Location:

South Devon on the border with Cornwall, about 3 1/2 hours from London by motorway or train. It consists of the main campus in the city centre, as well as affiliate colleges and institutions spanning the SW from Dorset all the way to Penzance.

Distance to the surf:

Breaks on the South Devon coast begin as close as 15-20 mins away by car, otherwise a few miles and a painfully slow ferry across the Tamar to Whitsands and adjoining south Cornwall breaks. For the North Cornish coast (more consistent), anywhere between Bude and Perranporth takes around an hour; about 2 hours up to Croyde or Lynmouth, and 2 hours in the opposite direction down to Porthleven.

Cost of living:

University halls of residence range from £91-£159 per week, bills included; if you’re renting from the private sector, as you probably will be after your first year, you’ll be able to find somewhere around the £90 mark. Cost of living is traditionally slightly lower than the southern England average, although these days you won’t get much change out of a 5 spot for a pasty and a pint.

Surf club:

The Plymouth Uni A team has been national student champions for about the last thousand years, with the B team often coming second.

Where to party:

Probably stick fairly close to Uni for studenty-type affairs, unless of course you fancy getting into a bit of naughtiness on Union Street, available nightly.

What’s cool about it:

Mildest winters in mainland UK. Although as you’re in a city located inside a massive bay (Plymouth Sound) you can actually check south coast swell from vantage points all across the city (including upper floors of most Uni buildings) by looking south to the breakwater.

Accent:

From the local population you can generally expect to here stuff like, “Ere you twat, ow is eeeeeet?.” And “Going beach? Been beach?” (‘are you’ and ‘to the’ seen as very much surplus requirements. ‘To’ is however deemed useful at the end of sentences, as a replacement for ‘from’, “Where’d ya get that to?”)

Notable alumni:

Both UK pro surfer Sam Lamiroy and Surf Europe editor Paul Evans attended Plymouth Uni, which may or may not be why neither of them ever really achieved much in life.

See also:

The University of Plymouth College Network, of which both Cornwall College and Truro and Penwith College form a part. There are campuses in Newquay, Penzance, Camborne, Truro and elsewhere.

Where to party:

Start in the Parte Vieja (Old Town), get on the kalimotxo (red wine and coke) and pintxos (the Basque equivalent of tapas), and get amongst it. Atari, opposite the church, is a good place to start, and there are various discotecas that stay open more or less all night.

What’s cool about it:

Beautiful town, great Basque culture, pretty close to world class spots, consistent swells year round except in summer — and you’re a student so July/August you’re probably outta there anyway. Having said that, summer’s a glorious time to be in San Sebastián, the weather’s great and every week there seems to be some sort of festival going on — such as the excellent Surfilmfestibal (late June), or the jazz festival Jazzaldia (mid-July).

Accent:

Though distinct from the Madrid accent, the Basque accent is generally fairly neutral and easy to understand — in contrast to say the Andalusian accent. In addition to standard Spanish, however, the Basque Country does have its own language, Euskera, which is completely different from Spanish — completely different from any other language too, in fact. One of Europe’s oldest languages, it developed more or less in isolation and doesn’t derive from Latin, making it very difficult to learn. Don’t fret though: Spanish is the language of choice in the majority of social situations, particularly in cities.

Location:

Both of the university’s two campuses, Singleton Park Campus and Bay Campus, overlook Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Swansea is in South Wales, about 50 mins from the Welsh capital Cardiff, and 1h45 from Bristol.

Distance to surf:

Gower spots like Langland and Caswell Bay are about 15 mins away by car.

Cost of living:

The cost of living in Swansea is relatively low, and the university-managed accommodation is cheaper than at most of the traditional UK universities. Halls start at £86 per week per person (although shared rooms are available for slightly cheaper); private housing will be cheaper still.

What else:

As part of a coastal region, Swansea experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain.

Fatty’s Leg:

For a different take on Swansea life, don’t miss the hilarious 1997 film Twin Town.

Accent:

Hilarious — if you can understand it, which may prove a challenge for the visiting Erasmus student. As a general rule, those with Welsh accents are automatically 20% funnier than those without.

