.

From the archives of the Museum of British Surfing, preserving and sharing the stories of the people who helped make British surfing what it is today.

13/08/2026

Join us for our Summer Surf Fair at the Museum of British Surfing — a day celebrating surfing, local makers and everything that makes Braunton’s surf community special.

Taking place outside the museum, we’ll have a great selection of surf-related traders, makers, clothing, art and locally made goods. Whether you surf, love surf culture or simply fancy a wander around and a good day out, come along and see what’s happening.

We’re also joining forces with our good friends at Braunton Craft Market, so there’ll be even more to explore throughout the day, with local makers and independent businesses bringing everything from handmade jewellery and artwork to skincare, homewares and plenty more.

We’ve still got a few trade stands available, so if you’re a local business, maker, artist or trader and fancy joining us for the day, drop us a message.

So come down, have a browse, support some brilliant local businesses, talk surfing and enjoy a proper summer’s day in Braunton.

Saturday 29th August
10am–4pm

Sunshine would be lovely, but this is Britain — so we’ll see you there whatever the weather!

11/08/2026

We don’t often share posts like this, mainly because we get asked to share quite a few things and it’s sometimes difficult to know which ones to choose.

But this one is a bit different.

Phil Owen has been a friend and supporter of the Museum for many years and has spent a huge part of his adult life helping other people, particularly those struggling with their mental health, by getting them into the ocean and surfing.

Phil believed in what he was doing so much that he stepped away from his full-time job to dedicate more of his time to it. He still has to work part-time to support himself, while spending so much of the rest of his time helping others.

Now, probably for the first time in many years, Phil is the one who needs a bit of help.

Some of the people around him are trying to do just that and give something back to a man who has given so much of his time to other people.

Please watch the film and see what they’re trying to do for Phil. If you can help in any way, however small, please do.

https://gofund.me/f7c4f6e4f

We wish you the very best of luck with the journey ahead, Phil, and we really hope the surgery goes well.

You’ve spent a long time looking out for other people. Hopefully now a few people can look out for you. 🌊❤️

Support Phil Owen Through Bowel Cancer Recovery Phil has been una… Laurence Winmill needs your support for Support Phil Owen Through Bowel Cancer Recovery

09/08/2026

From the Archives - Look What Caroline has found now.

Caroline has uncovered another fantastic piece of British surfing history from the museum archives.

These are the original PBK 45 plans by naval architect P. W. Blandford for building your own hollow plywood surfboard. Complete with full-size drawings, construction instructions and photographs, they were designed specifically for use on British surfing beaches.

The plans describe an 8ft plywood “Hot Dog” surfboard that could be built for less than £5. At a time when surfboards were almost impossible to buy in Britain, plans like these gave people the chance to build their own and get into the water.

Even more interesting, the instructions point aspiring surfers towards the Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain in St Ives, showing just how small and closely connected the British surfing scene was in those early days.

We’re still researching exactly when these plans were first published, but discoveries like this help us piece together the story of how surfing grew in Britain, one archive box at a time.

Have you ever seen these plans before, or even built one? We’d love to hear your memories.

The Museum of British Surfing is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am–3pm.

04/08/2026

We’re proud to announce the return of Jack Bessant, like you’ve never seen him before.

Join us on 7th November for a truly intimate evening as Jack performs songs old and new, sharing the stories behind them and the experiences that inspired their creation.

This is a rare opportunity to get up close with one of the founding members of West Country rock legends Reef in a relaxed, personal setting. Expect great music, honest storytelling and an unforgettable night.

Tickets are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so book early to avoid disappointment.

A huge thank you to Tiki and Patagonia for sponsoring the evening and helping make this special event possible.

get tickets here

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/museumofbritishsurfing/2301309

04/08/2026

From the Archive: Possibly Britain’s First Real Surfer?

Caroline has unearthed another real gem from the Museum archives.

Following our recent post asking whether Papino “Pip” Staffieri was possibly Britain’s first real surfer, we thought we’d share this wonderful letter he sent to the Museum in its early days.

