- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in Exmouth by Trying a Water Sport
Only about 20% of Exmouth’s population are aged 25 to 44, below the South West, so joining a rowing or tennis club can help you find women your own age.
4,100+
people in their forties in Exmouth’s five electoral wards in 2021 (ONS)
12%
was the forties share of the Exmouth population in 2021, roughly level with the regional figure (ONS)
20%
of people in Exmouth were 25 to 44, under the region’s 24% (Census 2021)
Exmouth, the estuary and a sport to learn
In Exmouth in your 40s, taking up a sport from scratch is a reliable way to make friends, because beginners learn together. Exmouth Rowing Club offers two trial rows at no cost from the old lifeboat station, Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club holds social sessions on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and Exe Sailing Club teaches beginners from Shelly Road. Gofrendly shows Exmouth women up for a challenge.
Exmouth answers for new rowers and players
Can adult beginners try rowing in Exmouth?
Exmouth Rowing Club welcomes members from 14 to 80 and gives newcomers two trial rows. The Exmouth club rows on Sunday mornings from 10am to noon and switches to indoor training on Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm in winter, based at the former lifeboat station on the seafront.
Is there social tennis in Exmouth?
Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club runs social tennis on Tuesdays from 6pm and on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 2pm. New players in Exmouth can ask for a try-out before joining, and the social sessions mix players of different levels, so no fixed partner is required.
Where can I learn to sail in Exmouth?
Exe Sailing Club on Shelly Road in Exmouth runs RYA courses for adult beginners, including Start Sailing and Basic Skills, on the Exe estuary. Course dates are published by the club, and the clubhouse is where crews tend to gather once the boats are back on shore.
Which sports help women in their 40s settle into Exmouth?
A beginners’ sport is often the fastest route in Exmouth, because you learn with the same small group each week and there is a natural social side. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, also connects you with Exmouth women nearby looking for a training partner or a coffee afterwards.
Exmouth friendships that start on the water
There is something about being equally bad at a new thing that makes friendship quick. On the first row everyone catches a crab, on the tennis court nobody minds a wild serve, and by week three you know who takes sugar in their tea. A sport also anchors your week with something that is not work or family, and clubs usually have a social side once the session ends. Choosing one with a trial means you can test the people as well as the activity. The estuary and the bay give Exmouth more water-based options than most towns of its size.
Exmouth has a smaller share of 25 to 44 year olds than the region, so a club makes it simpler to meet women going through the same decade. A wet winter by the estuary can be lonely; a club gives it purpose. Ways to make friends after 40 afloat and on court:
1
Exmouth Rowing Club at the former lifeboat station, with Sunday sessions and two trial rows for newcomers.
2
Exmouth Gig Club, which offers short introductory rows when the tide is calm and slack.
3
Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club, whose social sessions start at 6pm on Tuesdays, with a try-out for new players.
4
Exe Sailing Club on Shelly Road, which teaches RYA beginner sailing courses.
5
Exmouth parkrun, a Saturday 5k on the seafront.
LOCAL TIP
Book the free trial first and decide afterwards.
How to
How to meet sporty friends in Exmouth
1
Email the rowing club to book your two trial rows.
2
Turn up for social tennis on a Tuesday evening and ask about a try-out.
3
Track down a few Exmouth women around 45 on Gofrendly who fancy learning a water sport with you.
4
Ask Exe Sailing Club when its next RYA start course begins.
Something to read after training
Exmouth water-sports page: the writers
Founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and the Gofrendly editorial team prepared this page for Exmouth women wanting to take up a sport, choosing clubs with trial sessions and beginner courses.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.