<![CDATA[The Radius

<![CDATA[The Radius - Blog]]>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 17:08:49 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[A guide to buying custom surfboards.]]>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 20:47:31 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/a-guide-to-buying-custom-surfboardsIf you’ve never bought a custom surfboard before then here’s a few tips to help you along the way. If you have, then if you know, you know!

Like many industries, buying a surfboard can be a minefield that’s confusing at the best of times. Some surfboards are all wrong, some over thought and some that will absolutely one hundred percent not be suited to your needs. The marketplace can be a simplified as long as you have an idea of how you want to surf, where you surf and how good you are, and if you know what your doing then this might all sound a little daft. There’s long, let’s say 9’ plus. There’s the mid length boards, lets say 7’ to 9’, and short, lets say 7’ and under, and that’s a simple as it gets. However, within those realms the complexities are endless, but that choice really does come down to your ability, and buyers can get bogged down with all manner of hydrodynamic phenomenons, and new designs that just have to be tried.

I’d say the first thing on your checklist should be to look at your own surfing. How and where you surf are really important factors in choosing a board, maybe even how you’d like to surf, what or who inspires you? My boards range from 7’ to 9’9”. Mid lengths to Longboards and mostly single fins. I’m not a short boarder and I don’t go vertical on a wave, and never have done really. I don’t ride massive waves but occasionally I’ll paddle out in bigger surf. As I got older my quiver adapted, my shorter boards got longer for ease of paddling and my body needs a little help, and because I never committed to short boards in my younger days, there’s not going back for me.

My longboards are based upon turning rather than forever noseriding, so I veer towards pintails that help to make my turns smooth and drawn out, rather than a square tail that allows a better pivot. I can and do noseride, but unlike these young racing snakes that weigh in at three sheets of tissue paper, who stand on the nose for ever, I don’t spend huge amounts of time on the nose. This influences my boards and only have one longboard with nose concave, and as I hear you asking what’s that? Nose concave creates lift and a little drag, and combined with tail rocker, and a decent wave, this allows you to stay on the nose longer. My daily longboards are really clean as they say, no concave but rolled which allows me to go rail to rail very easily, and my latest board is really quick and trims really well, and that should always be the key to any board, great forward motion.

Where we surf most is vital to choosing your board. Our waves here in West Cornwall can be amazing, but at my local beach where I surf 99.9% of the time, can be so variable. It can be all of fickle, epic and bloody awful. Our sand shifts constantly so the waves change too. We get longboard type waves, and we get solid ones too. But I’m sure most will agree that Sennen is unpredictable at the best of times. We get excited when a new bank appears, or an old peak returns. We are not like most beaches where banks tend to stay the same providing consistency we are the complete opposite. I also surfed a great deal on the South Coast, being originally from the Brighton area, waves were more often weak and wind-swell; there was no need for a down railed big wave gun, but a good egg, a fish or soft rail longboard was ideal, and yet every dog has its day, and there are some great surfers and waves in that area who consistently ride performance boards. My point being; Have a good idea what this board is for and where.

I’m all for supporting my local surf shops and when gathering ideas, or deciding on a shape, they’re a good place to start. If you find the right shop, you may well get offered a coffee, maybe a beer, a chat and absolutely no expectation to buy. There won’t be sales assistants coming at you from all angles with the hard sell, and remember your not going to find a custom surfboard in a surf shop, but you may well find some great recommendations. Your mission here is to get an idea of what you want, the outline, rocker, or an idea of size. I would imagine before going to a shop that you have an idea in your head of what you need, whether its long, mid or short this must compliment the type of surfing you do, and the type of surfer you are. Surf shops are pretty cool places, but can also be slightly intimidating. I remember the feeling of being an absolute kook, and embarrassed to ask the simplest question. I didn’t even know how to put wax on the board. The key here is don’t be intimidated, but remind yourself again, you’re there to browse not to buy a board. Be honest with the sales assistant or shop owner, they’re not going to dismiss you because you’re there to get ideas and to gather some reference material that you can hand to your chosen shaper. I would bank on that person being stoked for you, and they’ll be more interested in who you’ve chosen as your shaper, and what type of board you want to have shaped. However, saying all this, it doesn’t hurt the cause to make a purchase of some wax, or some small token of appreciation.

So by now you’ve been online, you’ve taken in the surf shops, spoken to a few people and you’ve narrowed down what you want, so now it’s time to choose your shaper.

Depending on where you live may well determine who you choose. If you don’t know your local shaper, but you’ve seen their boards around thats a good start and word of mouth goes a long way. If we stick to the UK there are so many amazing shapers to choose from, some rising names and the masters who’ve been at it for donkeys years. Over thirty odd years I’ve had custom boards they’ve been shaped by Chris Jones, Alby Harris, Tim Mellors, Jools, and Hugh Brockman. There are so many others like Steve Darch, Billy Dingly, Chris Day, Luke Hart, Bro Diplock, Mark Laschelles, Luke Young, and so many more so apologies for not mentioning everyone. Globally, the world is losing the master shapers as they get older, but their knowledge has been passed down to a new generation and again the list is endless. If I were to go to the USA, I’d ask Tyler Hatzikian to shape me a board, In Australia, probably a custom Bob McTavish. My point is there are so many to choose from, but your local shaper will know the waves your going to surf, local knowledge is key as they say, whoever they are.