Notable Alumni:

Four times Welsh women’s surfing champ Renee Godfrey; Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards, who went missing in 1995.

Writer Kingsley Amis lectured in English at the university from 1949 to 1961, and his hilarious campus novel Lucky Jim drew heavily on his experiences there.

UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

www.ulisboa.pt

The largest university in Portugal, home to almost 50,000 students, over 30,000 of whom are undergrads. In its present incarnation, the University of Lisbon is actually only a few years old, having merged with the Technical University of Lisbon in 2013. It’s now made up 18 colleges, and offers courses in all mainstream and many non-mainstream subjects.

FALMOUTH

www.falmouth.ac.uk/

www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/

Arguably the best place in the UK to further your education, assuming that regular wave-riding activity is integral to your idea of education. Falmouth University itself specialises in the arts, and is split between two campuses — one based in Falmouth town centre, the other in the nearby town of Penryn. This latter campus is shared with the University of Exeter, whose Cornwall Campus has been based there 2004 and specialises in Biosciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Geology etc., but also offers courses in Geography, English, Politics and International Relations, and Business Studies. Falmouth University proper offers courses in a wide range of disciplines, all with an artistic bent, including music & theatre, visual arts, architecture, design, fashion & textiles, film & TV, journalism and photography.

The Complete University Guide has Falmouth University in 70th place, although the Guardian has it as high as 31st.

Location:

In Cornwall, towards its south-westernmost tip. Falmouth is a smallish town of around 27,000 inhabitants; Penryn is even smaller with just under 10,000.

Distance to the surf:

The closest spots on both the north and south coast are exactly half an hour’s drive from the city centre. Add an extra 15 minutes or more if you’re heading further north to Newquay or further south to the Sennen area. Very occasionally, on either a huge SW swells or east swells along the channel, Falmouth itself can get a wave or two.

Rent prices:

University-managed halls of residence are all self-catered and cost from £75 – £126 per week, per person. Private-sector housing is likely to cost you in the region of  £85 – £105 per week, bills included.

Cost of living

A pint of lager will cost you somewhere in the region of £3.50 — but you’ll also be obliged to experiment with the local West Country cider, which is often cheaper, generally of uncertain percentage, and very occasionally mildly hallucinogenic. You’ll find loads of good quality real ale too — in fact the parents of hundred-time European and thousand-time British longboard champ Ben Skinner own the heavily decorated Skinners Brewery, based in nearby Truro.

Surf club:

The Student Union (FXU) is shared between Falmouth University and Exeter’s Cornwall Campus — as is the surf club, which is large and active and tends to do very well in the student nationals.

Where to party:

In the words of SE’s Falmouth correspondent, “there’s one real club but it’s horrendous, it has carpeted floors and is full of the worst people”. Sounds awesome. If that description doesn’t give you a semi in and of itself, bear in mind the large student population in what is a relatively small town — there’s bound to be fun stuff going on. At the more relaxed end of the spectrum, Falmouth boasts a thriving bar, pub and cafe culture.

What’s cool about it:

You’ll probably get more — and better — waves here than you would at any other university in the country. The coast is nearby, you’ve got heaps of options, and the water doesn’t get as cold as it does further north during winter.

Notable alumni:

Celebrated warbler Ben Howard studied journalism here, although he dropped out with 6 months to go to focus on his moosic.

Cost of living:

Fairly high like any city in France but plenty of cheap supermarkets and Maccas around. Note: You won’t find cheap student pubs like in the UK.

Where to party:

La Place de la Victoire in the centre of Bordeaux fires every Thursday night — or at least used to 15 years ago.

What’s cool about it:

Public transport is fairly efficient and you can also move around on foot quite easily. More importantly, you can start build your own impressive wine collection to wow the chicks and even bring a case or two for friends and family every time you go home. There are also a high number of Spanish students that come to study in Bordeaux, so it’s an ideal place for mixing up the vibe. Plus, Bordeaux is fucking rad. Did we mention that?

