Description
Welcome
Whether you've never tried windsurfing before or are a seasoned shredder, our club welcomes anyone and everyone. We take a keen interest in making sure you progress quickly and get to experience everything this amazing sport has to offer.
We are the biggest and best university windsurfing club in the UK!
From tuition from qualified student instructors, to UK-wide student windsurfing events and international windsurfing holidays, UBWC offers it all!
Membership
Memberships are what keep our club afloat, and one gets you:
- Our huge range of kit, from beginner boards to high-end advanced gear, plus wetsuits and boots.
- Our own windsurfing spot at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club, with a clubhouse, cafe and changing rooms.
- Lessons from our own qualified instructors, for total beginners and seasoned shredders alike.
- Access to every one of our weekly socials.
Yearly and termly memberships are both available, and our free Give It A Go sessions let you try windsurfing first. There is a social-only membership too, with a top-up option if you decide you want to get on the water after all.
Trips & Events
Windsurfing day trips
We run day trips for newcomers and beginners, intermediates, and advanced windsurfers. Newcomers and beginners are taught at Cheddar Reservoir by our very own qualified instructors, with safety cover provided. Cheddar also has a clubhouse with a bar, a cafe that serves hot food, and changing rooms with hot showers. Intermediates and advanced windsurfers tend to go to coastal locations that may or may not have waves (Hayling Island, South Wales, North Devon, and Weymouth).
SWA events
We have a jam-packed calendar of Student Windsurfing Association events lined up for you that take place all across the country. This is a great way to get outside the Bristol bubble and meet new people as well as experience some awesome nights out in different cities. The summer event, Aussie Kiss, is the largest and wildest. It's essentially a windsurfing festival for students, attracting over 250 participants each year. As far as we know, it's the world's largest student windsurfing event.
- Weekend core events to Cardiff, Southampton and Nottingham
- Wave events and competitions with other universities
- The BUCS Nationals hosted by us at Bristol
The core events are for everyone: there is beginner instruction as well as racing for all levels, team racing (relay with the kit!) and freestyle for all. These are weekend-long events where we sleep in the homes of the hosting uni's students, that is if we are not out all night exploring the local clubbing scene.
The wave events are focused more towards intermediates and advanced windsurfers to do their thing on the water, but everyone is welcome to join the party. Nationals is the 'serious' SWA event with BUCS points, medals, and some rather decent prizes up for grabs from the racing. The racing is split by level, so as long as you can stand on a board you can join in the action. The nights out are very good fun too.
Locations
The International Trip
Our international trip secretary is dedicated to giving us the best abroad windsurfing experiences, with our most recent trip to Vassiliki, Greece, which you can see more photos and videos of on our Instagram. These holidays are a great opportunity to receive training, extra experience, and gain confidence in warmer water than England could ever provide.
And don't worry, the social secs will be there to ensure that we are never too far from a pub, club, or a bit of friendly competition, making the experience brilliant for team bonding and making memories.
Here's the highlights video from last year's trip to Vassiliki:
Equipment
We have one of the best and largest kit collections of any university windsurfing club. The beginner gear is kept lakeside at Cheddar Reservoir, easy to rig and get straight on the water. We have enough beginner setups for several people on the water at a time and lots of planing kit for those windy days at the lake.
Our prime intermediate boards are Starboard Carves and Atoms from 120 to 150 litres. We also have a range of wave, freestyle and free race boards as well as a dedicated foil board. We've expanded our wing foiling store too, with both beginner and intermediate kit available for anyone who wants to learn from the best and get sendy on the water. Most of this advanced stash is kept at the student union where it is convenient to grab and go straight from Bristol to your desired spot.
Your membership allows you to borrow wetsuits and windsurfing equipment. Just ask someone on the committee, we're happy to help.
Skill Development & Instructor Courses
Lake trips are only possible with student instructors, so we are very keen to get as many people qualified as possible. With the help of the Student Windsurfing Association we aim to run these courses yearly and can even help to subsidise the course.
We have good relationships with centres to get all prerequisites for the course (Power Boating 2, First Aid, Safe and Fun) completed at a good price without leaving Bristol, and can assist in finding instructor courses once you are ready. If you are already a qualified instructor, or manage to become qualified while at Bristol, you may even be eligible for a significantly discounted membership!