You’re also not just choosing a shaper; the glassing and finishing is just as important. When you meet the shaper look at some finished examples in the factory. The finishing will highlight the quality of the sanding, the glassing work like cut laps. It’s important to not be distracted by colours and pretty patterns. You’re seeking function more than anything. You’re there to have a board shaped that meets your needs, colour is just an aesthetic of your choice, unless it’s yellow, because everyone knows that yellow boards are faster, and red boards ridden by angry surfers, but colour and polishing will also add cost to your board.

The shaper will be able to make a board that you want, but only if you know what you want. They’re busy people so if you genuinely want a custom board then respect their time and take your reference material. If you’re unsure of the technical side then ask, don’t be embarrassed. Shapers love to explain what each aspect of a board will do and how it will change the ride. Again, honesty is the key here to getting what you want and not what the shaper thinks you should have because you’ve slightly embellished your abilities. For example; If paddling is not a strong point then ask for a board that will help that and provide a little help. If you’re looking for a longboard but nowhere near noseriding yet, maybe at a level where standing in the middle of the board and trimming a long the wave is currently your limit, thats absolutely fine. If walking the board is way beyond your ability right now, but want to improve this then stability is essential, but please don’t order a noserider with a deep concave, stretching two thirds of the board and excessive tail rocker. You’re not ready for that, so keep the board clean and simple, something that is stable and will help you improve, not hold you back. The noserider might be your next board. If you’re looking to go shorter, do it gradually. Foam and Volume are your friends. Go too small, to thin, too narrow you’ll lose all that help when paddling. Leave the ego at the door and be honest with your ability and how much time you have to commit to riding a short board, surfing is a process, you’ll never master it because we always want to improve, and this is the same for understanding boards.

Once you’ve agreed on a shape, you’ll get a timeline of completion. Anywhere up to eight weeks is pretty standard depending on how busy the shaper is. The key here is patience but many shapers now open an order book for their next batch, so get your order in and your amongst that production run. Never rush the process, you want the best shape and the best finish. If you go for colour work then also be prepared that to match a colour to exactly what you want is very difficult. If it’s a shade off, don’t throw your toys out of the pram and refuse to accept the board. Obviously this is within a shade or two, if it’s totally wrong, like black when it should have been white, then granted you have a case. This is where it’s easier to keep things a little bit simpler on your first custom board, and compromise on the colour. When the shapers tell you that the colour you’ve chosen might well be hard to match, accept it. This board will not be your last and it certainly wont stay looking fresh for long. Remember as soon as you get it home you cover it in wax, put it in a dirty bag, strap it to the roof, leave it on the sand, and it’ll look dirty within a few surfs.

Finally, when the days comes when the board is ready, do all you can to collect it from the shaper in person. They love to see your reaction, especially if this is your first custom board. If you live close enough to drive and collect, then drive and collect. If you live the other end of the country then make a trip out of it, have a weekend away. I’ve never understood ordering a board and then waiting for it to be delivered by DPD or parcel force. Not only do you risk damage, which is not the shapers fault, ask where’s the personal touch? Shaking the hand of the person who’s just shaped your dream board, the first of many is something to cherish. You’ve started to build a relationship with your shaper, don’t just sign for it at the door from some unknown driver who’s got 35 seconds to hand it over and take a photo of a box, they don’t care. But if you do check the contents fast! Why not drive the 300 miles, and take some beers, collect it, hold it under your arm, let the shaper explain what he’s done, share a beer, shake their hand and go surf the same day and if you have time, cruise back past on the way home and give them feedback, they love it.

Shapers are craftspeople. Great shapers are usually great surfers, they get it. They are skilled individuals who have that creative eye we might lack, thats why we go to them. We must do all we can to support our local shapers or slowly they will disappear. We commission them to make our dreams come true, to create a work of art really, and they may well employ, a glasser, a sander, and a shop grommet that does the repairs. Their wages are spent in that local area, they’re local surfers, and this is where we can begin to add a little sustainability to our surfing lives. If you can’t afford a five or six hundred pound wetsuit that’s fine, I can’t, and right now I’m resolved to accepting that my neoprene wetsuit is far from ethical and made in a toxic industry and I have to live with that and my conscience The neoprene is made in America, and suits are made in Asia, thats just the way it is. That’s an industry issue, a toxic one at that and we can all be hypocrites thinking we’re cool being surfers, but look deeper and realise that we support a pretty toxic industry so be wise in your purchase as much as you can. If you’re buying a shop board off the rack, many branded boards are coming from Asia, shipped in containers from the other side of the world, made by people on low wages in factories with arguably sub-standard environmental records, just listen to Joel Tudor speak to this on ‘Pinch my Salt’ podcast, but that’s the deep stuff, surfing is supposed to be fun, right?

So, isn’t it a nice feeling to know you’re keeping a local shaper in business. Your local shaper can’t avoid buying materials like the blanks, the glass and resin from UK suppliers, that have purchased from manufacturers overseas or Europe, but at least we now have a relationship with the local shaper, and if they have ten, twenty, thirty plus years experience, then they surely earn that price tag they’re charging you. Don’t turn up and haggle, pay them what they ask, what you agreed. I’ve got the prices for producing a surfboard and let me tell you, they are not making much money, they simply can’t be. They need our orders and this is why we need to support them. No one is saying never have your dream custom board from an overseas shaper, hell, I’d love one from Tyler Hatzikian or Skip Frye, but as much as you can, buy local, plus they have a two order waiting list. Supporting you local shaper is what we should all be doing, getting your first custom board from your local shaper is a great memory to have and you’ll probably keep that board forever.

