When we think of the England many of us don’t typically think of surfing.  I myself am guilty of being one of those people.  It wasn’t until I booked a trip there that I  found out that there are actually some good waves.  So two weeks ago I boarded a ten hour flight, rented a car, and drove out to the SouthWest coast of the country to check it out.

What I found unfortunately wasn’t what I had hoped.  Hurricane Katia that hit the East Coast of the U.S. seemed to take a toll on the UK’s weather, destroying any chance of me paddling out. I did though, bring back the low down on the spots I checked out and what to normally expect.  Below are some of the spots I checked out:

Porthleven:

As you pull into the harbor there’s a right reef break just to the right.  It doesn’t always break but when it does, it’s on.  This spot is said to attract all the good local surfers when a swell is in and can get pretty heavy at times.  It may be a little difficult getting to though because it does break off the rocks.  Best break is between ¾ to low tide.  (Not to mention the tides here are insane! Tides aren’t what I’m used to in Southern California…. I’m talking changes of around 25 ft)

St. Michael’s Mount:

I woudn’t recommend this spot for surfing, but if you like to windsurf it’s great. There were about four or five guys out windsurfing that day.  There’s also a sick little castle off-shore on its own island that can be walked out to on low tide and reached by boat during high tide.  All around it’s a cool place to check out if you want to see something you won’t typically get in Southern California.

Polzeath:

This spot is more suitable to all levels of surfers because of its many breaks.  It breaks both left and right and has several peaks from the bay to the point.

Fistral Beach/Newquay:

Fistral sits right in the heart of the string of beaches they call Newquay.  First thing I thought about this place was it reminded me of Huntington Beach, Ca.  It seemed to be the most similar to the Southern California breaks. It’s said to be the most famous surfing beach in Britain.  It’s good on low tides and NW to SW swells.  September to December are the best months and it’s crowded most of the year.

Woolacombe:

Woolacombe is best for beginners and you can find breaks all along the 2 mile length of beach.  It’s good on NW to SW swells and E winds.

Croyde:

Croyde has two main points: Baggy End Point which has a right-hand reef and Dwonend Point which tends to be the most surfed.  Crowds are pretty heavy so it can get pretty competitive when paddling for waves.  Baggy End Reef is best on Spring high tides and breaks in bigger swells.  Downend Point isn’t good below 4ft and is best on low to mid neap tides.

If you’re ever traveling to England, check out these spots.  As they say “over the pond,” Cheers!

Kathryn