More than 80 surfers paddled out at Compton today to say goodbye to Dave Gray with many others lining the cliff tops to give him a really great send off
Feb 11, 2017 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: archive, beach, blog, compton, Compton Bay, Dave 'Digger' Gray, Dave Gray, David Gray, Digger, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, people, photo, photographs, portrait, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Farewell Dave Gray
I asked Dave Gray if he would let me interview him for Wight Surf History and eventually he sent me this. We actually planned to do a proper interview and he was going to dig out some old photos but sadly it never happened. A history of surfing on the I.O.W. by David Gray aged […]
Jan 23, 2017 | Categories: Surfer Profiles, The Noughties | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, B&W, beach, blackley, blog, compton, Compton Bay, Cornwall, Dave 'Digger' Gray, Dave Gray, Dave Grey, David Gray, david Grey, Digger, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, longboard, paul blackley, people, photo, photographs, portrait, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Dave Gray R.I.P.
Sid Pitman sadly passed away while on holiday in the Mediterranean last week. Sid will be greatly missed by the whole Isle of Wight Surfing Community. Are thoughts at this time are with Sid’s wife Jan. Sid started body boarding during the early sixties with a homemade plywood board, curved at the front and painted […]
Jul 20, 2014 | Categories: Surfer Profiles, The Noughties | Tags: 1960's, 1970's, 60's, 70's, archive, B&W, beach, Ben Kelly, blackley, blog, Bob Booth, Colin Burgess, Colin Hickey, compton, Compton Bay, Cornwall, Dave Bottrell, Derek Thompson, Doug Saunders, Freshwater, freshwater bay, Geoff (Ned) Gardner, Glynn Kernick, history, Ian Vallender, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Jon Jon Ainsworth, Keith Williams, longboard, Mary Hughes, Mr Cosmic, paul blackley, people, photo, photographs, portrait, Rob Eldridge Dave Saleroe, Roger Backhouse, roger cooper, Rory Angus, Rusty Long, Sid Pitman, Steve Brown, stoked, Sue Ellis, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, Ventnor, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Sid Pitman R.I.P.
Wight Surf History have been given some great pics taken by Rog Powley of the 1978 South Coast Contest, including shots of Dave Gray, Keith Williams and Sid Pitman. The winner of the competition was Guy Penwarden from Wessex Surf Club. In 1976 surfing for Shore Surf Club, ex English Champion and Honorary President of […]
Dec 18, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 1978, 70's, archive, B&W, beach, blog, comp, Competition, compton, Compton Bay, contest, Dave Gray, David Gray, Digger, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, longboard, people, photo, photographs, Rog Powley, Roger Powley, Sid Pitman, South Coast, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on 1978 South Coast Contest
The Noble Art of Varp Lighting – From a 1977 edition of the Isle of Wight Surf Club’s magazine ‘Wight Water’. (Or the quickest known way of clearing a Crantock Pub of locals) You may have been fortunate or unfortunate enough to have taken part in one of the IOWSC’s trips to the West Country. […]
Dec 18, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, B&W, blog, compton, Compton Bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, longboard, Sid Pitman, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, Varp lighting, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on The Noble Art of Varp Lighting
Russell ‘Rusty’ Long was one of the first to ever surf on the Island and became one of the original members of the Isle of Wight Surf Club. Here are selection of images of Rusty given to Wight Surf History. Rusty was friends with the Roger Backhouse, Sue Ellis, John Ainsworth, Kevin Digweed, Geoff ‘Ned’ […]
Dec 13, 2013 | Categories: The Sixties | Tags: 1960's, 60's, archive, B&W, Colin Burgess, Colin Hicks, Geoff ‘Ned’ Garner, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, John Ainsworth, Kevin Digweed, longboard, photo, photographs, Roger Backhouse, Rusty, Rusty Long, stoked, Sue Ellis, surf, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Rusty Long
I have been very kindly lent the IOW Surf Club’s 1983 guide to ‘Starting Surfing’ by Keith Williams. The guide was put together by Dave Phillips and Rog Butler with cover by Clive Richardson. Part 1: Isle of Wight Surf Club Guide – Learning to Surf Learning to Surf There is only one way to […]
Dec 13, 2013 | Categories: The Eighties | Tags: 190's, 1983, 80's, archive, blog, Clive Richardson, compton, Compton Bay, Dave Phillips, duck diving, guide, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, Learn, Learning, paddle, Paddling, prone, purling, Rof Butler, Roger Butler, Starting, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, White water, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on IOW Surf Club Guide to Learning to Surf
Keith Williams finds a little barrel on the inside at Compton during a lovely little swell in the 1980’s.
