The UK has a wealth of waves to suit pretty much every kind of surfer – here Alf Alderson, author of the long running guidebook ‘Surf UK’, picks something for everyone.
Pick up a map of the British Isles and trace the coastline. What you're looking at is over 11,000 miles of shoreline, battered by five main bodies of water: the North Sea on the east coast, the English Channel in the south, the Celtic and Irish Seas in the south-west and west, and the mighty Atlantic Ocean pummeling the north-west. Tucked along these undulating stretches of clifftops, beaches and bays are a surprisingly good selection of surf breaks.
British surfing has come a long way since the first brave souls paddled out at Newquay in the 1960s. Today, a thriving surf culture stretches from the sun-warmed beaches of Cornwall to the wild, crowd-free shores of the Outer Hebrides, taking in Victorian pier towns on the North Sea, ancient tidal phenomena on the Severn, and even the odd inland wave pool (thanks to the wonders of modern technology) for good measure. Whatever your level – cautious beginner, weekend intermediate or seasoned charger who knows exactly what a 32-foot spring tide means for the Severn Bore – there's a wave in the UK with your name on it.
Here, Alf Alderson – author of the long-running guidebook Surf UK and a man who has spent decades getting cold and salty in the name of the sport – picks the very best of British surf, from family-friendly beach breaks to the kind of heavy water that demands serious respect.
The lineup at Towan Head tells you everything you need to know about Newquay's surf credentials. On a decent swell, the water fills up fast – as this bird's-eye view makes abundantly clear.
Best for Experts | The Cribber, Newquay
If you class yourself as an ‘expert’ you’ll no doubt know where all the best and most challenging waves are already, so Newquay’s infamous ‘Cribber’ is unlikely to have slipped under your radar.
The best-known big wave in Cornwall only breaks a few times a year, when it can reach triple-overhead and bigger, and whilst people have towed into it, mechanical assistance isn’t usually involved (it was first surfed in the sixties, when such luxuries as jet-skis were the stuff of James Bond movies).
Breaking off Towan Head at low tide, the Cribbar jacks up above a shallow reef to provide both left- and right-hand walls; it breaks in front of cliffs (on the top of which there will almost certainly be a good number of spectators) so a wipeout can have serious consequences, and there are strong rips to contend with as well.
Add to all this the fact that it’s most likely to work on a big winter swell when the water is at its coldest and you can see why the Cribbar is expert only territory.
That moment of commitment before you paddle out – Saunton Sands, North Devon. Three miles of Atlantic-facing beach break make this one of England's finest longboard spots, and with the Braunton Burrows dunes at your back, the setting isn't bad either.
Best for Beginners | Saunton Sands, Devon
The gently rolling waves at Saunton are ideal for beginners – unless there’s a big swell running, they’re not too powerful and are quite forgiving, and on a sunny day in late summer the sea warms up nicely as the tide comes in over the warm sand.
What’s more, Saunton is a huge beach, over two-miles long, so whilst it’s always popular and the car park above the beach is usually busy, there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out and not get in each other’s way.
If you have experienced surfers in your group Saunton can be a fun spot for them too – it’s particularly good for longboarders, and you’ll see heaps of people ‘out the back’ on their planks.
There’s a surf school, surf hire, showers and café above the beach (which is also patrolled by lifeguards), so as long as there are waves Saunton has everything you need to kick start your surfing career!
No tide tables, no wind checks, no wetsuit rash from cold Atlantic chop – The Wave near Bristol has been quietly revolutionising UK surfing since 2019. Powered by Wavegarden technology, this inland lagoon generates up to 1,000 waves per hour at a range of heights and styles, making it just as useful for first-timers as it is for seasoned surfers looking to clock serious ride time.
Best for Guaranteed Waves | The Wave, Bristol
The Wave was one of the world’s first wave parks, and if you’re a landlocked surfer, or live on a stretch of coastline with inconsistent surf, it’s the ideal place to get your surf fix, albeit at a price.
The ethos behind The Wave is admirably explained on their website (www.thewave.com) – it’s a place ‘Where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can experience the joy of waves and their many physical and mental health benefits’.
You’ll find a range of machine-made waves to cater for everyone from total novice to barrel-seeking expert; unlike the ocean, which is fickle and unpredictable when it comes to surfing, The Wave can generate up to a thousand waves an hour, ranging from 50cm (1.7ft) to almost 2m (6.5ft) in height, with a new wave sweeping down the 180-metre lagoon every 8-10 seconds.
