Spot of the Week – Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay has two miles of ever-changing sand banks. Photo: Barefoot Media

Watergate Bay has it all. Vast expanses of golden sand appear at low tide, there’s a hotel right by the beach where you can get surf lessons if you’re just starting out and Jamie Oliver has got his Fifteen Cornwall restaurant there. Located just 2 miles north of Newquay and its famous Fistral Beach there are a couple of car parks, a beach side cafe and toilets, so everything you need for a day’s surfing. Here’s breakdown of the wave situation:

Surfers Eye map of Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay is a consistent all-year round beach-break, that sometimes produces power waves with the odd barrel. It will pick up any swell going, and works through all tides. Mid tide with southwest winds and a 3-5ft groundswell is best, and fast peaky take-offs result. Bigger swells are sometimes a little messy here, and west winds are onshore. On higher tides the south end is cleaner on the prevailing southwesterlies but the bay is split. Busy in summer as there is major camping and carpark here, but the many peaks spread the load and its a good place to be anyway. If it’s flat here it will be flat almost everywhere.

1-6ft. Can handle more if a nice offshore breeze combines with a long-period swell. All levels although advanced when over 4ft. Currents when sizey. Autumn and winter are best.

Here’s more info on surf spots around the UK & Ireland.