Footnote. The boards below are from my local shaper Hugh Brockman at BOS Surfboards near Sennen. The longboard is 9’8” and model we’re working on so right now. This is totally custom and Hugh shaped this to suit my needs and was taken from the custom board (bottom photo) he shaped me five years ago, and that was a combination of two previous boards I’d ridden. Hugh scaled the measurements down a little to make this new one a little more responsive . The testing and feedback I provide on this board will help to make improvements, refinements and eventually add this final model to Hughs range of boards. Right now, I’ve surfed this board in knee high to head high and it’s super fun, fast, reactive and does everything i want it too, but as i write this, noseriding or ‘tip time’ has been limited, but so far so good and I’d describe it as my ultimate beach break longboard.
The shorter of the two is an 8’ VBM Model, one of Hugh’s best sellers and a board I’ve always wanted in my quiver. It’s a board that has been tried and tested by far better surfers than me. This board is exceptional in small to large waves, an easy paddler and super fast and could also be customised to need your requirements including, fin set up, tail design and colour way.

Best of luck in your search.

]]><![CDATA[One to Remember]]>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/one-to-rememberWhen I took a lazy look at the webcam after work, I was doubtful it was worth the effort. A hard week of laying 45kg slabs weighed heavily on my physical presence, my resistance telling me to decline a much needed surf, ‘stay at home and rest, it’s Friday night, have a beer and chill out’. There was also the impending doom of thunder and lightning forecast for the evening, adding to the little voice on my shoulder trying to give me another reason to not go surfing. But even with all this going on in my mind, something else was also nagging. The waves had been non-existent all week, and if my eyes were not deceiving me, right there on the screen, were small, in fact very small waves. How ironic that what could be described as a massive factor in the downfall of many an uncrowned surf spot, the webcam looming over my own local beach, providing instant feedback, is sadly now part of our lives. Although I’m only a field away from an eyes on surf check, I often choose to look at a camera with a favourable angle, and on this particular night, I’m glad I did.

These are the moments when you must question our resistance, the voice that feeds our procrastinating minds, What harm would it do to throw a board on the racks, grab a wetsuit and have an actual ‘eyes on’ check? The answer was obvious. I grabbed my trusty Bos Surfboard, a 9’9” custom longboard and made my way to the best lookout in town. On arrival I was warned of possible 70mph gusts, and yes the wind had drastically picked up and would certainly make a challenge of getting my board off the roof of my car. Since before and after Storm Goretti, they seem to be dishing out weather warnings for anything these days, rain, shine and a fresh breeze, so it’s hard to take some warnings to seriously.

On this night, what I saw in front of me, was longboard perfection. A wave so uniformed it peeled down the sandbar, groomed over the past few weeks the shape was as fascinating as a wave gets.

As a surfer, and this is very subjective, you score waves that can only be described as perfection. Whether thats small or large, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and depending on what board you decide to surf, that wave will light you up. On this night I knew what I could see, and knew I had the perfect board. The clouds were darkening, the wind was picking up, and as I pondered one last time if this was a good idea, two friends came up from the beach and said ‘you’ll love it’! I couldn’t get my board off the rack fast enough and my wetsuit on. I literally ran to the beach.

As I paddled out, surfers were still exiting the water, leaving only myself and three others. As the moody sky loomed over us, a few heavy drops of rain appeared, just as a set appeared, a waist high left, fanned by a strong offshore wind, it peeled from way outside all the way to the sand without losing its shape, not once. Surfers dream of these sessions. I was not in the tropics, or a California point break, nor a hidden secret gem, this was a sand bar at a now popular beach, but on this night, apparently everyone else had chosen to stay home.

There was a shared energy in the water that also lifted the experience. The clouds were like a scene from some apocolyptic movie, with every shades grey, with the sun just throwing some light onto the horizon. It felt like the day after tomorrow, but we all knew the blanket of cover above us had something else in store.

My first wave left me very happy with a beaming smile. If I’d wanted to I could have gotten out and gone home there and then, the concept of ‘One and Done’ would certainly apply. The other classic ‘Only a surfer knows the feeling’ could also be referenced to this first wave that I surfed to the beach and literally stepped onto the sand. It would be hard for me to paint a picture of this wave, but the power, the shape of the curl, the angles were all beautiful. The shoulder invited me to perform endless drop knee turns, a classic move from the 60’s, and then the wave would wall up and let me set up for a long nose ride, walk back up the board, plant my foot on the tail and right back into another turn, a little flick of the board to set up again. Each wave was like this on repeat, I was actually in surfing heaven.

Then the lightning began and the atmosphere in the water went up another level. We all stayed in the water, a little anxious maybe, but at the same time pretty excited. As the forks of electricity went off out to sea to the West, then to the North, the East, and to the South, with each flash we laughed, surrounded by unfathomable energy that I’d never experienced from the water. We threw out random comments, maybe sat a little closer to one an other joking about narrowing the chances of being hit, but as the light show went off, we all seemed to understand that the waves we had the pleasure to ride was actually a gift. We rode each wave to our best ability, there was no crowd, no competitiveness or hustling for position, no poor etiquette, no greediness, just four surfers chatting, laughing, and in a common disbelief that we were collectively experiencing something very special.

