Surfing Waves & Cigarette Butts: The Severn Bore Experience

The Severn Bore is a pretty incredible natural phenomenon. It’s a massive tidal wave formed when the rising tide squeezes into the funnel-shaped Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary, surging water backwards, upstream toward Gloucester and beyond. It’s powerful, dramatic, and draws crowds from all over.

Naturally, as students at Worcester Technical College, we decided this was a must-see.

The opportunity presented itself when one of our mates had a house party while his parents were away. The original plan was sensible enough: party, wake up early, and head out to catch the wave. But then some absolute "bright spark" pitched a classic piece of student logic: "If we have to get up early anyway, why bother going to bed at all?"

Just like that, the night transformed into an all-out endurance challenge to stay awake until dawn.

By the early hours, my brain was fried, so I decided to execute a covert tactical nap. Big mistake. I woke up a short while later to muffled laughter and a distinct, foul smell in my nostrils. It turns out my "friends" had taken my power nap as an invitation to turn my nose into an ashtray, attempting to stuff old cigarette butts right up it. Unsurprisingly, everyone found this absolute comedy gold, except for me, currently inhaling stale tobacco.

Despite the nasal sabotage and zero hours of sleep, we actually made it to the riverbank. And honestly? It was completely worth it. Watching a massive wall of water force its way upstream, with absolute madmen actually trying to surf on it, is an incredible sight to behold.

Conclusion

If you ever get the chance to go see the Severn Bore, I highly recommend checking it out. Just make sure to get a proper night's sleep beforehand, or at the very least, sleep with your nose covered!

Riding the Severn Bore surge. Source: King Surf