England is a proper cold-water surf nation, and a surprisingly rich one. Facing the full Atlantic to the west and the North Sea to the east, it packs a huge variety of waves into a compact, easy-to-explore coast. Cornwall is the buzzing heartland, home to the surf capital of Newquay and its famous Fistral beach, while North Devon hides one of Britain’s best and heaviest beach breaks at Croyde and the country’s premier reef at Porthleven waits for the big south-westerly swells. Up in the North East, a hardy scene surfs the North Sea from Yorkshire to Tyneside. The water’s cold and a wetsuit is always on, but the autumn swells, the welcoming crews and the seaside character make it a classic. It sits high on our guide to the world’s best places to surf. Here’s England, region by region, plus when to go and what to pack.
Which England wave fits you?
From the buzzing beaches of Newquay to the heavy barrels of Croyde and the hardy North Sea scene up north, answer three quick questions and we'll match you with two English waves.
Quick surf guide to England
- Best season: September to November (autumn) for the cleanest, most consistent swells with still-mild water; winter (December to March) is bigger and colder
- Best for beginners: Fistral and Watergate Bay (Newquay), Woolacombe, Saltburn
- Best for advanced: Croyde, Porthleven, Sennen Cove on a big day
- Water temp: cold, 6 to 17°C (a 3/2 in summer, a 4/3 to 5/4 with boots, gloves and hood in winter)
- Getting around: a car helps to chase the swell and wind along the coast; Newquay is very accessible
- Gateways: Newquay (NQY) or drive/train to Cornwall; Bristol/Exeter for Devon; the North East from Newcastle or Leeds
- Budget: mid-range, $80 to $140 a day
Where to surf in England
English surf spreads across two very different coasts: the swell-rich Atlantic west, from Cornwall up through North Devon, and the North Sea coast of the North East, plus a fickle south-coast fringe on the English Channel. We’ve broken it into five regions. Tap a marker to preview a spot, then click its name to jump straight to it.
North Cornwall
North Cornwall is the beating heart of English surf: a swell-magnet coast facing the full force of the Atlantic, home to the surf capital of Newquay and a run of superb beach breaks. Buzzy, welcoming and consistent, it’s where most English surf trips start.
Fistral
England’s most famous wave, Fistral in Newquay is a high-quality beach break that catches almost any Atlantic swell and offers lefts and rights for every level, best on a mid-to-high tide. It ranges from friendly summer peaks for learners to powerful, hollow autumn and winter waves that host national and international contests, with the heavy Cribbar reef breaking offshore on giant days. The energetic hub of English surf, backed by a town built around it.
Watergate Bay
A vast, two-mile stretch of golden sand just north of Newquay, Watergate Bay is a consistent, high-quality beach break with plenty of room to spread out, making it a favourite of surf schools and improvers. It picks up loads of swell and has hosted big-name events, with peaks all along the sand at lower tides. Backed by cliffs, cafes and a smart beach hotel, it’s a scenic, accessible all-rounder.
Perranporth
A long, sandy, dune-backed beach south of Newquay, Perranporth is a friendly, consistent beach break with acres of space, sandbar peaks and a famous beach bar out on the sand. It’s a relaxed, family-friendly spot that suits beginners and intermediates, picking up plenty of Atlantic swell along its three-mile sweep. A quintessential Cornish surf beach with a laid-back holiday vibe.
Gwithian
On the eastern side of St Ives Bay, Gwithian (and neighbouring Godrevy) is a mellow, expansive beach break that’s more sheltered than the exposed north coast, making it a great learner and longboard wave with a laid-back, surfy community. Long walls peel over sand at the right tides, backed by dunes and the iconic Godrevy lighthouse. A cruisy, scenic spot away from the Newquay bustle.
West and South Cornwall
Cornwall’s far west and south coast trade consistency for quality and character: the wild, powerful beach break of Sennen near Land’s End, and, when a big swell wraps into the sheltered south, the famous reef of Porthleven.
Sennen Cove
The most westerly beach in England, Sennen Cove near Land’s End is a beautiful, powerful beach break that catches the raw, unfiltered Atlantic swell, often bigger and heavier than the north-coast beaches. Turquoise water and white sand give it an almost tropical look on a sunny day, but the waves pack a punch. A stunning, exposed spot for confident surfers, and a wild end-of-England setting.
Porthleven
England’s most famous reef, Porthleven on the sheltered south coast is a heavy, hollow right-hander that only breaks when a big SW swell wraps around the Lizard, drawing the country’s best surfers to its shallow, powerful barrels beside the harbour wall. It’s fickle and serious, one of the finest and most photographed waves in Britain when it’s on. Strictly for advanced surfers, and a spectator sport for everyone else.