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

www.cardiff.ac.uk

Cardiff University is composed of three colleges — Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; and Physical Sciences and Engineering — and between them you can study all mainstream subjects. The university has long been renowned for the quality of the research carried out there, and as such is a member of the Russell Group, an association of 24 of the UK’s most prestigious universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. In the Complete University Guide’s 2016 rankings, Cardiff sits in 31st place.

Location:

The Welsh capital city — and what a fine city it is. Home to around 350,000 inhabitants, 800,000 + including the outskirts, there’s plenty of “buzz” and “ambience” and cultural activity to be enjoyed, and it’s not too far from the coast. The great bulk of the uni’s academic facilities are located around Cathays Park in central Cardiff.

Distance to the surf:

Porthcawl, Llantwit Major and various other decent breaks are within a 30/45 minutes’ drive. Alternatively, you’re only around 4 hours from the Wavegarden, which may or may not be working.

Cost of living:

Rent in the Cathays area, where most students choose to live, can start as cheap as £60-70 a week, plus bills, and generally speaking the cost of living’s pretty cheap all-round.

Surf club:

Yep, there’s an active surf club that organises regular trips and socials and whatnot.

Where to party:

The Student Union is huge: multi-storey, labyrinthine, and somewhat reminiscent of a Goldeneye level. I’ve been there twice and both times got very drunk and very lost, the second time so drunk and lost I couldn’t find my way out. My next memory was waking up sat on the toilet at my mate’s house, mid-poo, trousers round ankles, unsure how I got there. In the intervening period, there’s every chance I went to the legendary Caroline Street to enjoy a take-away and revel in the atmosphere of debauchery that prevails there of an early morning.

Accent:

We refer you to the sitcom Gavin & Stacey, set in the nearby town of Barry.

What’s cool about it:

A solid choice if you’re after all the benefits of a large city whilst still being able to surf on a regular basis. Or, as a friend of mine who studied at Cardiff put it to me: “Pints are so cheap, girls are up for it, everyone’s friendly as.” —BW

Cost of living:

The Canary Islands are generally even cheaper than the rest of the country. You’ll like the living there as will your pocket. ‘Drink as much as you can’ happy hours in Las Américas are popular with both students and mucky, sunburned British ladies.

Where to party:

Las Américas, Puerto de la Cruz.

What’s cool about it:

Lots of tourists loving the surf vibe and looking for a good time. Canarian girls are so pretty you won’t believe it, it’s like going to university with an army of top models. You can travel easily by ferry to the other islands and enjoy world class spots such as El Quemao or Confital. And don’t miss the new boat trips organised to remote spots on islands such as Los Lobos or La Graciosa.

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

www.exeter.ac.uk

A regular fixture in university rankings top tens, and of all the UK’s top tier universities it’s perhaps the most surf-oriented, in that it’s a short distance away from good surf on two coasts and tends to have a fairly large and enthusiastic surfing population. A member of the Russell Group, Exeter was ranked the 10th best university in the country in the Complete University Guide’s 2016 league table. Its overall student population is bordering on 20,000.

Location:

Midway into Devon, one of England’s very finest counties. The city is easily navigable, surrounded in all directions by lush countryside, and home to around 120,000 inhabitants. Streatham campus (humanities, sciences, business) is charming and pastoral, teeming with foliage and squirrels and suchlike, yet only a 15 minute walk from the city centre; it’s also undergone several zillion pounds’ worth of renovation in the last few years, the main product of which is a giant new forum (see below). St Luke’s (sports science, medicine) is less picturesque but equally central.

Distance to the surf:

South coast breaks such as Bantham are around an hour’s journey away, but although the south coast can be excellent, it’s inconsistent and tricky to figure out unless you live within easy checking distance. The north coast isn’t much further and is generally a safer bet. Beaches around Bude in Cornwall and the Puts/Woolacombe/Croyde triumvirate in Devon are more or less equidistant, and can be reached in around 1h15. For Newquay add another 20-30 minutes.

