Father Christmas surfers raise money for Cornwall charity

More than 30 people took to the sea and some managed to keep their hats on

Dozens of surfers took to the sea on Saturday dressed in Santa suits to raise money for a Cornish charity.

The first Santa Surf was organised by the Fistral Beach Surf School to raise money for the Joe Way Appeal and Cornwall Hospice.

The appeal began in 2008 after the death of Joe Way, a Cornish boy who was born with a rare genetic condition.

His parents have raised more than £128,000 for more than 20 causes in his name.

The event was set up to raise money for the Joe Way appeal

There were ten people in the under 16 category

There were 36 people dressed as Santa, including 10 in the under 16 category. Organisers said it was a great turnout for the event's first year.

A spokeswoman for the event said: "We were really pleased with the number of entrants willing to dress up and surf in December.

"The day was really good, everyone got completely involved and enjoyed trying to keep their outfits in place for as long as they could, with a surprising amount managing to keep hold of their hats."

Organisers said they were pleased with the turnout