Praa Sands
A sandy beach on Cornwall’s south coast, Praa Sands only really works when a solid SW swell pushes around into the English Channel, but when it does it offers fun, uncrowded beach-break peaks in a sheltered setting that can be cleaner than the storm-battered north coast. It’s a handy alternative on a big, messy day up north, popular with locals in the know. Warmer, calmer and often glassier when it turns on.
North Devon
Just up the coast, North Devon punches well above its weight, with a cluster of superb beaches around the Taw and Torridge estuary. Croyde is one of the best and most powerful beach breaks in Britain, flanked by the mellow expanses of Saunton and Woolacombe.
Croyde
One of the best and heaviest beach breaks in the UK, Croyde is a fast, hollow, punchy wave that barrels over shallow sand on the right swell and tide, making this pretty Devon bay a mecca for advanced surfers and bodyboarders. It’s powerful and can be unforgiving, working best around low to mid tide, and it gets busy when it’s on. The jewel of North Devon, and a proper challenge.
Woolacombe
A glorious three-mile sweep of golden sand, Woolacombe is North Devon’s friendly all-rounder: a forgiving, consistent beach break with space to spread out and waves that work through all tides, ideal for beginners and improvers. It’s a favourite family surf beach with schools and hire, mellower than heavy Croyde next door. A beautiful, accessible spot for a relaxed session.
Saunton Sands
A vast, gently sloping beach backed by the Braunton Burrows dunes, Saunton Sands delivers long, mellow, rolling waves that are perfect for longboarders and beginners, breaking softly over three miles of sand. It’s one of the most forgiving waves in the country, best at mid tide, with a classic, timeless English seaside feel. The go-to for a cruisy log or a first surf in Devon.
Putsborough
At the sheltered southern end of Woolacombe beach, Putsborough is a slightly more protected spot that holds shape when the wind and swell get too much for its exposed neighbours, offering fun, cleaner peaks for improvers. It’s the pick on a windy day in North Devon, tucked under Baggy Point, with a quieter, scenic feel. A useful, forgiving option to round out the Devon beaches.
The North East
England’s other great surf coast faces the North Sea in the North East, from the Yorkshire hub of Saltburn to the beaches of Tyneside. It runs on a different swell clock to the Atlantic west, and it’s cold and hardy, but home to a thriving, welcoming scene.
Saltburn
The historic heart of North East surf, Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a friendly, consistent beach break beneath a Victorian pier, with a long surf heritage and a thriving local community. It offers generally smaller, forgiving waves that are ideal for beginners and intermediates, best in the autumn when the North Sea comes alive. Cold water and a hardy, welcoming crew, plus a classic seaside-town backdrop.
Scarborough
The Yorkshire resort of Scarborough has two bays that pick up North Sea swell, with the North Bay in particular offering a decent, consistent beach break and a keen local scene. It’s a characterful, old-school seaside spot where you can surf beneath a clifftop castle, best in the autumn and winter storms. Cold and modest, but a fun, friendly wave and a proper English surf-town experience.
Tynemouth
Just outside Newcastle, Tynemouth Longsands is the North East’s most accessible surf: a consistent beach break in a handsome bay that catches North Sea swell and has a big, active surf community right on the city’s doorstep. It works for beginners and improvers across the tides, with schools and a lively cafe scene, and it comes alive on an autumn or winter swell. Urban, cold-water surfing with a great vibe.
The South coast
The English Channel coast is a fickle, softer world, only breaking on the biggest swells or strong local winds, but for surfers in the south of England, spots like Bournemouth and Kimmeridge are a welcome local fix.
Bournemouth
The long sandy beaches of Bournemouth on the Dorset coast only work when a big SW swell drives up the Channel or strong winds build a sea, but when they do they offer gentle, forgiving waves close to a large population, plus the country’s first (if temperamental) artificial surf reef at Boscombe. It’s fickle and modest, but a genuine local option for surfers in the south. A handy fix when the Channel comes to life.
Kimmeridge
Tucked into a bay on the Jurassic Coast, Kimmeridge is the south coast’s quality wave: a right-hand ledge and reef break (The Ledges) that only fires on a big SW swell wrapping into Dorset, but rewards the wait with long, peeling walls in a stunning, fossil-rich setting. It’s fickle, tidal and can get crowded when it works, given how rarely the south fires. A cherished gem for southern surfers.
When to surf in England
Spring and summer (smaller, best for beginners)
Winter (December to March, biggest, stormiest, coldest)
England’s prime surf season is the autumn, from September to November. As the North Atlantic wakes up, it sends bigger, cleaner and more consistent swells into Cornwall, Devon and the west, while the water is still relatively mild from summer, giving some of the most enjoyable surf of the year. The North East, facing the North Sea, also comes alive in autumn on northerly swells. It’s the sweet spot: quality waves without the depths of winter cold.
