Catch a wave.

Hawaii and California may be places more closely associated with surfing but here on the North East Coast we have some of Europe's best and most challenging waves. Until recently it's only been a small band of exteme surfers who've braved the harsh conditions of the North Sea. Those waves are now attracting increasing numbers of surfers - there are half a million surfers in Britain today ... fifty thousand of them on the North East Coast. Some of the North East surfers fear that the area's increasing popularity will ruin what they have with too many people chasing too few waves. Even Gary Rogers, who runs The Saltburn Surf Shop feels popularity is a mixed blessing. He likes to go surfing in quiet places and says,"The new people coming into surfing, they won't know of all that unless they find somewhere where they can go and sit on their own and ride a few waves of their own". Will the North East Coast's increasing popularity with surfers ruin things for the hard core locals? ( BBC North East - 'Working the Sea')

Video: Surfing brothers

Working The Sea: Surfing brothers >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer

Video: Surfers in action

Working The Sea: Surfers in action >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer