School Overview
ABOUT US
Celebrating 30 years this year (2008), husband and wife team, Andre' and Dulce Shorland started out back in '78 with the existing shop then known as The Skate & Surf Centre, and have always been at the forefront of new sports in this country such as surfing, skateboarding, windsurfing, powerkiting, kitebuggying, kitesurfing and stand up paddle boarding.
The business has evolved over the years from the manufacture of surfboards, a very successful skateboard team which competed all over the UK, the RYA recognized Torquay Windsurfing School which taught a great many over the course of 25 + years, and the shop.
Andre' and Dulce were also founder members of the Windglider Class Association in the UK the first Windsurfing class to achieve Olympic status back in 1984, and both competed nationally and internationally, having won many competitions with brother Mark, the Shorland trio, Dulce became National Heineken Ladies champion in 1980.
In 1999 Andre' and Dulce became involved in Kitesurfing and Kitebuggying, the shop now called Torquay Wind & Surf Centre stocks a wide range of equipment, all tried and tested, everything we sell we believe in, Andre' was for a time the Flying Doctor, Powerkite's Magazine Dr Kite.
Andre' who is the longest qualified kitesurfing instructor in the UK as listed on the IKO website, runs the Torquay Kitesurfing and Kitebuggying School which was one of the first Kitesurfing Schools in the country, if not the first, and is recognized by the BKSA.
Where to go?
Torquay, Paignton and Brixham are part of Torbay and situated on the 'English Riviera' South Devon.The bay itself is approx 4 miles by 3 miles.
There are various places on any of the Easterly winds.Preston beach (NE is cross shore left to right or port tack), a sandy beach to the left of Paignton beach, you will need mid to low tide, there is not much beach at high tide and when there are strong Easterlies waves can get up to 3m high and crowded. When the surf is up there is a cross rip towards the pier at the Paignton end of the beach. This beach is also good on a southerly wind which blows right to left, starboard tacks. Goodrington beach, to the right of Paignton is also good in Easterly winds , it is smaller but has more beach at high tide, very busy in the Summer though and there are a few rocks in the centre and to the sides. Further to the right is Broadsands beach which is good in a northerly wind which is onshore, it is a sandy beach with rocks at each end and possible waves.