Dec 11, 2013 | Categories: The Eighties | Tags: archive, blog, compton, Compton Bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, longboard, photo, stoked, surf, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Keith Williams
Issue No 2 of the Isle of Wight Surf Clubs magazine ‘Wight Water’ came out in the autumn of 1976. It included a write up on the IOW Surf Club longboard competition won by Tad Ciastula, 2nd Dave Jacobs, 3rd Keith Williams, Pete Brown and Dave Grey. It also covers the IOW Surf Club Darts […]
Nov 27, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 1976, 70's, archive, B&W, B.H.C., Biarittz, Biarritz, blog, Canaries, Colin Graham, compton, Compton Bay, Darts, Dave Grey, Dave Jacobs, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, La Fitenia, longboard, Lyn Powley, people, Pete Brown, photo, photographs, portrait, Rog Powley, Roger Powley, Sid Pitman, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, Tad Ciastula, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Wight Water – Issue No 2
Colin Graham became the Isle Of Wight Surf Club Chairman in 1976, with Mike Smith and Dave Jacobs also on the committee. Roger Powley was given the job of putting together the IOW Surf Club’s 1st magazine. Wight Water Magazine was born, Rog edited the magazine with help from Colin, Mike, and his wife Lyn […]
Nov 22, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, blog, compton, Compton Bay, Cornwall, Dave Jacobs, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Lyn, Mike Smith, newsletter, Powley, Rog Powley, Roger Powley, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, Wight Water, Wight Water Magazine, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Wight Water Magazine
Isle of Wight featured in issue number 4 of what is thought to be the one of the first ever British Surfing magazines. British Surfer magazine no1 came out in March 1969. Surfing UK magazine published by Lindsay Morgan in Porthcawl in Jan 1969 pipped it to the post by a few months to be […]
Nov 21, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1960's, 1970's, 60's, 70's, archive, blog, British Surfer, British Surfer magazine, compton, Compton Bay, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, longboard, Magazine, niton, No 4, Number 4, Rod Sumpter, Roger Backhouse, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, Ventnor, Vol 1, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Island Surf – British Style
The Isle of Wight Surf club were very lucky to be given use of one of the huts owned by the National Trust at Compton. The club paid a donation every year to the NT which gave them use of the hut and free parking at Compton. The original hut was used to store surfboards […]
Nov 11, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, B&W, beach, blog, Cheek Bros, Cheek Brothers, Clive Richardson, compton, Compton Bay, crane, Dave Downer, Dave Phillips, Graham Skelley, history, Hut, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Keith Williams, longboard, National Trust, people, photo, photographs, Rex Haines, Roger Butler, Sid Pitman, steve williams, stoked, surf, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Isle of Wight Surf Club Hut Moved
‘Fantasy: The Art of Riding Tubes’ (F.A.R.T.S. for short) by Dave Gray A piece in a 1979 copy of ‘Wight Water’, the Isle of Wight Surf club’s magazine In addition to his undeniable talents as a malibu surf rider, Dave Gray has submitted the following piece for inclusion in this August periodical. An ostentatious little […]
Oct 17, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, blog, compton, Compton Bay, Dave Gray, Fart, farts, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on F.A.R.T.S. by Dave Gray
Isle of Wight featured in the 1972 book ‘Surfing In Great Britain’ by Carl Thomson Obviously prices, telephone numbers and much of the information given below is now not relevant and only for historical interest. For example please do not expect to get a ferry for £1.50. Extract on the Isle of Wight below: Isle […]
Oct 14, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, Arch Rock, Arch Rock Freshwater Bay, archive, B&W, beach, Bez Newton, blog, compton, Compton Bay, Cornwall, Cosmic, Cosmic Leashes, Cosmic Surf, Cosmic Surf Products, Derek Thompson, Dunnose, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, roger cooper, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, Ventnor, Ventnor Pier, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Island feature in ‘Surfing In Great Britain’ 1972
Roger Powley, Mike Smith and Neil Fordham started going to the castle car park to skate. They originally went skateboarding at Shanklin Old Village car park Other sites Roger remembers are the entrance to Blackgang Chine by the pirate figure, St. Marys roundabout subway and the old rocket site at the Needles. During the mid […]
Oct 10, 2013 | Categories: The Seventies | Tags: 1970's, 70's, archive, Blackgang Chine, blog, Car Park, Chris Salter, Cornwall, freestyle#, Gail Sheath, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Mike Smith, Needles, Neil Fordham, old rocket site, people, photo, photographs, Roger Powley, Shanklin Old Village, Skate, Skateboard, Skateboarding, slalom, St. Marys, stoked, Surfer, the needles, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on IOW Surf Club Skateboarding
On Sunday 29th September the Isle of Wight Surfing Community came together to paddle out at Whitecliff Bay as a tribute for Lee Sheaff who very sadly passed away earlier this year. About 60 people came from all over to paddle out at 5pm to form a circle in remembrance of a great friend. Many […]