I don’t really know what else to write about this session, but I know I had to put it into some kind of written post. This happened a few weeks back but I’ve recounted this experience many times and will remain one of those special sessions, never to be forgotten. Surfing has changed so much, the crowds can often be unbearable, and manners seem to have gone out of the window. Some beaches have far exceeded the carrying capacity, the numbers spilling over and creating a negative energy, it’s a real shame. The role of surfing has changed in my life too. I surf when I need to and not when it’s expected, I surf ‘just when it’s necessary’ (ref: Matt Johnson-Big Wednesday). I’m always so stoked to be a team member for Bos Surfboards, and get to ride some beautiful boards. However, I don’t surf anywhere near as much as I’d like, or as much as I used to, but on these occasions, on a Friday night, after a long, tough week at work, when every inch of my body is telling me to rest, I’m so glad I ignored the negative voices of resistence. Every aspect of why we surf aligned that night, I relished every wave and I’m thankful for having surfing in my life forever.

]]><![CDATA[Beat the Clock]]>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:56:07 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/beat-the-clock17.93 seconds. Hell Yeah!

Is there another exercise that is as much fun as railing a berm at 6.30am. Trying to beat the clock riding a little bike. Being 57 years old and feeling like a teenager is now a thing you know, or as some might say ‘Don’t let the old man in’, and I’m determined not to, nor should you.

Every-time I visit my family just outside Brighton, I have to visit the Velosolutions Pump Track just next to Hove Lagoon. It’s phenomenal, exceptionally great fun and that’s because it works, meaning that in my limited experience of the number of pump tracks I’ve actually ridden, some work and others do not, they don’t flow and its hard to get the continuous rhythm for an entire lap. But let me tell you, Brighton and Hove Pump Track works. I was hoping to visit Brighton for the round of the National series being held there but sadly the timing meant I would miss this. However, a bonus of the event being held there is that they installed a timing strip, and with a simple downloadable App on the Velosolutions website, you can pitch yourself against previous riders and their times.

What I didn’t realise, being a technical kook, until I’d stopped the timer, is the App analyses your time and slots you into you position on the rankings board and that’s the whole purpose when the vents are running. Anyway, after that enlightened moment of being a total numpty, the game was on to beat the clock.

Adding myself into the Over 40’s category, my initial goal was just to get a benchmark time and then, as long as my legs held out, keep attacking my own time.

Pump tracks make me feel physically sick, actually I think the correct term is nauseous. It feels like each lap is a high intensity, full on lung busting, leg burning workout. If you’ve competed at BMX racing, that will serve you very well in terms of skills, but unlike racing there is no pedalling; just pumping, technique, line choice and doing all you can to avoid dabbing the brakes.

My first official time put me in fifth with around 18.5 seconds. Looking at my username ‘ChunkyBrother’ there on the screen sitting in fifth; I was officially stoked. I rested, I recovered, and went again. A better time, I moved to fourth. I rested and went again, and again, but annoyingly I forgot to start the timer on the next two laps and as I leant over my bars feeling light headed, I knew one of those laps just felt really fast. I hit my lines, I pulled some clean manuals, and certainly carried my speed out of the berms. I knew that on the rankings, the leaders top time of 18.02 was a real stretch, so I settled in and aimed for third place which as I recall was around the 18.25 second mark.

My next lap, I made sure my legs were warmed up with half a lap, gathered myself, started the timer and rolled in, getting my speed up meaning I would cross the timing line as fast as this 57 year old bloke could. The lap just felt like a lot of fun. I railed every berm, no braking, I carried speed and used every opportunity to pump some more speed out of my bike, I went high when needed, and held all of my focus on the track ahead. I came back to the resting spot, lent over my bars again, feeling ever so slightly like I wanted to pass out, and stop the timer, waiting for the analysis.

Boom 17.99 seconds. I’d gone sub 18 seconds and gone straight into first place. Hell Yeah, I was stoked with that. I was also 21st overall for anyone thats timed themselves on that track.
The problem with putting that time in was my own competitiveness. In my life I would not really call myself competitive. Once upon a time Clay Shooting, yes maybe, but that’s more about beating your own scores to get better, I’d never win if I looked at the scores already in. At BMX racing in my forties, I found a competitive streak that I relished. I think you had to be because everyone else was, but then I broke my foot and that competitive streak was replaced very quickly with the fear of consequences, mainly my wife! Now I can hear my mind, the ‘fight not flight’ mode telling me to ‘fight’ and go for the overall top twenty and a better time. I needed to beat my 17.99 seconds, to push that distance a little further away from second place. But to reach the top twenty I would need a time of 17.85 seconds.

I went home that day, determined to return the next day and beat that time. But the weather changed, and for a day or two and the wind meant there was absolutely no way I was getting a good time. I waited patiently, even did a little visualisation, and two days later I was ready to roll at 6.30am. I’d met a lovely chap called Dan a couple of days earlier. He was a 50+ BMX racer, riding a space like race machine made by Mongoose, and a far cry from the eighties version I was accustomed too. Each morning we exchanged laps and chats while recovering, and on this particular day I could not get below 18 seconds, and I was getting tired. I decided that one more shot was all I had in the tank. I took a few breaths, gave myself some words of encouragement and ripped around on my final lap.

In surfing, towards the end of a session you never say ‘one more’, as that often puts a jinx on the session and the waves go flat resulting in the paddle of shame back to the beach. What we say ‘I’m going in on the next good one’ and that takes the pressure off. On this occasion, one more lap was all I had. I ripped around the tarmac, blowing like an old steam train and on my return, Dan said that it looked fast. I wasn’t so sure but I hit the timer, the analysis began, and BOOM!

