About Me

About me

Chasing Waves Since Before Most of Britain Knew What Surfing Was

Keith West is a retired travel consultant, former manager of the British and English National Surfing Teams, and a surfer since the mid-1960s — back when almost nobody in Britain had heard of the sport. What started as a teenage fascination with songs about a Californian lifestyle became a lifetime spent chasing quiet waves around Europe and North Africa, long before wave forecasts, webcams, or crowds.

From Backyard Curiosity to a Lifetime on the Road

Keith first fell for surfing in 1964. Within a few years he was one of a small, dedicated group of British surfers heading out each winter in search of waves — to Ireland in the autumn, and down through France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the seasons turned. It was a different era of the sport entirely: no forecasts, no webcams, no apps — just word of mouth, a van, and a willingness to drive a long way on a hunch.

That early passion turned into a career. Keith went on to manage the British and English National Surfing Teams, and later worked as a travel consultant, building a professional life around the same restlessness that first sent him south in search of waves.

He holds a BSc in Earth Sciences, plays drums in a local band, and is a proud father of two grown-up children. These days, Keith lives in North Devon with his Springer Spaniel, Tealeye, still travelling in his van in search of new coastlines and quiet breaks.

“This is an account of a time when surfing was relatively new in Europe. A tale of self-discovery — from the early days, when we were still wet behind the ears.”

— Keith West