The Woolacombe surf can be huge, slabby bombs in winter, but it can also be mellow logger waves in summer. Forecasts determine what you get on any given day, but the town remains a legendary part of the Devon surf community; a must-visit on a trip to the South West.
An introduction to Woolacombe surf
At nearly three miles long as it stretches between two grass-covered headlands on the hump of North Devon, Woolacombe is the first place in the West Country that gets real Atlantic swell. The consistency alone is enough to make it famous. Sure enough, the spot was inaugurated along with the rest of the region as a World Surfing Reserve in 2023.
What you get depends A LOT on swell size. Summer months usher in long periods when Woolacombe does great impressions of Oz east coasters, offering chest-high peaks up and down its whole length and plenty of clean whitewash for the learner groups to play around in. That’s helped along by the fact it’s almost exclusively sand bottomed save for the reefs on neighbouring Combesgate Beach and the point breaks at the very north end of Woolacombe itself.
Come in the winter and it’s a different story. This spot hoovers up huge sets and acts a bit like a Bordeira because it can hold serious size with a winter E offshore. When those W-NW swells and cold continental winds combine, you can score heavy bombs and A-frame wedges that are like Hossegor came to the UK. It’s fantastic, but be sure you have the paddle arms for the journey out.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in England
Woolacombe at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Woolacombe?
Where is Woolacombe?
Woolacombe is a village located in North Devon, a county in Southwest England. Nestled on the northwest coast of the county, it is positioned between the headlands of Baggy Point and Morte Point. The village serves as a gateway to a renowned sandy beach stretching for miles – that’s where you’ll be doing your surfing. The whole of the beach is easily accessible from the main road, Marine Drive, which runs parallel to the sand.
Woolacombe surf spots
The main spot here is that long, long beach break that starts at Woolacombe town and goes south. But there are some different sections to know about along that, plus neighboring beaches that have different waves…
Lynmouth
It’s a 40-minute drive from Woolacombe to Lynmouth but we feel it’s worth a mention here because the lefts that work on the cliff are one of – if not the – best lefts in the South West during the huge winter days. Always worth a look in if it’s totally blown out in Woolacombe and Saunton, especially if the wind is SW, which is almost offshore at Lynmouth. Works best when there’s at least 8 foot in the swell. Plus, the village has some lovely pubs there.
We love Lynmouth’s lefts so much we have a complete guide to surfing in that lovely coast town
Combesgate Beach
There are a few peeling right shoulder that work in Combesgate when the tide pushes up. They’re a bit tricky because they break over hard rock reefs before edging their way out into the middle of the bay where it’s sandy underfoot. The spot is generally seen as an ideal option for shortboarders in the intermediate+ category when its real busy in Woolacombe proper. Also has better shelter from S and N winds.
Woolacombe Beach
Most of the reason that Woolacombe is so famous is for the sweeping beach break that runs to the west side of the town. It’s a real regional classic, following in the footsteps of Llangennith in Wales and Gwithian further south in Cornwall – think a powerful, punchy run of peak after peak.
Season, wind, and swell size can have a huge effect on what you get on any given day. Winter tends to see the biggest sets but they can be seriously spectacular if partnered up with a cold E or NE wind, which blows offshore here. When that happens, you’ll arrive to see those slabby bombs that you get in most surf-mag shots of Woolacombe, usually breaking far out back (a telltale sign that this is one HARD paddle out when it’s heavy).
Summer can be a totally different thing. With light onshores or crossshores from the south and a 2-4-foot swell in, Woolacombe is the perfect all-level beach and even a decent learner spot because of the reliable whitewash it’s got. We’ve been by as late as September and seen nice, glassy lines that are no more than chest high, all very forgiving since they break nicely over a sand bottom.
You’ll need to know how to read forecasts here. Onshores can ruin Woolacombe and there are certain swell angles that seem to close out at best, and get dangerously pounding at worst. Remember: Summer for beginners to lower intermediates; winter for experts.
Putsborough Beach
Putsborough Beach is technically the south end of Woolacombe. It’s been made famous as the home of one of the most tempting surf campsites in Britain, which sits literally on the cliffs just above the waves.
This is the most protected end of the sand and tends to be a foot or two smaller than what you get closer to Woolacombe town. It’s all thanks to the long headland of Baggy Point that pokes out to kill any strong SW onshore winds, which are dominant in the autumn and winter.
The waves in summer can be really nice logger sets here, bending and curling over the sandbanks on the way into the bay. It’s all sand bottomed but there is a bit of a rip that gets strongest on a dropping tide that you’ll need to watch out for. It sucks back right on the edge of the Putsborough cliffs.
We have a complete guide to surfing in Putsborough
Croyde
At just a mile from top to bottom, Croyde is but a baby compared to Woolacombe. But size is deceiving because the surf in this North Devonshire village is probably the best in the whole county. When the tide drops and those autumn-spring NW punches come through the Atlantic, this one will churn out spinning barrel beach breaks to rival Bidart and Hossegor. There’s also a smattering of reefs that hug the cliffs on the south and north sides of the bay that have different shapes and sizes of waves that come alive at different stages in the tide.
We have a full guide to surfing in Croyde, too!
Where to stay when surfing in Woolacombe?
Woolacombe isn’t massive but it’s also got good pedigree as a seaside resort. That means there’s a good mix of accommodation options, with the self-catering Devonshire cottages really standing out from the crowd if you ask us…
- 5 Devon Beach Court – This three-bedroom apartment can sleep a whole family and has a fantastic location right on the edge of Woolacombe Beach. It’s so close that you can check the surf from your al fresco balcony. The style is lovely, too – at once cozy and contemporary, with some lovely seaside design touches.
- Watersmeet Hotel – The Watersmeet is really lovely. Yes, it’s got a rep as a bit of a romantic getaway but why not head down if you’re a traveling surf couple? Enjoy cream teas overlooking the Devon coast. Enjoy doorstep access to the coast path that will take you to Woolacombe and Combesgate Beach in a matter of seconds.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Woolacombe surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Woolacombe 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 Woolacombe?
Thanks to its complete exposure to the main swell channels in the Atlantic Ocean, Woolacombe is one of the most reliable surf beaches in Britain. Waves never really stop altogether, but the seasons do bring totally different conditions for different levels…
- The winter (November-March) – It’s more likely that you’ll get strong storm swells off the northern Atlantic. They hit Woolacombe and Devon head on and give some serious punch and size to breaks. From Croyde up, the whole coast here can fire with overhead bombs and it’s super fun if you’re a shortboard maestro with cojones. Onshore winds can ruin the party, so can 15+ swells, which will often close out on the beaches here, which is when you should travel round to Lynmouth.
- The summer (June-September) – The summer sees the Atlantic swells calm a lot and winds switch to more S or SW directions. The upshot? Woolacombe is one of the best learner beaches in the Devonshire area because there’s still enough exposure to have waves that are great for practicing on. The south end of the bay is well protected from onshores, so better for logging. The north will be where the schools usually go to chase mush and whitewash on the inside.
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!