I’d beaten my own time with 17.93 seconds and that made me so stoked. I’d not moved up in the overalls but that’s OK. That’s target is for another day. What meant more to me was my own personal improvement over the whole week. As per every visit, the shared energy at pump tracks is top drawer. To avoid the scooters, go early. As my friend calls them ‘the in the way kids’. Not all of them but the real young ones, who’s Mums sit on the side lines, transfixed on their phones oblivious to the carnage they cause; its the same for skate parks. Go early, join the other old farts trying to stay young and you’ll get as many unhindered laps as you can handle.

There is definitely a South West road trip on the cards, and my bike, a DMR Sect Pro has given me a week of endless fun, many days of tired legs, nausea, and burning lungs; and that’s exactly why I love pump tracks. Here’s to the next lap.

]]><![CDATA[Noise.]]>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:48:37 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/noiseMy latest bit of paint on plywood is called ‘Noise’. I’d written the words before I’d even thought of throwing some paint on a piece of plywood, and I hope the words offer an insight and some context. A moment at work led me to coming home and writing down how I felt.

I believe we all have some element of mental health, but how it affects us, and how we manage it will take various paths. When I worked with Veterans scarily now over a decade ago, our charity set up an art workshop and studio space for veterans to work. Their paintings, sculptures and images were an outpouring of their emotions. There was anger for sure, feelings of loss and dark memories that had to be shared, and I’m so grateful to have witnessed them work, and also share that time with them. On that note shout out to Steve Woods and Mike Warne who, behind their trauma, are truly amazing humans with some serious creative skills.

Creativity is so powerful, and a means to gain some respite, or regain strength and focus. It’s also really good fun and the process of creating whatever is pretty damn rewarding and better than the final piece itself. To be honest I’ll probably end up with a pile of plywood behind the shed with some random painting on them, but the enjoyment in acquiring that pile of wood will be an expression of experience after another.

Sometimes noise is my enemy. Maybe I’m sensitive to the chatter or the unnecessary loud conversation on the next table in a cafe. The bloke on skype in the pub, the lady telling her mate what she’s been up to, about 100 decibels louder that she needs to when the person is right there next to her. The radios on a building site, 20 feet from each other but on different channels, that confusion of music, that will drive me mental. Add the noise of tools, banging, cutting, or shouting; I’m done. So these words below, well, have a read, and as for the painting, well that just came out in scribbles, lines, words and a bit of splatter!!

‘Noise’

Hands against the wall
Flat palms resting
My back feeling the cold plaster
Gazing down at the floor
A daze of sorts
The noise again, the noise offends
Please just stop, turn of the music
Turn down the chatter
The verbal chaos
Enough is enough
I stand there, quietly taking time out
Moments to adjust, to recalibrate
Then I’m back in the present
Nothing has changed
The noise continues
Frozen like Ice, waiting for the fog to clear.

Footnote: If you do suffer from any mental health, please talk to someone. Organisations like Mind, and for us men here on Cornwall there is Man Down. As they say. It’s good to talk.

Art Piece is Acrylic and Pencil on plywood.

]]><![CDATA[Cove to Cove]]>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:30:39 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/cove-to-coveApologies for zero blog postings of late. Summer has been a hot one, full of surfing, cycling and generally being outside, but yesterday I did something of I was pretty stoked with and decided it would be a great time to get back in the saddle so to speak and do a blog post. So I’m sitting here, inside as it’s too hot in the garden and no swell at the beach, to write a few words. I hope you enjoy the little adventure I had recently that brought me right back to the idea of the Radius, which was always supposed to be about small adventures or exciting little projects within a chosen distance from home.

So, in the midst of a British heatwave riding a bicycle might not be the best way to spend a day. Maybe a day on the beach is what we are supposed to do, topping up the tan, lying there baking like Mad Dogs and Englishmen, waiting for 5pm when it’s acceptable to leave the heat and head home for some evening dinner, let the dog out and recap on how the day was spent, burning. If there are waves, I’m all for making day camp on the beach, as far from the masses as possible, dipping in and out of the ocean as my body heats up, and the need to cool down overwhelms me. There’s one issue, we’re going through a bit of a flat spell, surfing is not an option, the Atlantic has nothing to offer, so what to do?

My plan was to ride my bike, in the midst of a British Heatwave, from Cove to Cove and swim at each spot, cooling down by dipping into the freshness, then ride on to the next spot and repeat. I had five locations in mind, the last being my home beach of Sennen. No wetsuit, just board shorts and a towel. My first stop was Lamorna Cove, and I arrived there at 8.30am, the water still high in the harbour. Riding down to this cove for a swim there was a sense of anticipation, ‘what will it be like?’ When I left Sennen I could feel a slight breeze that I had not really paid much attention to before leaving home. I thought to myself that this could be a choppy swim, not the summer calm that I would like. As the harbour appeared from the narrow road I smiled out load, I gave a little ‘yeeeeewwww’ and could not get in the water fast enough. As perfection goes, this was 10/10. The water temperature was refreshing and cool. For the first swim of the day, the remainder of spots had a lot to match up to. Joined by a chap and his Dachshund who was equipped with his own Buoyancy vest, and then two walkers, I was glad I’d got in when I did.