It couldn’t be easier – you decide on your level of ability, book your one-hour session, paddle out and catch maybe 12 waves in an hour, each one yours to play on as you see fit.
But be honest with yourself about your surfing ability – if you overestimate just how good you are and book, say, an expert session when you don’t truly have that level of ability, you’ll end up getting nailed on pretty much every wave, and who wants to pay £43 just to wipe out a dozen times?!
Watergate Bay's two miles of open beach make it one of Cornwall's most versatile surf destinations – there's room for everyone, from first-timers taking their first wobbly stand to the more experienced contingent pulling moves like this in the bigger breaks. With the Extreme Academy surf school right on the beach and plenty of space to spread out, it's a genuinely great day out for the whole family.
Best for Families | Watergate, Cornwall
Watergate is a two-mile long golden strand with some of the most consistent surf in Cornwall, and it doesn’t get quite as hectic as the beaches of nearby Newquay; that said, it will tend to get busy towards high tide as everyone gets forced into a narrower slice of beach, so if you want to avoid the crowds ensure you visit between low- and mid-tide.
There are stacks of facilities at Watergate, including surf schools, surf hire and surf shops along with beach cafes, restaurants and a pub, and amongst the other attractions are caves and rockpools for kids to explore; the beach is also dog-friendly, so your best pal can come along and frolic in the waves too.
As well as offering surfing lessons the Extreme Academy above the beach also provides stand-up paddleboarding and kite surfing instruction, so if you’re a family of adventurers Watergate Bay should keep you occupied for days at a time.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea punches well above its weight as a surf destination. The North Sea doesn't have the glamour of the Atlantic, but it delivers surprisingly consistent swells to this Victorian seaside town — and when the light drops like this, it's hard to argue with the scenery.
Best for Intermediates | Saltburn, Cleveland
There’s been a buzzing surf scene in Saltburn since the 1960s, with all the action taking place around the pier (where you’ll also find a surf school, surf hire, surf shops and even crazy golf!).
This stretch of the North Sea has some of the most consistent waves on England’s east coast, and whilst it’s one of the chilliest surf spots featured here it’s absolutely fine in summer if you have a decent wetsuit (I was recently surfing here on a sunny day in early August wearing a 4/3mm wetsuit and was almost too warm – I wasn’t wearing boots either).
It’s always busy either side of the pier on a good swell, but if you walk up the beach towards Marske you’ll almost certainly find a wave to yourself, and when your session is over, there’s a heap of good local cafes and pubs – including the Ship Inn right above the beach – in which to refuel.
The evening glass-off at Whitesands Bay, when the wind drops and the waves clean up – one of Welsh surfing's finest hours. It's no coincidence that this corner of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has been drawing surfers for decades.
Best for Scenery | Whitesands, Pembrokeshire
This is my home break, and I’ll hold up my hands and admit it – on more than one occasion I’ve missed a wave because I’ve been gawping at the scenery. It may have been a spectacular sunset, for which Whitesands is famous, it could have been the swell bursting spectacularly over St. David’s Head or maybe it was just the magnificent seascape of wild, wave-bashed islands, dramatic sea cliffs and golden sands (despite the name of the beach); there’s always a great view to be had at Whitesands.
If you’re lucky you may see an Atlantic grey seal staring back at you from the deep blue waters, gannets diving spectacularly for fish, or even porpoises playing in the waves, and when you look back inland the panorama is just as impressive, with 181-metre Carn Llidi rising up above the beach; if you’ve got the energy after your surf session, take a walk to its summit for some of the most spectacular coastal views in Britain – you can even see Ireland on a clear day.
And if you don’t have the energy, warm up in the beachside sauna (www.whitesandssauna.co.uk), which is so close to the action that you can watch the surf whilst steaming away.
Not your average surf session. The Severn Bore is one of the world's great natural phenomena – a tidal surge that rolls up the River Severn in a single unbroken wave, sometimes reaching over 2 metres high. On the biggest days, experienced surfers can ride it for miles inland, past fields and hedgerows, in one of the most surreal wave-riding experiences on the planet. No ocean required.
Best for Long Rides | The Severn Bore
The Severn Bore will easily give you the longest ride in Britain - in fact it’s one of the longest surfable waves in the world. The fact that it breaks several miles inland and on a river is mere detail…
The bore occurs on the biggest tides of the year when Atlantic waters from the Bristol Channel surge up the Severn estuary at as much as 20 kph and become funnelled between the ever-narrowing river banks to create one of the UK’s most bizarre natural spectacles.
