News

New Water Sports Boat Added to our Fleet: Super Air Nautique 210

New Water Sports Boat Added to our Fleet: Super Air Nautique 210

We are excited to announce the addition of a new wakesurf and wakeboarding boat to our fleet, a Super Air Nautique 210.

Ideal for beginner to advanced-level wakesurfing and wakeboarding, the Super Air Nautique 210 is a specifically designed for water sports enthusiasts. 

Some of the standout features of the Super Air Nautique 210 are its innovative ballast system, Nautique Surf System surf gates, and a hull design to maximise wakes and waves for wakeboarders and wakesurfers alike. 

For wakeboarders, the Super Air Nautique 210 offers a large wake that provides plenty of air and a solid landing surface. The boat’s adjustable wake settings allow riders to customize the size and shape of the wake to their individual needs. This makes it possible to progress and improve one’s skills over time.

Wakesurfers will also love the Super Air Nautique 210. The boat’s hull is specifically designed to create a powerful and consistent surf wave, perfect for all levels of wakesurfing. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced wakesurfer, the Super Air Nautique 210 will provide a great surfing experience.

The video below shows our boat in action

Full information and real-time online booking for wakesurfing and wakeboarding is available online here.

Want to keep up-to-date with what we’re doing this season? Like our Facebook page here. Want to book a private boat trip as seen on television? Book a private boat charter here. Fancy learning to wakeboard (or waterski)? Check out our offering here. Or want to come for a whole week of adventure? Book a week’s holiday with us now!

A New Life In The Sun: Where Are They Now? – featuring Adventure Sports St Tropez

Adventure Sports St Tropez on Channel 4’s A New Life In the Sun: Where Are They Now?

Channel 4’s ‘A New Life In The Sun: Where Are They Now?’ revisited Adventure Sports St Tropez during the Summer of 2021 to film an update for an episode broadcast on 9th March 2022. You can catch up with the episode on Channel 4’s On Demand Service, All4

This time round the filming focused on two different sides of the business: boat charters and beginner wakeboarding lessons. 

The TV crew followed us on a typical boat trip, staring off by checking out the superyachts in the bay – in the hope we could spot a famous celebrity or two. Perhaps Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were on board one of the boats? Or Magic Johnson maybe? You’ll have to watch the episode to find out…

We continued to Plage des Graniers for a spot of snorkelling and swimming, then on to Baie de Canebiers, where we moored up close to Bridget Bardot’s famous Madrague residence for some stand up paddleboarding. We finished the tour with a tour of St Tropez Harbour, and a tour of the wonderful Port Grimaud (known as “The Little Venice of France”).  

For the second part of the filming, Matt Dale, along with assistant Marco, taught a group of French guests to wakeboard. You can see how they get on, and how we teach wakeboarding in French and English by catching up with the programme on All4

Want to keep up-to-date with what we’re doing this season? Like our Facebook page here. Want to book a private boat trip as seen on television? Book a private boat charter here. Fancy learning to wakeboard (or waterski)? Check out our offering here. Or want to come for a whole week of adventure? Book a week’s holiday with us now!

Our Holiday Guarantee – Covid-19 Cancellations

Our Holiday Guarantee – Covid-19 Cancellations

We want you to book in confidence with Adventure Sports St Tropez. If your holiday cannot go ahead you’re protected by our Covid-19 Holiday Guarantee.

We can change your holiday to another date this year or next year free of charge, or provide a full refund.

You are covered by our guarantee for the following situations:

• In the event of it being illegal to travel to France
• If the French government enforces quarantine on arrival in France
• If the country you are leaving from enforces quarantine on your return
• If any of your party test positive for Covid-19
• If any of your party are required to self-isolate due to coming into contact with someone with Covid-19

If you need to cancel or change your holiday dates for any of the above reasons, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

 

Channel 4 – Matt Dale – A New Life In The Sun – featuring Adventure Sports St Tropez

Adventure Sports St Tropez on Channel 4’s A New Life In the Sun

A New Life In The Sun filmed Matt Dale and Adventure Sports St Tropez over a period of 15 days in our 2018 season. You can see the results on Channel 4 from 25th-28th February and on Channel 4 On Demand (4od)

In February 2018 television production company TrueNorth phoned Matt Dale and asked if Adventure Sport St Tropez would like to appear on the new series of A New Life In the Sun. Matt thinking this might be a Come Dine With Me-type comedy programme initially declined, but when asked if he’d seen any of the series before had to admit he hadn’t. So… a quick binge viewing later and Skype call with the Assistant Producer, and the deal was done. The programme actually looked pretty cool, funny and hell.. why not? Probably be good fun taking part!

