The pathway for participants in the sport of surfing in Scotland is outlined in the below diagram. The diagram illustrates how people can get into the sport at entry level, having never tried the sport before and how they could progress their skills through SSF Accredited Surf Schools, SSF Affiliated Surf Clubs and then subsequently into the performance pathway. Each section is described in more detail below.
For beginners at entry level it is recomended that you take a surfing lesson with an SSF Accredited Surf School. Our surf schools can provide the correct equipment (thick wetsuits for the cold Scottish seas and foamy surf boards to learn on safely), safety guidance and professional instruction to help you progress to standing on your first waves as quickly and safely as possible.
SSF Accredited Surf Schools as well as providing beginner surfing lessons, can also provide follow up and intermediate lessons for you and your family as well as recommend to you the correct equipment which they will have available for hire. Should you wish to go on to purchase your own equipment as an SSF Member you may be able to find something suitable at any of our SSF Affiliated Businesses with our member discounts. Please always ask information on any new beach you intend on surfing at an SSF Accredited Surf School.
There are SSF Affiliated Surf Clubs across Scotland who can be joined through the SSF member management system at ssf.justgo.com by first joining the SSF and then purchasing a new member license for your club. These surf clubs have different membership costs and have different activities. Some clubs are more formal than others and provide regular junior training for example, some clubs host surfing competitions or will send teams to the Gathering of the Clans (Scottish Inter-Clubs) surfing competition. Your local club may be an opportunity to meet surfers of a similar ability, find people to go surfing together with safely or to progress your level of surfing through competition in the hopes of being part of the club team or squad. The club program is often the first step for most people into competitive surfing.
The SSF also has a University Surf Club Membership Scheme where your university surf club can join the SSF for a fee giving the members of your university surf club SSF membership for free. SSF Affiliated University Surf Clubs can also participate by sending teams to the Scottish Universities Surfing Championships.
The Scottish National Surfing Championships and Scottish Junior National Surfing Championships are the SSF’s flagship events and an opportunity for SSF and club members to get together annually to crown national champions whilst at the same time representing their club.
The results from the Scottish Nationals are used in selecting Scotland squads and teams for various training camps and international events.
The Scottish National Surfing Team participates at various international surfing competitions such as the British Surfing Championships & British Cup – as individuals and as a team against the other home nations, against all of the other European nations at the European Surfing Championships, and depending on the Olympic Qualification cycle; ISA World Surfing Championships.
Athletes qualify for these events through the Scottish National Surfing Championships and/or Scotland squad training camps and other events may be taken into consideration. More information on qualification can be found here.
Scottish athletes get the opportunity at the British Surfing Championships & British Cup or if they represent Scotland at the WSL European Qualifying Series to become part of a British squad for training camps or even part of the British team for Olympic Qualification events.
Although teams are mostly sent to shortboarding events, the SSF will consider representation at international events in any discipline of surfing, junior or senior. Last year we sent an athlete to the ISA World Para Surfing Championships in Pismo, California for the first time.
If you have an interest in representing Scotland any of the disciplines of surfing; (shortboarding, longboarding, SUP, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, para surfing, kneeboarding, skim board) please contact info@thessf.scot
British Surfing is a limited company, set up under the authorisation of the home nation surfing governing bodies (Surfing England, Channel Islands Surfing Federation, Welsh Surfing Federation and Scottish Surfing Federation) to support, manage and prepare British teams for Olympic qualification and the Olympic games.