UNIVERSITY OF THE FRENCH INDIES, GUADELOUPE

www.univ-ag.fr

More or less all major subjects are taught here. The University has faculties on the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and even in the French territory of Guyane. In Guadeloupe, the university specialises in sports, medecine and politics. It’s perhaps not the best uni in France from an academic point of view, but nor is it the worst — and it’s in the Caribbean for fuck’s sake.

Location:

In Guadeloupe, the main university is located in Point à Pitre. There are around 450,000 inhabitants mostly spread around Grande Terre and Basse Terre.

Distance to the surf:

Being an island, it can take you from a few minutes to a couple of hours depending on where you want to surf. To reach the wave rich northern area of Grande Terre will take you more or less 40 minutes.

Rent prices:

There are some cheap places to rent but usually in pretty bad shape, otherwise accommodation is fairly pricey. Try to find something outside the city. But public transport is not reliable so you’ll need a car.

Cost of living:

If you can stick to eating local food and fruit then it’s cheap, but if you find yourself craving for imported foods you’ll soon be broke!

Surf club:

There’s no university surf club but plenty of associations around the island. The oldest and most active is the Arawak surf club close to one of the most consistent breaks on the island, Le Moule.

What’s cool about it:

Yes, it is part of France (so the university is well-equipped with wireless Internet everywhere) but with the relaxed vibe and warm weather of the Caribbean. Surf wise, Guadeloupe has a lot to offer, from easy reef breaks to dangerous slabs. You’ll probably end up boosting your surfing more than your academic career, seeing as most people leave Guadeloupe to study, not the other way round. But if it’s a year abroad type deal you’re after, well who actually did any studying on one of those anyway?

UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

Perhaps not the first place that springs to mind when considering surf-friendly universities in the UK, but St Andrews is a beachside town and its two beachbreaks, which get some OK waves, are within walking distance of campus. It’s the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world behind Oxford and Cambridge, and indeed at the latest reckoning both the Guardian and the Times had it in third place in their respective rankings, again trailing the two latter. As of 2016 the Complete University Guide has it in equal 5th. You can study most mainstream subjects there; academic fields in which it is particularly renowned include Physics and Astronomy, International Relations, Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics, Divinity, Middle Eastern and African Studies, and Arts and Humanities.

Location:

Scotland, of course, on the east coast, above Edinburgh but below Dundee. The campus is situated in the town itself, which is home to around 17,000 permanent inhabitants, plus a student population approaching 10,000.

Distance to surf:

Barely any distance at all. East Sands Beach, the town’s best break, is inconsistent but can get good waves, and is only a stone’s throw from campus. The two-mile long West Sands Beach, just to the north of town, is more of a beginner’s wave; it is also where the iconic opening scene in the movie Chariots Of Fire was filmed, and is adjacent to St Andrews’ oldest golf course — one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in the world, and probably the most famous. Potential for exploration nearby; very cold water in winter.

Cost of living:

Pretty cheap actually. Prices for university halls range from just over £3,000 a year (self-catered), to almost £7,500 a year (catered, en-suite, personal butler etc.) — but bear in mind you’ll probably only be paying for a 9- or 10-month contract (ie. term-time only). Renting your own place with mates after your first year will probably cost around £80-90 a week plus bills. According to one recent study, it’s the third cheapest uni to attend in the UK, taking into account everything from rent to beer to gym membership.

What’s cool about it:

You’ll be studying at a world-class university steeped in history. And if you’re a golf nut, look no further. St Andrews Links is generally regarded as the home of golf, and at present the town boasts a total of seven courses, considered among the finest in the world; the best and oldest of them, “Old Course”, is a common venue for the Open Championship. “If a golfer is going to be remembered,” said Jack Nicklaus, “he must win at St Andrews.”

Plus, if you’re Scottish, you can go for free.

Accent:

While a thick Glaswegian accent may be all but incomprehensible to the non-native English speaker — and indeed to many who count English as their first language — the locals around these parts are more easily deciphered. And in fact Scottish students only make up around a third of the university’s intake; the rest (stereotypically, at any rate) are a mix of international students, of which there are many, and posh English people, who perhaps also count as international students. Generally, despite the plum in his mouth, the posh Englishman is easy to understand; if he has a dead pig’s testicles in his mouth too, slightly harder.