The trouble with swimming in Coves here in West Cornwall, they’re all the bottom of a bloody great hill, and so began climb number one, from Lamorna Cove up to the top of Castallack Farm and onto Reginnnis Hill above Mousehole. This narrow lane is a bit of an animal, a touch of the leg burner but well worth it. Dropping into Mousehole I could see that the strength of the wind and direction, but knew that my swim in the harbour would be protected from the elements, and it was, but it also confirmed that my next one, I might not be so lucky. Surrounded by the beauty of some old wooden sailing boats, the water was stunning. I swam for around 15 minutes, out in to the middle where I had a lovely chat with a local lady I’d met whilst recently working on the Methodist Chapel in the same village.

One thing I promised myself on this little mini adventure was to treat myself to a fresh coffee, a cake, some Ice cream, and a pint and some fries when I’d completed the day. If you’re in Mousehole then the little deli ‘No.1’ is perfect. This has been my go to spot for a Pasty and cake since restorations began on the chapel in November. I Grabbed my coffee and cinnamon bun and went and sat on the bench by the harbour and watched the famous little fishing village come to life, the tourists appearing from the holiday cottages, the swimmers, the scaffolders stripping the poles from one of the Mouseholes many holiday lets and swimming in between a bit of Saturday morning work, and the tourists packing their cars ready to leave by 10am, to make way for the cleaners and the next intake. Saturday is changeover day and as I observed all the goings on I was conscious that I needed to crack on.

Riding out of Mousehole there are three options, two bloody great hills, or along the coast to Penzance. I decided to head up a hill! I was heading to Pendeen, to Boat Cove on the opposite side of Portherris Beach. Heading from the South Coast to the North is a fair few miles and plenty of climbing. As I rode, knowing the tide was dropping, I hoped I would arrive in time to swim in the rock pool below the Fisherman’s Mission. The climb out of Mousehole takes you up to Sheffield and from there over and along past the pet cemetery and my favourite surfboard factory Bos Surfboards, and then along to Drift, past the reservoir and up into Sancreed, down past the Old Dairy and then I went off road a bit up through Lower Botrea, and up over to the North Road. It’s a beautiful decent all the way down into Pendeen and on to the light house. Joining the coast path here is a rocky and loose affair down to my destination and as I crashed last week on the cycle path gaining some tasty gravel rash, I took the decent cautiously.

Fully aware of the climb that would be needed to get back up from sea level, my anticipation was amping up, hoping this would be worth the effort. My first sight of the ocean found it to be pretty choppy. The North easterly was enough to whip up a little wind swell, and as I peered over to view the rock pool below, I was just in time to watch a wave surge and wash into the pool, stirring up the calmness. These pools are rock cut by miners back in the 1930’s for local communities to have a safe and sheltered swim spot. They’re tidal pools, deep and protected on a lower tide, hidden and unseen when it’s high, they're like the ultimate natural infinity pool. I watched to make sure I wouldn’t be swept out, or swirled around, being smashed against the granite, thus making the headlines for another stupid act of someone not understanding the ocean or bothering to find out about the local dangers. I’ve swam here before so I know the routine and after a few minutes I decided it was safe enough to get in. I changed, slid myself in and enjoyed a perfect ten minutes immersed in crystal clear water, with not a single person around and just the sound of the swell a few feet away. The Miners did an amazing job and many people I know are forever grateful.

The climb out of Boat Cove is pretty tough, the loose granite and gravel made for a couple of wheel spins, but it was not as bad as I’d first imagined going down. When you get to the lighthouse it chills out a bit and the ride back to the coast road is a steady affair. My next stop was Priest Cove at Cape Cornwall, one of my favourite spots for a swim. If the tide is high (and calm seas) it’s pretty lovely swimming off the boat slip and natural harbour, but if the tide is out then I’ll always take a dip in the rock cut pool. I’ve had swims in here whilst a three to four foot swell is running down the point and I’ve just watched from the safety of this pool. The Brison Rocks just of Cape Cornwall, Sennen off to the South, the Heinz tower above and the fishing boats on the slip, this place is a favourite. However, climbing back to St Just out of the Cove is a tough one. You just need to get past the golf course which is only a few hundred yards up the hill, but it’s steep. Once the lane levels out, its plain sailing from there. After a cooling ice cream, that I’d promised myself, I was ready to go, and onto my final swim at Sennen beach.

Arriving at Sennen I was just about ready for a swim, and a beer. I’m so used to swimming and surfing at Sennen, there is little I can say apart from, I live here for a reason. Such a beautiful beach, the water is always tropically clear and surprisingly warm after the past few days. After a cheeky couple of body surf waves from a bit of wind-swell, I was more than ready for a beer and a bowl of fries at Sennen Surf Lodge. As I relaxed at the end of a perfect day I’d almost forgot I had one last climb. Out of Sennen you have two options; Cove Road or Stone Chair lane. I opted for the second and this is a beast. Maybe the toughest of the day. It’s not long but its steep, out of the saddle type of climb but it gets you half way up to the top of Cove Hill, away from traffic and buses, you can then cross over and get back on the national cycle path.

When I got home, I’d ridden 35.7 miles with a moving time of 3 hours and 57mins. I’d climbed 3,375ft according to , and gained a couple of personal bests along the way, which was nice, but all I was interested in was the mileage and the climbing. It’s a tough ride down here In West Cornwall. Someone said to me once that whatever you clock up in mileage counts for double that!

My day was an epic one. I’d set a challenge and completed it with a huge smile on my face. I’ve already realised I’d missed a couple of classic spots, but that would mean more climbing, and more time. For now I was stoked to have completed a great day out on the bike. I wasn’t hot, in fact thanks to my favourite summer riding shirt, plenty of water, a couple of flapjacks and a pace that meant I could look over the hedges most of the day, and taking in the beauty of a summers day, and whilst the tourists grappled with car parks a beach space, I managed to find my space out on my bike. The swimming was sublime, the tides were perfect for each spot, the people I met along the way super interesting and my bike, well thats always the perfect partner. The beer was like liquid gold and the cold shower I had at home was a welcome rush of coolness.