Footage was filmed of several of our guests coming to visit over the season, and some of the activities they got up to – boat trips, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, kneeboarding, kayaking, snorkelling, and of course(!) wakeboarding – lots and lots of that!. 

The process was pretty strange to start with and a little nerve-wracking, resulting in a few silly mistakes that are sure to be shown. But, as the weeks progressed it became great fun and we looked forward to welcoming the camera guys each time. In the end, it was a shame to finish the filming process, but we hope we see some of the team out here again in future seasons!.

Look out for guests starting from scratch learning to wakeboard and stand up paddleboard, and see how easy and fun it is. You might also catch one guest who had to stay an extra week because he lost his passport! (an extra week of water sports and sun = he didn’t mind too much!). Also featured will be Adam from Conrad Visuals who came out to film our impressive Promo Video that gives you a true flavour of a typical week (we love it!).

Want to keep up-to-date with what we’re doing this season? Like our Facebook page here. Want to come and join us this season? Book your trip now!

Trailering a boat to France

Advice on Driving and Trailering a boat to France

With the likelihood of increased air fares following Brexit, driving to your French holiday destination looks even more attractive this year. Many of our guests here at Adventure Sports St Tropez have driven to us and we have had many requests for advice when driving and trailering a boat to France

Golden Rules

1. If possible travel outside the busy holiday periods or  travel any day other than a Saturday

2. Book ferry well in advance prices are always cheaper.

3. Check your insurance and breakdown cover (stand alone cover is available at a reasonable rate) and make sure you have the phone contact numbers with you and have cover for your trailer (if transporting one).

4. Carry a basic tool box and roadside breakdown set.

5. Get your trailer serviced well before your departure date, so you can correct any problems well in time.

Generally driving in France is easy and hassle-free, though given that the peages (motorway tolls) add up especially in a long trip you need to allow £100 in peage fees to travel from top to bottom of France. It is always a good idea to take a Sat Nav not only for navigation but for noting the few speed cameras. Note in France it is illegal for a Sat Nav to display exact speed camera locations, so instead your Sat Nav will display “danger zones” or “accident hotspots” where there will invariably (99% of the time) be a speed camera.

If trailering a boat make sure of the following

1. Cover the prop with an adequate prop cover

2. Coupler, hitch and hitch ball are of the same size

3. Coupler and safety chains are safely secured to hitch of tow vehicle

4. All fasteners are properly tightened

5. Boat is securely tied down to trailer (winch line is not a tie down)

6. Wheel lug nuts are properly tightened

7. Wheel bearings are properly adjusted and maintained

8. Load is within maximum load carrying capacity

9. Tyres are properly inflated

10. All trailer lighting is working properly

11. Trailer brakes are properly adjusted and working (if trailer is so equipped)

12. Check the rules for trailering are the same in France as the UK

13. Also a good idea to carry spare trailer tyres and bearings.

Once your powerboat is in France

You will need an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) to drive your powerboat  or a Personal Watercraft Competency Certificate for your jet-ski. The waters in France are well monitored and it is very likely you will need to produce your license.

We are able to advise of the best RYA Training Centres in the South of France, and also in the UK.

If all this seems like too much hassle we provide a very special multi-watersports holiday for families, couples and singles. Most important to us is teaching you new skills and as instructors with over twenty years of experience in the sports we teach we get great pleasure from seeing our guests succeed and gain confidence in their abilities. Groups are small and the tuition is one to one in most cases, so success is assured.

Of course learning watersports is so much easier in the warm and relaxed atmosphere of the south of France, and the fun and glamorous atmosphere surrounding St Tropez is always uplifting. We make sure the groups have a great time both during the day and night.

