And, much as she enjoys it, she has only competed a couple of times. "I competed very badly though," she says, "it was just for fun."

 

Gwyn Haslock has surfed competitively since the 1960s

Grandmother Sally Foster regularly surfs at Gwithian

Gwyn Haslock first learnt on a borrowed board

In contrast Gwyn, a local government officer at Cornwall County Council, surfed competitively for many years after learning on a wooden belly board at the age of seven.

But it was the advent of lifeguards on the beach at Tolcarne in the 1960s and the Malibu boards they brought with them that got Gwyn truly hooked.

"I borrowed a board to begin with and at first I used to surf just with my swimming costume on and a swimming hat - which I still wear," she said.

"My first wetsuit was a diving suit which zipped up at the front, then they started making wetsuits for surfers which meant we could continue surfing in the winter.

"Before that I just used to wear a woolly jumper."

And both women say they have never encountered any prejudice from their male counterparts, even though for a long time they were the only women regularly taking to the waves at the beaches they went to.

"It's great to see a nice lot of girls surfing now," said Sally.

"I always used to be the only one."

And Gwyn says it was the same at Tolcarne for many years.

"But I've always thought that if you want to do something - you should.

"I never felt any prejudice at all, if anything it felt like they were looking out for you."

But not all women have that confidence and their concerns proved the inspiration for Frances Turner's business Hibiscus, a women-only surf school, which she set up with three friends.

"We just noticed that there were loads of girls sitting on the beach watching their boyfriends surf but they seemed reluctant to learn themselves and it started from that," said Frances, 46, who lives near Fistral beach.

Since starting in 2003 Hibiscus has taught hundreds of women and Frances has noticed a growing trend of older women taking up the activity.

"We are getting more and more women in their 40s and 50s, professional women from London, coming down to learn. You'd be amazed how many 40-plus women are regularly in the sea."

And it is a development reflected in the Cornish Federation of Women's Institutes' decision to add body boarding to its list of members' events in the summer.

"It's just such a great way of life and it's always changing," said Frances.

"No two waves are ever the same and there is just such a freedom to it."

And both Sally and Gwyn agree it is the freedom the sea represents that draws them back, decade after decade.

"Catching a wave is just such a thrill," says Gwyn.

And it is a thrill that doesn't appear to be diminishing with the years.

"At my time of life I just try to enjoy today and at the moment I am able to surf - so I do."

And Sally, now a grandmother, is pleased her four-year-old granddaughter has a wetsuit and looks set to follow in her footsteps.

"I hope my granddaughter enjoys surfing but more importantly I hope we all start taking more care of our environment so she and her generation are able to enjoy the sea environment as I have," she said.

"I just hope to keep on surfing until I'm too ancient, there really isn't anything like it."