What we mean by “real surfer” isn’t necessarily the first person to stand on a surfboard. There are earlier accounts of people riding waves. We’re talking about someone who completely caught the bug. Someone who built his own surfboard, surfed whenever he could, chased waves and even travelled to Hawaii to experience surfing where it all began.

The letter itself says a lot about Pip. He apologises that the photograph isn’t a better surfing shot, explaining that ordinary people simply didn’t have telephoto lenses in those days. If the photographer had stood far enough away to capture him on the wave, Pip joked he would have been “no larger than a dot.”

What really stands out, though, is his generosity. He tells the Museum to keep the photograph because he has another copy and says if he comes across anything else that might be of interest, he’ll happily send it along.

It’s little things like this that bring history to life. Not just the boards and the photographs, but the people behind them.

Was Pip possibly Britain’s first real surfer? We’ll probably never know for certain. But he has one of the strongest claims. He didn’t just ride waves, he lived for surfing at a time when there were no surf shops, no wetsuits and no British surf scene to speak of.

A lovely piece of surfing history, and another great find by Caroline.

Discover the stories that shaped British surfing at the Museum of British Surfing.

We’re open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm.

01/08/2026

It seems absolutely anything with a Lightning Bolt logo on it is collectible these days. A 1970s bar of surf wax for nearly $500! 😂

The only problem? You wouldn’t want to leave it in the sun… there goes 500 bucks running down the beach! ☀️🫠

01/08/2026

The Best of British: Against the Tide – Ash Braunton

There are times in surfing when following the crowd is the easiest thing to do, and there are times when you have to paddle the other way.

Ash Braunton has spent much of his surfing life doing exactly that.

In an era when shortboarding dominated British surfing, when progression meant going shorter, faster and more radical, Ash chose a different path. He championed the longboard.

Today, longboarding might be seen as cool again. It might even be trendy. But that certainly wasn’t always the case. There was a time when longboarding was swimming firmly against the tide of mainstream surf culture, and throughout it all, few matched Ash’s passion for the discipline.

Growing up around Saunton, Ash was part of a surfing heritage stretching back through generations of his family. While much of the surfing world focused on high-performance shortboarding, he dedicated himself to a different approach—one built around style, flow, footwork and a deep understanding of the wave.

It wasn’t always the fashionable choice, but Ash never wavered.

He went on to compete at the highest levels of British and European longboarding, becoming one of the defining figures of a generation that helped keep British longboarding alive, visible and moving forward.

Ash is also one of the most laid-back people you’re ever likely to meet. He’s always got time for the groms, always willing to offer advice, and always happy to pass on some of what he’s learned over the years.

Even while writing this, I’m still firing the occasional question his way on WhatsApp. More often than not, an answer comes back within minutes.

That’s not to say he doesn’t have some strong opinions.

Because he absolutely does.

Single fin versus three fins, for example.

But we’ll leave that one there…

There’s another side to Ash’s story, though—and perhaps it’s the one that matters most.

Over the years, he’s spoken openly about his struggles with mental health and the role surfing has played in his life. For Ash, getting into the sea has never been just about catching waves or winning competitions. The ocean has been somewhere to escape, somewhere to reset and, at times, simply somewhere that helped him keep going.

As the years have passed, that connection hasn’t faded.

Injuries have come, the body doesn’t always cooperate as it once did, but Ash still finds a way to get into the water whenever humanly possible.

Because surfing isn’t always about progression. It isn’t always about going faster, surfing harder or proving something to somebody else.

Sometimes it’s simply about getting back out there.

One more paddle out.

One more wave.

One more moment when everything else disappears.

So where is Ash now?

He’s still out there.

At 43, with two British titles and an incredible twelve Hotdoggers Championships to his name, Ash finished third at the 2025 English National Longboard Championships, still competing against some of the finest longboarders in the country.

That alone tells you something about his commitment.

But perhaps it leaves us with a bigger question.

Was it ever really about another heat?

Another contest?

Another title?

Or was it something deeper?

Perhaps, for Ash, it was always about the simple need to paddle back out—to get into the water whenever humanly possible, despite the injuries, despite getting older and despite everything life has thrown his way.

Maybe it was never about staying competitive.

Maybe it was about staying afloat.