Rob Barber

I grew up in Newquay, Cornwall, and began bodyboarding as soon as I could swim.  The last 30 years have seen me chasing swells, competition titles, magazine covers and dream waves all over the world. I’ve been chosen to represent England and Britain on many occasions and have been fortunate to travel right across the globe.

I’m a self taught bodyboarder who learned the hard way, through trial and error, by scouring through magazine articles and hounding my peers for tips. Consequently, over the years I’ve been able to create training plans that offer simple techniques to make bodyboarding easier. They minimise physical effort and maximise the use of the oceans power. I’ve found that this quickly increases a rider’s wave count, reduces the number of wasted waves and sky rockets the enjoyment of each session. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about!

I love teaching people to bodyboard and sharing the buzz they get from their achievements. I launched the first bodyboarding school in Europe in 1997 and, as a result, me and my team have coached over 10,000 bodyboarders of all abilities and spent thousands of hours with complete novice bodyboarders, intermediate riders and coached top level shredders all over the world.

As well as owning Rob Barber’s Bodyboarding School, Rob Barber’s Bodyboard Coaching Holidays and the Newquay Activity Centre, I manage the English Surfing Federation Surf School (ESF) and own the Bodyboard-Depot. In short, with all our combined experience and knowledge you could call us a one stop entity when it comes to bodyboarding. So come along, meet us and get yourselves in the water; once addicted you’ll never look back unless, of course, you’re looking for a wave.

Rob Barber Bodyboarding Bio

Experience               Bodyboarding since 1988

Qualifications           Level 4 Surf GB/ Level 2 ISA coach and SLSA Surf Coach Lifeguard

Sponsors                  Core Bodyboards, The Bodyboard-Depot

Home Break             Tolcarne Wedge, Newquay

Fave Breaks              Uluwatu – Indonesia, Secret spot – Morocco and Tolcarne Wedge, England

Coaching                 

• Owner of the Newquay Activity Centre delivering surfing, bodyboarding and coasteering experiences to over 10,000 people per year
• Coached the British team at the World Surfing Games in Portugal 1998, Brazil 2000, South Africa 2002, Ecuador 2004, California 2006
• Coached the English team at the European Champs in France 2000
• Coached/managed the English Junior team in France 1999 and 2002
• Head coach of the English Surfing Federation surf school since 1998
• Director of Rob Barbers School of Bodyboarding since 97

Contests            

• Ranked number two in British national ratings, year end 2014
• Ranked number three in British national ratings, year end 2013
• Eighth place at the European Championships in Ireland (2012)
• Senior British National Champion (2010, 2011 and 2014)
• British Bodyboard Club Championship Winner (2000)
• British Bodyboarding Cup Champion (1999)
• Virgin Cola Surf Tour Winner (1998)
• 22nd in World Champs at Pipeline in Hawaii (1995) Highest ranked European in World Professional ratings
• Winner of the ThreeSixty Bodyboarders Readers Opinion Poll of the UK’s best riders (1995, 1996 and 1997)
• Threesixty Series Winner (1994)
• Three times captain of Bodyboard-Depot team to win British bodyboard Club Tag team championships (undisputed champions!)
• Senior British Champion 2014
• Ranked number two in British national ratings, year end 2014
• Ranked number two in the British Masters ratings, year end 2014

Bodyboarding Credentials

• Developed my own line of Core Bodyboards specifically designed for the UK market
• Created The Bodyboard Manual which is an advice guide covering all things Bodyboarding (I’ve been the editor of all five editions and have loved every minute of writing advice about all aspects of the sport)
• Assistant Editor of the Bodyboard Travel Guide