Winter (December to March) brings the biggest and most powerful swells, driven by Atlantic storms, but with the coldest water (down to around 6 degrees), short days and strong winds, it’s best left to experienced, well-insulated surfers. Summer (June to August) is the gentlest, warmest time, with smaller waves ideal for beginners and families, though flat spells are common. Whenever you come, the water is cold: a 3/2 in summer, and a 4/3 to 5/4 with boots, gloves and a hood in winter.
What are the best surf camps in England?
England’s surf-camp and surf-school scene is thriving, concentrated in the surf capital of Newquay and across Cornwall and North Devon, where dozens of schools and multi-day camps teach on the forgiving beaches of Fistral, Watergate Bay and Woolacombe, wetsuits included. The North East around Saltburn and Tynemouth has its own hardy, welcoming schools. Most run as lessons, weekends and coaching camps, often with a social, festival-ish vibe in summer. It’s an easy, affordable place to learn to surf in cold water. Learn at Fistral or Woolacombe, then chase the swell along the coast. It sits just across the Channel from more surf in France.
Compare surf camps in England on BookSurfCamps
What to pack for England
Cold water and changeable conditions set the packing list. Your England checklist:
- A wetsuit to match the season: a 3/2 in summer, a 4/3 in spring and autumn, and a 5/4 with boots, gloves and a hood in winter
- Boots, gloves and a hood for the colder months: English water is cold most of the year
- A changing robe and a flask for the car-park changes
- SPF and a surf hat for the brighter summer and autumn days
- A surf watch to track the tides, since most English beach breaks are very tide-dependent
- The right board: a shortboard for the punchy beach breaks and reefs, a longboard or midlength for mellow Saunton and the summer waves; see our best beginner surfboards and check your board volume
- A set of fins and a spare, plus a leash you trust for the powerful days
- A car to chase the swell and wind between beaches and coasts, plus your best gear from your favourite surf brand
Getting to England
Cornwall, the surf heartland, is served by Newquay airport (NQY) and by road and train from London and Bristol (around four to five hours’ drive to Newquay). North Devon is reached via Exeter or Bristol, and the North East from Newcastle or Leeds. A car is a big help for chasing the swell and wind between beaches and coasts, since English breaks are fickle and tide-dependent. Cornwall gets very busy in summer, so book ahead, and check the forecast closely as conditions change fast. It’s an easy hop across the Channel to combine with surfing in France. Wrap up warm, respect the rips and the cold, and enjoy one of surfing’s most characterful cold-water coasts.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to surf in England?
Autumn, September to November, is the sweet spot: the Atlantic sends bigger, cleaner swells into Cornwall and the west while the water is still mild from summer. Winter (December to March) is biggest but coldest, and summer is small and best for beginners. The North East peaks in autumn too.
How cold is the water for surfing in England?
Cold year-round, from around 6 degrees Celsius in late winter to 17 in late summer. You’ll want a 3/2 wetsuit in summer, a 4/3 in spring and autumn, and a 5/4 with boots, gloves and a hood in winter. England is never a boardshorts surf.
Where is the best surfing in England?
Cornwall is the heartland, with Newquay’s Fistral its most famous wave. North Devon’s Croyde is one of the best and heaviest beach breaks in the country, Porthleven is England’s premier reef, and the North East around Saltburn and Tynemouth is the other main scene.
Is England good for beginners?
Yes. Forgiving, sandy beaches like Fistral and Watergate Bay in Newquay, Woolacombe and Saunton in Devon, and Saltburn in the North East, along with a huge network of surf schools, make England a great, if chilly, place to learn.
Do I need a wetsuit to surf in England?
Always. English water is cold all year, so a wetsuit is essential: a 3/2 in the warmest summer weeks and a 4/3 to 5/4 with boots, gloves and a hood through the colder months. A good winter wetsuit transforms the experience.
Where should I go for my first England surf trip?
Newquay in Cornwall is the classic choice: the surf capital, with beginner-friendly Fistral and Watergate Bay, loads of surf schools and a lively scene. North Devon (Woolacombe, Saunton) is a great, slightly quieter alternative, and the North East suits those in the north of the country.
England is a proper cold-water surf nation with a coast full of character: the buzzing beaches of Newquay, the heavy barrels of Croyde and Porthleven, the mellow logs of Saunton and the hardy North Sea scene up in Yorkshire and Tyneside. Zip up a good wetsuit, chase the autumn swells, and warm up with a pasty and a brew afterwards. See you in the line-up.
