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 RENEE GODFREY from Penarth has been Welsh surfing champion four times and taken part in the European Championships.
Qualified as a British Surfing Association coach and beach lifeguard, 24-year-old Godfrey has taught surfing for six years and caught the surfing bug when she was 15.
"I went down to the beach one day and thought surfing looked like fun," she said. "I adored it the moment I tried it."
Godfrey said one huge bonus is the lifestyle, spending time on a beach and just being in the ocean.
"It's such an exhilarating sport," she said. "You become almost addicted. Every wave is different and wave conditions are always changing. As a surfer you're always searching for bigger, better waves. I'll often race around Wales in my car if there's good waves for Pembrokeshire in the morning and Llangennith in the afternoon.
"The moment somebody catches their first wave you see how euphoric they are and it gives you a real buzz."
Apart from the social side of surfing and the travel - Renee's been to South Africa, Australia, Indonesia and France - it's also a fantastic way to stay fit.
"You use your whole body, arms, legs, stomach muscles and your back becomes strong," said Godfrey. "When there's no surf I go running on the beach or just paddle. Even walking on the sand is good. If you're surfing for two hours you use a lot of energy."
A graduate of Swansea University, where she studied anthropology, Godfrey said anyone who can swim 50 metres and has got bit of confidence can surf, "I've taught all ages, from an eight-year-old girl to a 64-year-old woman."
She said many people had this misconception that you'll stray out to sea and be caught in a current but at the start of a lesson you won't go any deeper than thigh depth.
"It's a very safe learning environment especially because there are people looking out for you," she said. "When you do fall off, it's not the end of the world, see it as part of the fun."
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