Notable alumni:

Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond; multiple Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy; Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge; radical journalist and influential figure in the French Revolution Jean-Paul Marat; King James II of Scotland, who in 1457 introduced a ban on golf because he thought people were neglecting their archery skills. And quite right too!

Also consider:

Edinburgh also has an excellent, if not quite so prestigious, university. It’s a rad city, but you’ll be almost an hour away from the nearest decent waves, which are just north of the Anglo-Scottish border. A better option might be Aberdeen, home to a solid top-50 university and several OK breaks, with further options nearby. Better still, the University of the Highlands and Islands, composed of various colleges spread all over Scotland, has a campus in Thurso — part of North Highland College — that offers courses in Engineering, Environmental Research, Business, Accounting, Administration, Computing, Sports Science, Equestrianism, Gamekeeping & Veterinary Nursing. Other nearby campuses offer further options, and there are also colleges based in the Outer Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands.

UNIVERSITÉ DE NANTES

www.univ-nantes.fr

This is the second biggest French university (32 000+ students) and it is spread geographically over three different cities: Nantes and Saint Nazaire in the Loire Atlantique region and Roche sur Yon in Vendée. You can pretty much study all branches of learning, St Nazaire offers more science based degrees, Roche sur Yon offers literature, languages & law degrees, while the main university in Nantes offers everything else. There’s also a foreign exchange progamme with 3,500 foreign students coming every year.

Location:

Nantes, the 6th biggest city in France (population: 860,000) is located in the south part of French Brittany.

Distance to the surf:

Saint Nazaire has a few breaks really close by (Govelle or L’Ermitage), Nantes is a bit more inland and it will take you 25 mins or so to get to the nearest quality break.

Cost of living:

Nantes has a super efficient modern tramway which makes life easier and cheaper. Campus accommodation is plentiful and again rent in this region is lower than in Paris.

Surf club:

They organise regular weekends away to Les Sables d’Olonne with surf lessons if you need them.

Where to party:

There are plenty of options from the high-end bars of Caroussel & Castel to the former LU factory (the famous biscuits) now known as Lieu Unique.

What’s cool about it:

Nantes is a dynamic city with plenty of sports, music and cultural activities. As one of the least polluted cities in France, there are lots of leafy areas and a sense that the ocean is nearby. In fact, many students head that way for an evening apéro at the beach.

University College Cork

A constituent university of the University of Ireland, UCC was recently named Irish University of the Year by the Sunday Times — for the fourth time since the turn of the century. The prospectus is reasonably broad, offering courses in all major subjects, but the university ranks particularly well for Pharmacology, Law, Biology, Medicine, Electrical Engineering, Languages, History and Environmental Studies. Home to just over 15,000 students.

Location:

Cork, obvs, near the south coast of the Republic of Ireland. Cork has a reputation as a charming city, and its centre is just a short walk from the equally charming campus.

Distance to surf:

You’re around half an hour to an hour from a number spots on the south coast of varying quality, plus the potentially excellent waves of Co. Kerry and Co. Clare are within a two-hour drive. You can double that (at least) for Counties Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.

Cost of living:

University accommodation starts at about €110 self-catered. Renting with mates will cost you about €85 – €100 a week plus bills.

Where to party:

For pubs, An Brog is a favourite haunt of students, offering drinks at excellent prices and plenty of atmosphere. Meanwhile the Franciscan Well is one of Ireland’s very finest micro-breweries.

Notable alumni:

Actor Cillian Murphy and TV presenter Graham Norton, although ultimately neither of them graduated — too many long weekends charging Mullaghmore, no doubt.

Also consider:

Galway also has a solid university — likewise part of the University of Ireland — offering a wide range of courses. Though situated on Ireland’s west coast, it’s still around an hour and a half away from breaks in the Doolin area to the south, and County Mayo to the north. Heading north of the border, Ulster University is just a few minutes from the fickle but quality waves of Portrush, home of inspirational ginger Al Mennie. It’s a decent university too (the Complete University Guide has it in 66th place), and offers a comprehensive academic program.