Tynemouth Surf Co: three decades of getting the North East up on a board

Stand on the promenade above Longsands on a breezy weekend morning and you will usually spot a row of beginners in wetsuits, boards under their arms, heading for the water. Chances are they are with Tynemouth Surf Co, the shop and surf school that has been part of the Tynemouth seafront since 1995.

The business was established by surfing legend Stephen Hudson, and it is still very much a family affair. Today it is owned by his son, Louis Thomas-Hudson, a former captain of the Team GB junior surf team, and over the years the business has grown into one of the best-known surf shops in the North East.

You will find it in Palace Buildings on Grand Parade, looking straight down onto the award-winning Longsands beach. Inside there are surfboards, wetsuits, fins, leashes and wax, along with board repairs and plenty of local knowledge from a team who surf regularly, both at home and around the world.

The surf school is where many people first meet the sea on a board. Group lessons for beginners and improvers last two hours, there are kids-only sessions for five to 17 year olds, and Mini Groms classes for five to nine year olds focus on building confidence and learning about water safety. Tynemouth Surf Co is a Surfing England Centre of Excellence, and it is the preferred provider for school and youth groups for North Tyneside Council.

It is also a place to take the next step. Keen surfers can train as instructors through a course that mixes theory with practical mentoring on the beach, finishing with an assessed lesson, while those who simply want to get out on the water can hire surfboards, paddleboards and even bikes, with changing rooms and a shower in the beach hut.

The timing has been good for Tynemouth. Local surfers have described how the town's scene has grown into one of the busiest in the country, with more people than ever taking lessons on Longsands, and a shop that has been there for three decades has been at the heart of that story.

Whether you fancy a first lesson, a new wetsuit or just a chat about the swell, Tynemouth Surf Co's website has lesson times, hire details and an online shop.