Our Committee:
Immy Espig
President
Oscar Butler
Vice President
Alexia Noirot
Treasurer
Ewan Metcalfe
Club Secretary
Emma Jonner
Welfare & Wellbeing Officer
India Nott
EDI Secretary
Archie Oakden
Social Secretary
Diana Nikzamir
Social Secretary
Ed Saunders
Social Secretary
Tommy Millard
Transport & Events Secretary
Johnny Barr
International Trip Secretary
Ben Millard
Kit & Training Secretary
Antonio Morri
Social Media Secretary
Luke Dobson
Boogie Board Secretary
Alex Robinson
Wing Foil Secretary
Contact Us
Please do drop us a message if you have any questions. We will be happy to help! The best way to reach us is via our WhatsApp, Instagram or email.
Bristol SU recognises that the costs of participating in student groups can be prohibitively expensive for some students. The Activity Hardship Fund was created to support those students who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in their chosen activity due to the cost.
Terms and conditions
Click here to view terms and conditions
Membership Fee Inclusions
Prior to signing up to a Club or Society speak to the Committee to find out what your membership includes and if there are any further expenses throughout the year.
Service Standards
All Club or Society members can expect to receive:
- The opportunity to attend regular meetings, events, activities, trips and socials as arranged.
- The opportunity to stand for a committee position or vote in their elections (Bristol students only).
- For Sports Club – to attend regular training sessions and have the opportunity to be selected for the teams.
Code of Conduct
When joining a club or society you are agreeing to abide by the constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of University of Bristol Students’ Union and also the Club or Society Code of Conduct which sets out the level of behaviour & discipline expected of all Club & Society members.
Refund Policy
Any customer who pays for a membership subscription to a Bristol SU Society, Sports Club, Student Media and initiatives has a 14 day cooling off period from the time and date of purchase during which they have the right to cancel the subscription and receive a full refund. If you do decide to cancel within the 14 days, Bristol SU will refund your payment within a further 30 days of the cancellation. To request a refund please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk
Data sharing (Sports Club members only)
Please be aware that Bristol SU may share data relating to the members of its sports clubs with the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health (a department of the University). This information may be used for the purposes of communicating direct with these members and/or to cross-reference against SEH's Sports Pass membership records.
As part of Bristol SU's membership of British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Bristol SU may have to share data on to its sports clubs members so BUCS can, from time to time, communicate with these members.
Data sharing (Societies members only)
If you're joining one of the societies listed below please be aware that your name and email address will be shared with Bristol Hub for the purpose of keeping you up to date with their activities through their email “The Week”:
AIESEC Bristol, AMICUS Bristol, Anti-Slavery Society, Bristol Feminists, Bristol Friends of MSF, Bristol Marrow, Bristol Social Enterprise Society, Bristol Student Action for Refugees, Bristol University Amnesty International, Conservation Group, Bristol University Oxfam Group, Bristol University Sustainability Team, Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad, Engineers Without Borders, Howard League for Penal Reform Student Society, International Affairs Society, Medsin Bristol, Model United Nations, and Vegetarian and Vegan Society.
For more information on Bristol Hub visit: http://www.bristolhub.org.
If you do not want your details shared with the Hub please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk.
These terms shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Nothing in these terms shall exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Socials
Probably the most important bit! Every week, we meet up and throw some shapes in Bristol's finest bars and clubs. You can trust our social secs to ensure a diverse and exciting range of activities. From formal Christmas dinners to unique pub crawls to climbing evenings, we will always have the most 'creative' costumes, so grab your cardboard and scissors and come and join in.
The infamous "Beanies and Bikinis" socials have grown massively in recent years to become one of the best socials at the university. All extreme snow and watersports societies come together for two massive evenings on the water a year. For the first, we hire party boats and cruise around the river, and for the second, we hire the whole of Thekla for a themed club evening. Last year 750 tickets sold out in under 24 hours, so it's not one to miss!
We often meet up with the kitesurfers and they are actually quite nice.
See more on our instagram: @bristoluniwindsurf