Oct 01, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: Always Smiling, archive, beach, blackley, blog, Chris Mannion, Circle, compton, Compton Bay, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Johnny Fryer, lee sheaff, longboard, Matt Harwood, Memorial, paul blackley, remembrance, sheaffy, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, Tribute, waves, wetsuit, Whitecliff, Whitecliff Bay, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Always Smiling – Lee Sheaff
Congratulations to the boys representing the Isle of Wight at the 2013 Offsure British Interclub Surf Championships at Bude – finishing 4th overall in the open. Competitors were welcomed to Widemouth Bay on day one by clean 2-3ft high tide shories. A total of 70 surfers from Bude, Boscombe, Croyde, South East Cornwall, Isle of […]
Sep 28, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: 2013 Offsure British Interclub Surf Championships, archive, blog, Bude, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, James Ransom, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, Widemouth Bay, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Isle of Wight come 4th at the 2013 Offsure British Interclub Surf Championships
The Surfing community are to pay tribute to Lee Sheaff this Sunday at 5pm at Whitecliff. The plan is to be all ready to paddle out at 5pm so would advise people to please arrive early. Parking is limited so please take this in mind so we can all get on the water to pay […]
Sep 25, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: archive, blog, Chris Mannion, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Lee Sheaf, lee sheaff, longboard, Matt Harwood, people, photo, photographs, sheaffy, Sheafy, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Surfers to paddle out for Lee Sheaff at Whitecliff
Isle of Wight Surfer Matt Harwood part of the England team competing in the Azores for Eurosurf 2013 has made it through to Round 3. Matt a late call up for the England Team is competing against some of the best surfers Europe has to offer. You can watch Matt live at Eurosurf 2013 Live […]
Sep 17, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: 2013, Azores, blog, England Team, European Champioships, Eurosurf, history, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Matt Harwood, photo, photographs, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Matt Harwood through to Round 3
The Isle of Wight Surf Club Chairman and the Islands representative for Surfers Against Sewage Matt Harwood is part of the England Surfing Team heading out to the Azores to compete in the European Surfing Championships from the 13th – 22nd September. Matt won the 2011 Isle of Wight Frost Bite Series and earlier this year […]
Sep 10, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: archive, Azores, beach, blog, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Matt Harwood, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Good luck to Matt Harwood at the European Surfing Championships
SAS BEACH CLEAN Sunday 15th September (10am-12noon) at Grange Chine then Freshwater Bay (2pm-4pm) Come and do your bit! Surfers Against Sewage believe protecting our beaches from marine litter needs year-round volunteer action. This September sees the launch of the Cold Water Beach Clean Series, a new SAS initiative calling for community volunteers to join […]
Sep 10, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: beach, Beach Clean, blackley, blog, Freshwater, freshwater bay, Grange Chine, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Matt Harwood, paul blackley, people, Rubbish, SAS, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, Surfers Against Sewage, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Surfers Against Sewage Beach Clean
Surfers Against Sewage are inviting members of the Bournemouth surfing and Isle of Wight waveriding community to join them to discuss the potential coastal and surfing impacts of the Navitus Bay offshore wind farm. The meetings will take place with the developers of the proposed offshore wind farm at the Lakeside Park Hotel, in Wootton […]
Aug 12, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: Andy Cummins, beach, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Matt Harwood, Navitus Bay, SAS, stoked, surf, surfboard, Surfer, Surfers Against Sewage, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory, wind farm | Comments Off on Wind farm surf impacts study: SAS calls south coast surfers to meeting
We received some very sad news last week that Lee Sheaff passed away last Sunday due to complications with his cancer. Below are words from friends and fellow surfers and some great pics of Sheaffy in action. Paul Blackley I didn’t know Lee well but would bump into him at the beach all the time. […]
Jun 17, 2013 | Categories: Surfer Profiles, The Noughties | Tags: archive, beach, compton, Compton Bay, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Le Sheaf, Lee Sheaf, lee sheaff, photo, photographs, Samoa, Sheafy, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, Thurso, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Lee Sheaff
Congratulations to Matt Harwood for getting 2nd place at The English Nationals. The Masters Results from the English National Surfing Championships with P20 Sun . Masters 5 Dale Lowe 4 Matt Thomas 3 Paul Barrington 2 Matt Harwood 1 Martin Connolly
Jun 17, 2013 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: 2013, beach, Cornwall, English National Surfing Championships, English Nationals, history, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Masters, Matt Harwood, people, photo, photographs, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory | Comments Off on Matt Harwood gets 2nd at The English Nationals