SURFING is not just for the young, but more the young and free at heart.

While some see it as a teenagers’ and 20-somethings’ game, more middle-aged and older people are getting back on their surfboards – some having never left them – in search of solace.

In Dorset, we have many great places to hit the waves, from Bournemouth and Boscombe, to Sandbanks and Kimmeridge.

It is a brilliant way to enjoy the scenic coastal area, so why leave it only to tourists and those looking for the latest trend? Instead join in with the new wave of silver surfers.

David Weight, 53, from Poole, has been surfing for over 40 years. He said: “It dictates your life. You have to be there when the surf is good, which in summertime, may only be three or four days of surf, but in the winter, you have surf almost half the time. I have six children and a wife of 30 years, so it’s about getting the balance. My wife, Elizabeth, is very good about it, and knows that surfing makes me happy.

“Back in my 20s I was probably a lot better, but I still enjoy it as much now as I ever did.

“When you compare it to other things that we do at our age, the cost is pretty reasonable, as all you need is a surfboard and wetsuit, and you just try and go as much as possible.”

Dave Wright, 62, from Poole, said: “I grew up by the sea, in Cape Town, South Africa, so I’ve always swam, and I still do every day at Bournemouth Pier, Highcliffe, or Kimmeridge.

Wherever there is water, I will swim in it.

“I used to windsurf, but it’s just too much trouble. With surfing, you just need a board, and you don’t have to join a club, pay subscription fees, or buy fuel for a boat.

“Apart from the thrill of the wave, it’s the same as what drives a person to climb a mountain. It’s almost spiritual; to go and sit in the headlands of Kimmeridge.”

David Coleman, 54, from Poole, said: “I’ve been surfing since about 1974, because my brother had some Beach Boys albums, and I thought it looked good.

“Then, my family went on holiday to Newquay and I rented a board, and loved it.

“A friend and I bought a board together, for around £20, and around a year later, I bought another, costing £55, or two weeks’ wages, and there was a little group of us, who used to head down to Boscombe.

“Recently, I’ve only gone a few times in the summer because of my five-year-old daughter, Robyn.

“Some people travel around the world surfing, but I prefer the places around Dorset.”

Guy Penwarden, 54, from Parkstone, has been surfing for 42 years, after his family moved to Bournemouth in 1970.

He said: “The thing with surfing is that once you get into it, it’s hard to get out of it.

“I pestered my dad until he bought me a board and a wetsuit for my 12th birthday, after watching the surfers on Bournemouth beach.

“Then, it became an obsession and I would say that it still is.

“It ruins your friendships, relationships and everything, because you are on call, and ready to drop everything for that wave.

“Especially at my age, I know there will be a day when I can’t surf to the level I want to, so I need to make the most of it now.

“It’s more than a hobby; it’s a way of life.”

  • WESSEX Surf Club, which was founded in 1964, boasts members up to the age of 78 and is one of the longest running surf clubs in the UK. They hold a social evening on the second Tuesday of every month at On The Rocks, Beacon Road, West Cliff, starting at 8pm, for those with a longboard, shortboard, surfboard, SUP, and other boards. The club is run independently and welcomes members and non-members who share an interest in surfing to come along to their next meeting. For more information, go to facebook.com/wessex-surf-club