What a wonderful way to spend your holiday, learning watersports in the warm waters of the med, meeting new friends, and having an all-round great time!

Adventure Sports St Tropez Watersports  Holidays

 

Winter Wakeboarding

Winter Wakeboarding in the UK

All about Winter Wakeboarding

What’s one to do ‘off season’ in the Winter months, when Adventure Sports St. Tropez is closed?
Can you still wakeboard in the UK when the nights have drawn in, and the air and water temperatures are in single figures?

The answer is “Yes”, and in some ways a visit to a wakeboard park is better in the winter months than it is in the summer!

 
Whilst boat riding in the UK can be prohibitively expensive (even with your own board + wetsuit, it’s still £30+ for just 12 minutes!), hitting the cable can cost a lot less, for a lot longer! From October 1st to March 31st, you can wakeboard at Liquid Leisure Wakepark for just £25 for 2 hours.
 
Be warned, it can be pretty damn cold, so you do need an element of bravery (or madness) to attempt it –  especially when air temps are hovering just above freezing, and the water temps 6 degrees or lower. Falling into the water without gloves or boots is ill-advised. A swim back to the lakeside of more than a few metres will feel like your hands and feet are being crushed in a vice. It will take your breath away.
 
So, purchase some wetsuit boots and gloves before heading down. You want to go for 1.5m to 2mm max, to take the bone-aching chill away. Go any thicker and you’ll be warmer of course, but you’ll struggle to fit your bindings on, and holding the handle for any length of time will result in painful tendons from your wrist to elbow, which will limit the number of laps you can do. Throw in a winter wetsuit (5/4/3; not any thicker as your movement will be restricted) and you’re good to go for a few hours.
 
Whilst it’s still certainly on the chilly side when you hit the water, the queues are so small that in many ways it’s better than heading there in the summer. The advantage of small queues is the zero wait between sets, versus upwards of 30 minutes in peak summer. Being able to fall off, swim to the side, and get straight back on without any waiting means you’re a lot more likely to try that new trick or hit an obstacle for the first time. No one around to see you fail so spectacularly is another bonus too of course!
 
Practising on a cable has the added advantage that when you hit the sea again in the summer you’ll have improved your balance and landing skills. I know I’ll notice a difference when I head back to Adventure Sports St. Tropez this summer!
 
—
Bristol South West Adventure Sports organise fortnightly trips to Liquid Leisure throughout the winter. If you’re interested in joining them, check out the free-to-join group here: http://www.meetup.com/adventuresports
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding in St Tropez

 

 

Water Skiing Holidays

Water Skiing Holidays in France

Learn to waterski or wakeboard in France.

There was a time when waterskiing was the only sport that you could pursue behind a boat. Now there is Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Wakeskating, Kneeboarding plus all the weird and wonderful towable toys that continue to be manufactured. We even have a variety of Hydrofoils providing something different. You may have seen a chair rise magically out of the water and seemingly hover just above it whilst being towed behind the boat.

Whilst our water skiing holidays are not solely waterskiing, it is equal opportunity with wakeboarding. Apart from Kneeboarding, where your centre of gravity is much lower, Waterskiing is probably the easiest to learn. This is because all your limbs face forward when attempting to lift out of the water. When up it’s normally simply a question of balance as the stance is not critical.

How to Water Ski

We teach the ‘Deep water start’ where you begin in the water, with the skis on. Skis at 45 degrees to the surface of the water, parallel and shoulder width apart. Knees bent and chest to the knees. Arms straight and outside the knees. Squeeze your upper body and bottom towards the skis, tucking tightly. Don’t let your shoulders roll back. When the power comes on, hold the position and let the boat pull you out. With the skis at 45 degrees, the lift out of the water should be natural. Now rock forward and do not attempt to stand until you are naturally balanced, come up slowly. Keep your arms straight and knees bent. Balance and do not lean back and if you don’t want to look like a beginner, push your hips forward and keep your back upright and straight.

Waterskiing holidays   Water Skiing Holidays   Waterski holidays

Water skiing holidays are part of Adventure Sports St Tropez, water sports holidays programme. We offer this activity for five mornings of the week.

Here is a link to the British Water ski and Wakeboard Association, if you wish to take the sport seriously

Book Now