Note: Riding a bike here in West Cornwall means you can avoid the main highways, crisscrossing through the back lanes and bridleways and that makes it safer than other places I’ve ridden. However, there are still some idiots who drive too fast and I had a couple of close calls. My advice to riding around here; on any bend please hug the hedge, don’t go drift around the corners in the middle of the lane. Of the few cars I came in contact with on this route, that were driving too fast, I believe were tourists, the local residents know better.

]]><![CDATA[Still Painting.]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:22:20 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/still-painting

My second piece in my quest to be an artist, and also part of my ‘Proclamation series’. I say that because I think that’s what artists call more than one bit of work, based around the same theme……’A Series’!

If you go back a couple of posts you’ll see a post ‘Artist or No’, and that piece ‘RIOT’ got me stoked to do more. The idea of putting words over words, and adding some bright colours would be the polar opposite of the time when they were actually written and the purpose behind them. Not being at all political, apart from thinking that all politicians are bottom feeders, I’ve been quite intrigued by learning a bit more through this process that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

‘RISE’ was inspired by the 1842 Chartism Proclamation, that was written under the rule of Queen Victoria, at the time of the ‘Chartism’ movement, where the working classes in the industrial centres of Britain were demanding parliamentary and economic reforms. When the demands were denied, a general strike took place forcing factories and mines to shut down. Ultimately the movement was crushed by the military, and many arrested were sent to penal colonies like Australia. Imagine, wanting votes for every man over 21, protection from voter intimidation and equal electoral districts (fair representation based on population size).

Anyway, I hope you like it and below I’ve added the Proclamation that inspired this piece.

Please add a comment, let me know what you think and if you know of any other interesting Proclamations, then please let me know

]]><![CDATA[Southern Edge…A must see.]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 19:54:04 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/southern-edgea-must-see

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An absolutely beautiful film. Their adventures get better, the scenery forever stunning and the surfing is always inspiring. Grab an hour, sit back and enjoy.

]]><![CDATA[Dirty Business]]>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 06:53:22 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/dirty-businessIt’s taken too long but finally got around to watching ‘Dirty Business’ On Channel Four. It’s life nowadays that Social Media and TV is full of so much content we flick from one pointless drama to another. But not this one and i wanted to wait until I really had time to sit and watch this one properly, not just consume it like a bag of crisps and move onto the next one.

As a surfer I should do more, a lot more. I surf and swim in the ocean whenever possible and yet don’t do anything to help, all bar the odd beach clean and ‘pick up three’ and the odd blog rant in the past. This docudrama is shocking. I moan about the water companies doing nothing and paying out fat dividends to shareholders whilst shit still flows into the ocean, and yet the Environment Agency do nothing!

When I listened to Matt Barr and Chris Hines on discussing this drama on ‘We look Sideways Podcast’, they call us out. Why don’t more surfers do more, or anything come to that? It actually made me feel quite ashamed of myself. This was me, they were talking directly to me, and I have no excuse. Maybe living in Sennen, I’m spoilt, entitled, and because we have crystal clear water here, it feel like it doesn’t affect me as much as friends up the line, maybe I’m just selfish, when I do really care. So why don’t more surfers do more? Why are we reluctant to get involved and campaign like Chris and Matt, or Hugo Tagholm from Oceana. I am 100% amongst those surfers who enjoy a cleaner ocean thanks to others campaigning and must do so much more to help make a difference and I’m not alone. Maybe through my little blog and could reach a few more people to spread the word. It’s not just us surfers and swimmers, it’s people who fish the rivers and canals like my brother and nephew Reggie Pierre, who like his dad is becoming a great match fisherman. Maybe when I see them on Bank Holiday, I can ask Reggie to begin thinking about this stuff now at an early age maybe he can ask his friends too. I’m going to start shouting more. Chris Hines has been shouting for some thirty plus years. Time for us to join in, time for me to join in.

]]><![CDATA[Artist or No?]]>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:44:55 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/artist-or-noCan I call myself an artist? I’m not sure. In the past I would never have had the audacity to call myself an ‘artist’, I still can’t, but I do a bit of art! That’s changed a little recently, I’m coming around to the notion that there might just be an artist within me. So what’s happened?

Imposter syndrome is very real and when it takes hold it’s difficult to shake off, so I needed to know the actual definition of an artist. According to my new friend the ‘Ai Overview’ on Google I’m pretty much there. ‘An artist is a person who creates art, such as painting drawing, sculpture, or design, typically possessing skill and creative imagination’.

I certainly don’t draw, ( I doodle), sculpt, or design, but I’ve started painting, and I do create art in as much as I’ve taken old images, and materials and using glue and scissors, made them into something new, so collage really. Is that Art? Do I have skill? That depends on the definition of skill. According to Ai, that says that skill is ’the ability to do something well’. I’d say regarding my art work, it depends who’s judging! You can sense here I’m still doubting myself.