If the equinoxes coincide with big Atlantic swells the bore may be as much as six-feet high, tearing off overhanging tree branches, sweeping away sections of river bank, and providing a wave that can be ridden for several kilometres (the record ride at the time of writing is 12.16km by Steve King).
The wave is usually surfed between Newnham and Lower Partington, where the river forks, and there are several points of access. As the bore approaches, you’ll hear a roar downstream, until it eventually appears around a bend in the river as a wall of water flowing upstream. This is an impressive sight if the bore is big.
There’s no way of knowing for certain just how big the wave will be, but the largest bores occur on tides over 32ft - these occur at the spring and autumn Equinox, and one to three days after full and new moons.
Cold water, empty lineups and waves that have travelled the full width of the North Atlantic to get here – surfing in the Outer Hebrides is not for the faint-hearted, but those willing to pull on a 5mm wetsuit and make the journey are rewarded with some of the most pristine surf in Europe. On a day like this, it's worth every mile.
Best for Avoiding the Crowds | Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Lewis is the focal point of surfing in the Outer Hebrides, with beaches such as Valtos, Dalmore Bay and Barvas picking up heaps of swell, which isn’t surprising given their exposed location, whilst to the south the islands of Harris, North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula can also turn it on.
Add to this a mix of white sand beaches and crystal clear, jade green water and the oft made comparisons with the Caribbean are not out of order, although clearly the water will be a tad cooler…
If you decide to surf here, you’ll mostly have all this to yourself, which isn’t surprising given the long trek involved in travelling to the Outer Hebrides for most people and the fact that the only big town in the island chain, Stornoway, has a population of only 6,000, most of whom don’t surf…
As deep as it gets at Sennen Cove. Cornwall's most south-westerly surf beach sits right at the toe of the country, fully exposed to long-distance Atlantic swells — and when the conditions align, it produces barrels like this. The motion blur says everything about the speed involved. This is about as good as British surfing gets.
Best for Reliable Waves | Sennen Cove/Gwynver Beach, Cornwall
The beautiful white sand beach and dazzling blue waters of Sennen Cove and Gwynver Beach (directly north of Sennen – the two merge into each other) provide some of the most consistent waves in Britain thanks to their location at the tip of the Cornish peninsula. This means, of course, that it can get busy on a good swell, but the beach is big enough for the crowds to be able to spread out.
What’s more, you can, up to a point, choose the size of wave you surf here, since the waves tend to get bigger as you move north from Sennen to Gwynver, which makes it a good choice for groups of mixed ability.
There’s a surf school, surf hire, surf shop and good café above the beach, making it the kind of place where you can settle in for the day – or maybe longer since there are also a couple of campsites above the beach too.
And Some Unlikely Surf Spots…
The Severn Bore (above) could easily fit the ‘least likely’ description, but there are a number of other sites around the British coast that you may be surprised to find have waves.
East Anglia and Kent, for instance, have had keen and active surf communities since the sixties despite only occasionally getting decent waves – and usually in winter when it’s pretty Baltic there.
On the other side of the country, the Irish Sea can produce some excellent point breaks in Cardigan Bay and even the Wirral and Cumbrian coast have waves from time to time. Waves funnelling into the Bristol Channel can also produce great surf conditions on the Glamorgan coast – without the crowds that throng North Devon.
Southerndown at its most dramatic — a fiery sunset over the Bristol Channel and a clean wave to match. This stretch of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is one of Wales's most underrated surf spots, picking up the same southwesterly swells that charge more famous breaks. Catches the light rather well, too.
The trick to scoring a wave in places like this if you’re a travelling surfer is obvious – always have your board and wetsuit in the back of your car or van, just in case.
As an example of what I mean, about three summers ago I was on the Mull of Kintyre in my campervan, and had my surf gear with me although there were no waves due according to the online surf forecasts (which frankly are not that reliable).
However, one night a brief storm blew up, which the following day resulted in a lovely, clean shoulder high point break rolling into Dunaverty Bay at the very southern tip of the peninsula; for an hour I surfed it on my own in warm August sunshine before I was joined by two other surfers.
On that particular day – which just happened to be my birthday – there wasn’t a surfable wave to be found anywhere else in the UK. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was presented with the perfect birthday present by Mother Nature!
The paddle out at Watergate Bay in evening light; other surfers waiting in the lineup, a warm sunset ahead, and nothing to think about except the next set. Some problems are better than others.
Alf Alderson is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about adventure travel for 25 years, with his work appearing in a wide range of newspapers, magazines and websites globally. He divides his time between the Pembrokeshire coast and Les Arcs in the French Alps.
