Lynmouth surf spots are now a part of an official World Surfing Reserve. They’re not the same punchy bombs as you get out in Croyde. Instead, they’re Raglan-esque point breaks that are dream for goofies who ride with a bit of extra volume. Here’s our complete guide.
An introduction to Lynmouth surf
Lynmouth, tucked away on England’s rugged southwestern Dorset coastline, has recently made headlines by being included in the North Devon World Surfing Reserve and a UNESCO Biosphere reserve. It’s actually at the northeastern tail end of that celebrated run of coast but is a great base for hitting the spectacular point breaks especially that give the region its rep.
What’s more, with its quaint harbor village vibes, Lynmouth is a bit of a hidden gem of the West Country. It’s benefits from solid wave consistency and bags of charm to boot. Picture it: Chilly Atlantic swells rolling in, breaking against a backdrop of dramatic Exmoor hills and ancient forests, with cozy pubs on the foreshore and wild walking paths weaving over the coast hills to the north and south. Can you tell that it’s a nice place to surf?
The surf has its moods here, sometimes gentle and at times wild, but Lynmouth shines best when it’s overhead and windy on the Cornish coast. Mhmm…if Croyde and Bude are blowouts, there’s a good chance that the cobblestone point breaks here will be curling beautifully and offering long peelers of up to 200 meters or more.
There’s been a lot of press about these parts since the reserve designation. Locals have mixed feelings, naturally. Line ups are busier than we’ve seen. But cold water and the spotlight being firmly fixed on Cornwall means you’ll rarely find it absolutely packed.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in England
Lynmouth surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Lynmouth surf?
Where is Lynmouth?
Nestled at the confluence of the East and West Lyn rivers, the town of Lynmouth (and nearby Lynton, on the hill just above) itself is a picturesque cascade of buildings, snaking its way down to the harbor. As for the surf?
Just a stone’s throw from the harbor, you’ll find the main beach. And then there’s the more exposed north-facing coast that runs west towards Woolacombe and Westward Ho!, which is the area that hosts most of the top-quality point breaks that Lynmouth excels at.
More generally speaking, Lynmouth is in North Devon. Car is the best way to get in because public transport is thin on the ground. It’s 2.5 hour’s drive from Bristol and about 1.5 from the junctions with the M5 motorway. The drive is pretty nice though.
Lynmouth surf spots
Lynmouth was catapulted to fame when a few famous photos of the lovely left point breaks that work in front of the town itself made it into local surf mags. When they shape up – which is, admittedly, quite rare – they mimic something out of Raglan. Sadly, they need loads of swell to get kicking.
On the flip side, there are other regional spots that can work on smaller conditions, mainly as you head west towards the Atlantic-facing shores of Devon and then Cornwall beyond.
Main Point
The jewel in the crown of Lynmouth is this marshmallow-mellow left that comes off the eastern side of the Lyn River. It’s a bowly, bendy number that will be cruising at just 4-6 foot when it’s 20 foot down on the west-facing beaches of Croyde and Bude. Perfect for minimals and longboarding, but also can be a fun shortboard hotdogging wave on certain days when the wind is low and the size is high.
Just like Top Point (see below), it’s a low-tider that works best an hour before and an hour after the full drop. The finest conditions we’ve ever seen here were a special Christmas in 2015 I think, when it was firing overhead in Croyde but was 6 foot and clean with a light S wind in Lynmouth.
Top Point
On the far western side of Lynmouth Bay is the Top Point. It starts about 20-25 meters from the end of the main headland, so is a lot more exposed than the main point, both to those irritating cross-shore westerlies and oncome SW swell. The upshot? Expect extra size but messier walls, which will improve a little as the peel inside and into the bay proper, where they eventually get the protection from the cliffs like Main Point does.
Top Point is a low-tide wave only. The water needs to pull back off the cobblestone beach, which then transforms into the bank that creates the shape of the wave and directs it around into the river mouth. That means it’s pretty shallow at points, so switch to turtle rolls or follow the locals in at the far end of the bay to avoid having to go through sets on the way in.
Locals will tell legends of days when the two points connect but we’ve never seen it happen and, frankly, don’t believe it can. The cut of the river is just too wide and there’s always a rip there pushing back and mushing the whole thing out. What’s more, the speed of Top Point means that it tend to close out faster than Main Point, calling time on rides before you even reach the river.
Woody Bay
Drive the gorgeous coast roads to the west of Lynton and you’ll come to Woody Bay in about 15 minutes. Parking can be hard and the walk down to the beach is a bit of a scramble. The reward is one of North Devon’s more exposed bays.
It still needs some good swell in the Atlantic – preferably the NW channel – to fire but it’s not as sensitive as Lynmouth’s points. Sadly, the wave lacks quality most of the time. When it is on (like once or twice per year!) it will barrel and then section into a tapering shoulder.
Woolacombe
Woolacombe marks the start of the quality surf zone of the Southwest. It’s the first beach that runs for more than a few hundred meters. And it’s the first beach that faces directly due west into the Atlantic. That brings swell and lots of it. In the middle of winter, this one can be fierce, with a notoriously difficult paddle out into bombs out back. Summer is the high time for us, with a nice clean E wind that grooms the sets into fat A-frames. Lovely.
We’ve got a full guide to surfing in Woolacombe here (coming soon)
Where to stay when surfing in Lynmouth?
There aren’t any dedicated surf camps in Lynmouth. In fact, there are hardly any major hotels here. That’s kinda’ the charm of a place that remains off the beaten tourist path. It means you can stay in some seriously lovely B&Bs that have that welcoming, hearty West Country vibe. We’d wait for some swell, book last minute, and drive down with the boards. Sorted.
- Rising Sun Hotel – Enchanting doesn’t quite do it justice at the Rising Sun. The thatched roof pub has been plying its trade on the Lynmouth cobbled quaysides for agessss. They do local produce, serve local ciders in the moody Victorian-style drinking room, and have rooms that peer out over the waters of the Lyn River.
- Riverside Cottage B&B – A local, loveable B&B that has just a handful of quaint rooms tucked into the old heart of Lynmouth. Only a couple of minutes’ walking to the beach.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Lynmouth surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Lynmouth surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step five: Enjoy!
For paying for stuff when you’re traveling – Get a Wise borderless card/account. They charge NOTHING for POS payments in any country and have some of the best FX rates around in our humble opinion.
When to surf in Lynmouth?
The key thing here is that Lynmouth’s main point breaks need size. In fact, they need serious size. The due-north orientation of the beach and the shape of the Devon coastline going west works to really chop down the swell. To be honest, the best days we’ve seen here have had like 15 foot or more on west-facing beaches like Croyde and Bude, with either light W winds, or even better, SE winter winds that will be cold as cold can be.
Talking of the cold, all that adds up to one conclusion: Winter is the best time to surf in Lynmouth. It’s the time when the strongest W-NW swells push through the Atlantic to curl around to the inside of the Bristol Channel.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
