25% Off Winter Wetsuits!

It's 25% Off our winter wetsuit range....

Save a bundle and surf your wave of cash!

Seasons greetings.

Well we're pretty happy right now. New dresses, skirts, tees, hoodies, polos and....mmmmmm... check shirts. That's right, the start of our new seasons range is now instore and looking just dandy. Come by and we'll model some for you. Tom is particularly fond of the Maxi-dress.

One Man (Martin) and his Campervan

We've mentioned our friend Martin Dorey and his excellent book 'The Campervan Cookbook' before, several times. It's been out for some time now, having been very well received by critics, foodies and surf shop managers along the way. Copies of the book made up about 40% of my entire Christmas shopping list, and were a hit with those who received it. And about 40% of them know (knew) nothing about camper vans, which proves how versatile and enjoyable the book itself is.
Which is why you want to make sure you're in with the telly this Monday.
Because this Monday evening, Martin's TV series, 'One Man and his Campervan' begins on BBC2, at 6.30pm. It's then showing every weekday night at the same time for 2 whole weeks. Jamie, Rick, Hugh... yesterdays roaming television cooks: We like ours in a dapper check shirt and carrying a surfboard that isn't just a prop.
Here's a few links to whet your appetite...

www.hattrick.co.uk/hattrick-international/int_shows/show-detail/?show_id=70

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yndpc

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yltdc

Winter licks

I took this shot the other day - a reminder that, although it's returned to quite milder air these last couple of days, Winter still hides in the wings. These ice-coated pebbles were below a very cold waterfall. It was only the thought of being drenched by the freezing water flowing from above that stopped me from having one of these as a novelty lolly. In the meantime, as Winter plods on, we've just reduced the price of our most popular ladies jacket, the Stratus, by 25%. Just for a few weeks until Spring properly starts.

Lewis. Extra chilli sauce. No onions.

Our little shop mascot Lewis Stritch (now a fully-fledged member of the Gul team) came in for a new wetsuit today. As with all sponsored riders, a brand expects a certain amount of return from riders it invests in. This is often in the form of massive media exposure wherever possible.
However, here at Gul Bude, we expect a little more.
Here, we expect our sponsored riders to don the suit when they're given it, and do a circuit of the block, no matter the weather or conditions. It's also stipulated that they round off the circuit by buying a kebab that we can all share.
Sadly, KJ's was shut.
But we don't forget Lewis... When there's a free donner involved, we never forget....

Cam vibes

Even though I do a surf report every day (or almost every day, hangover/sleep/general lethargy pending) I'm usually able to convince myself that, once 9am comes and I've started work, that the surf must just turn rubbish. The wind gets on it. The crowds turn up. The swell dies.
It doesn't matter how many people come in and tell me it's on, I basically just assume each and every one of them are shameless liars. It's how I deal with running a surf shop when the surf is on.
Unfortunately, some time ago, Bude council decided to install webcams that give you a regularly updated shot of the surf. From about 3 different angles. And it's like an itch that you're not supposed to scratch.. I tell myself it'll only be bad news for me if I look at it. But look at it I must. And so often I regret it. Today is one of those exact examples of a day where burying my proverbial head in the proverbial sand would have benefitted me more. Where ignorance truly would have been bliss. Instead I chose to flagellate myself by bringing up the picture below....IDIOT. C

70% Sale continues...

STILL rocking our 70% Sale and there are STILL bargains of all sizes to be had. Be sure not to miss out. Even the staff have been stocking up on Christmas presents for next year.
New product is but a stroke of Tom's quiff away. In fact, we're already receiving new pieces: Picnic anyone?

Do drop by!

Optimism

Sorry we haven't been so forthcoming on blogs of late. We've had a stock take that demanded our full attention. We're feeling a little brain fried..!
It's been a long Winter. From the depths of snow and ice to the heavy rains and floods. There have been sunny skies, moody skies, wild skies and occasionally it's been so dark that some days there seemed to be no sky at all.
I was walking along my local break last night, just before it got dark. It was pouring down with rain, a really low tide and bizarrely (as is often not the case) my dog, The Jeepster, seemed to be enjoying himself in the downpour. I kept him keen with blackened sticks that were sporadically littered across the tide marks. I snapped this quick shot with my phone. It's not a cheap phone, so it was a bit of a gamble... but it was so inspiring that I couldn't resist. I was on an empty beach, wandering a deserted shore. There was not a car in the car park, not a wandering soul on the cliff tops, nobody in the sea, and for miles in front and behind me the only signs of life were swooping Guls, taking advantage of the residual daylight to feed their young.
Nobody. Only me and the dog, approaching twilight in a rain storm by a disorderly sea.
Know what I did?
I shouted. All various kind of shouts. Noises, names. It didn't really matter, it was the shouting that was important. Shouting is so often the preserve of anger or attention, or to be heard over noise or other people. Rarely can you get away with just shouting for the sake of shouting, especially in public. Were I spotted, no doubt it would have looked (and certainly sounded) a little odd. But it felt great, my racket resonating off the cliff faces, bouncing back out into the Atlantic. I've had a rubbish couple of weeks, so it was nice to audibly unleash with no preserve. It instantly put me in a better mood. The dog, to be fair, was left confused - no-one else there, I guess he figured he was the target of my outburst. I did my best to reassure him, with the aid of half a chew stick, that he certainly wasn't. With the dying day to my back, I picked up my step to the car, feeling a little less blue. I highly recommend it, just find somewhere empty and be careful not to get spotted - there are people in coats with big nets who are paid to catch people who shout in public. You've been warned.

BUSTED!!!

Imagine my surprise when, on a night out, I glanced into a darkened corner of Rogue night club and saw a familiar figure! It stirred, it cackled, it appeared to be 'enjoying' itself... until it saw me!!!

I've never seen such a kerfuffle! There were glasses flying in every direction, screams from scantily clad women as this scared being realised there was no escape... I had cornered it, it looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a steam train! It snuffled and begged me to let it go quietly!

I'm sorry, I owe it to society to warn of it's presence in an environment it purports to NEVER inhabit.

Luckily I had my camera to PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that this creature DOES dwell in such places.

Cai... you're BUSTED, we knew you were into your cheesy pop music!!!!

E x

Guest Blog

One of our favourite photographers here at Gul Bude is the very talented Morgan Maassen, who we've mentioned before. We like him because he appears to spend his life travelling and taking photographs. It's a life we quite like the sound of so it's nice to 'virtually' follow him round. In that respect, we're like a raggedy little orphaned mongrel, being fed visual treats which make us smile and inclined to keep sleeping on his rug...

He's only just updated his website with lots of delicious, new shots.

www.morganmaassen.com