You might be surprised to learn you can get excellent surf lessons near Edinburgh for beginners.
Just 30–40 minutes from the city, Belhaven Bay in East Lothian offers ideal conditions for learning to surf. For many people living in Edinburgh, Belhaven beach has become the natural place to start surfing or become a regular weekend activity.
Why is Belhaven Bay perfect for Beginner Surf Lessons?
Belhaven bay is one of the closest coastal locations to Edinburgh that can be consistently surfed. It is the closest of three beaches, including Pease and Coldingham surfed regularly by the central belt surfing population.
Belhaven is a long sandy beach offering a gradual gradient and gentle waves ideal for beginners learning to surf. The crescent shape of the bay can also offer a variety of areas ideal for beginners depending on the size of the swell. The beach also works well for surfing through almost all tides.
It can be really magical on long summer days where surfing can take place from 4am to 11pm. Please check out our Beginner Sunset Surf Courses.
What happens during a Coast to Coast Beginner Surf Lesson?
Once you book on our website you will receive instructions where to meet and timescales. When you arrive at the Belhaven surf centre please check in and our instructors will allocate you equipment.
Once changed, we meet the full group and walk to best part of the beach to surf! Our instructors start the lesson outlining safety tips and equipment terminology and get you active with an energetic warm up before we hit the water. Once in the water you will learn how to catch waves, steer and control your board lying down . We return to the sand and show you how to stand up on the board. Then the majority of the lesson is spent catching waves, standing and perfecting your new skills. It is all great fun!
Typical beginner surf lessons include:
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A beginner-friendly surfboard
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A warm wetsuit suitable for Scottish waters
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Safety guidance and coaching
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Help catching your first waves
How do I get to Belhaven from Edinburgh?
Belhaven Bay is located just outside the beautiful coastal town of Dunbar.
From Edinburgh, the drive usually takes around 30 to 40 minutes, making it one of the closest surf beaches.
You can take public transport to Belhaven beach with trains from Edinburgh to Dunbar taking 25 minutes. The journey takes you along the beautiful East Lothian coastline. Travelling by Bus from Edinburgh to Belhaven takes one hour. The closest bus stop is 5 minutes walk from the Belhaven surf centre.
Many people travel from Edinburgh to Belhaven for surf day trips and weekend surf sessions.
Learning to Surf in Scotland
We have been teaching people to learn to surf in Scotland since 2004. It might sound unusual, but Scotland actually has an active and growing surf community. Surfing in Scotland and East Lothian has been going even further back since the 1960’s. There are small surf schools and surf shops located around Scotland and we now have a wave pool near Edinburgh too. It’s very definitely becoming more mainstream.
The west coast of Scotland receives year round waves and the north coast is home to world class waves. The east coast is less consistent and waves are smaller but beaches like Belhaven provide excellent conditions for beginners to start.
With the right equipment and guidance, learning to surf in Scotland can be an amazing experience.
Ready to try surfing?
If you are looking for coastal surf lessons or courses near Edinburgh for beginners then Belhaven Bay is the perfect place to start.
At Coast to Coast Surf School we run beginner surf lessons and courses and our experienced instructors will be delighted to help you catch your first waves!
You can learn or book our surf lessons and courses here:
https://c2csurfschool.com/surf