Do I have creative imagination? I’m not sure this needs a definition, but I feel like I have some. I write everyday, and that taps into my creativity, but in terms of producing ‘visual art’, I’m still trying to find out. My wife thinks I’m a ‘process artist’, meaning I enjoy the process of creating art, but the final piece is not really important. I’m not sure this is a compliment or she’s telling me my final piece is awful. I do know I have to be happy with what I’ve produced so I’m not totally convinced that labelling myself a ‘process artist’ would be accurate just yet. My wife Jill is an artist, she meets the definition, no questions asked in every sense of the word. Trained in fine art, she has endless imagination and infinite skills. She doesn’t just squeeze colour out of a bottle, she mixes her own, she has a vision that I sincerely lack, and best of all she’s a teacher, and that means she can teach me. Actually she has forever been encouraging me to create. She bought me a journal last year so I could start doing some collage work, we then designed a creative space, so I had my little area. She continues to buy materials that will help me, but essentially Jill has helped me to rid myself of thinking I’m creating art for other people and now realise that we really do just create work for ourselves and no one else. This also includes my writing. I’ll put blogs posts out there and if people read it and like it, I’m very grateful and thankful, I suppose we all want people to read our work at some point, but that’s not my motivation, I just love writing and now I’m seeing art very differently too.

So here’s a few art terms that I’m not. I’m definitely not a ‘realist’. I can’t recreate exactly what I see, like a photograph, not a chance, but I do admire people who can. I’m not an impressionist, giving you my view of what I’m seeing, but I ‘m working on that, with excursions out with Jill to do what she calls ‘studies’. If I had my way, I might describe my art as a little abstract, this genre seems right up my street. Being a little abstract, means creating art based on my emotions and visually it arguably means nothing to anyone else except me, and that suits my crippling self doubt and belief. This has always be my enemy, and I have to be confident enough to go beyond my comfort zone and this takes time. Posting a blog, sharing it to my facebook means the audience is limited, and happy with that. Posting pictures of my art work which you can see below, well thats jumping right outside the comfort zone. Am I about to set up the name ‘Russ Pierre Artist’? Absolutely not, but I am pretty stoked with myself for completing it.

So that ramble aside what’s this ‘piece of art’ all about? Let me give you some context and explain my process. ‘Riot’ is all about words and these are taken from a ‘Riot Proclamation’. A framed piece of public information, that my father had in his Police Station, originally written when King George was King, I’d imagine 1940-50’s and then, adapted for the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when she took over in 1952. Dad was a Police Officer from 1946-1977 and must have acquired this somewhere along that career and essentially it says ‘stop rioting and go home’. Since I was a lad, there has been some pretty heavy riots. I remember the Brixton and Toxteth riots, born out of tensions between community and the Police. The poll tax riots were in light of Margaret Thatcher introducing another tax on the working population. It seems Riots involve giving of middle finger to the establishment and go way beyond a protest and always include a good dose of anarchy.

I have this proclamation on my wall now, I grew up seeing it every day, next to my father’s medals from WW2 and now I see it every day above my ‘creation station’ and I began really looking at the words. One day I opened up procreate, started writing the words in a lettering style that I would sign off the surf lesson certificates during my time in Lanzarote twenty five years ago. Those words then mutated into some kind of poor ‘wild style’ graffiti, inspired from my introduction to Hip Hop days back in the late 70’s early 80’s. I’ve always loved a bit of graffiti, and combined with doodles of BMX riders, motocross logos and graffiti, my school books were covered in it. This process of words then led me outside into our studio. This space was once was a studio/workshop where Jill ran her sewing business,then it became my bike shed, then became just a shed, but is now a studio again for Jill to work. However, on this occasion I bravely moved her work, and began to throw some paint onto a bit of plywood I’d ‘rescued’ from work.

Let me say that I have never once done a ‘ piece of art’ using brushes and paint, on anything, let alone on this scale, and its only 78cm x 78cm. I have done a tiny water colour study under the guidance of Jill at the local National Trust, and on the coast path, but never once tried anything like this. Yet again supporting the fact I am not an artist, yet; Or am I?

Going into the studio night after night and writing words with brushes and paint, instead of and IPad pen with the option of easily deleting, was a test in mark making, and a real confidence builder. Standing back like an artist to study composition, then drying the acrylic with hair dryer; turning the wood, and going again, choosing colours, drying again, and then adding more words, this process was so much fun. I liked the building up over layers and not being confined by the edge of the wood, I got to throw a bit of paint at it, add some stencils and spray, throw in the odd anarchy sign which seemed appropriate, and also a middle finger to the Riot Proclamation I suppose. My grand finale was to age it a little with sandpaper, and it was right then I began to feel like an ‘artist’. Maybe Jill was right, I do really enjoy the process, maybe I’m an artist in the process of becoming an artist. I could definitely do this again, and I’m already thinking about what to create next and will it be based on words? As a first try, I’m stoked and I’d really appreciate letting me know what you think.

The finished piece, never to be repeated, and because I’m an emerging artist, is for sale at a generous £250,000 ono!

]]><![CDATA[Beau Miles talks River]]>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:40:52 GMThttps://www.theradius.uk/blog/beau-miles-talks-riverI’ve been away from here for a while. I’ve been creating using words, but just not on here, and all will be revealed when I’ve written the words to accompany the words that I’ve just completed and to be honest, I’m pretty stoked. I’ve also been on a brief writing workshop, which although designed, I think to short story writers, I came away feeling very positive with some great new exercises that I’ve been putting into practice, and thats led me down a creative rabbit hole too.
Anyway, to keep my couple of readers amused and in this case educated, here’s another cracker from my favourite outdoorsman, Beau Miles. Grab a cuppa and enjoy, learn and maybe have a ponder.

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