Twelve breaks · three oceans · wherever the swell is
For anyone who has fallen in love with the surfing life, clean waves and beautiful travel. See where the surf is best right now, and find your next session.
Best right now
About www
I get wiped out more than I’d like, paddling out still wrecks my arms, and the set waves have had their way with me plenty of times.
I keep going back anyway.
I came to surfing in my twenties, and my only regret is that I didn’t find it sooner. It has taken me from cold Cornish mornings to warm-water points on the other side of the world, and this site is where I write it all down: every session, while it’s still fresh.
Surfing has given me so much: the sea, the quiet, that feeling of mind and body finally working together (even if it only lasts a few seconds before I nosedive). It’s given me some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, some of the best people I’ve ever met, and a lot of memories I wouldn’t trade for anything. Whether you’re dreaming about your first wave, a few winters in, or chasing bigger sets, I hope this site helps you find where’s good, and when.
Not every wave is for every surfer, and that’s completely fine. Pick your level (Beginner, Improver, Intermediate or Advanced) and you’ll see the spots, conditions and times of day that suit where you’re at right now. No guesswork and no ending up somewhere way out of your depth.
The main focus is the UK, starting with Cornwall and Devon. That’s not me ignoring the rest of the country. There’s brilliant surf in Wales and Scotland too, and I’d love to cover them down the line. For now, though, the South West is where it all begins, so you can compare spots and work out where’s worth the drive this weekend.
And when the ocean isn’t playing ball, there’s a link to The Wave in Bristol, an inland wave pool where you can book a session to suit your level. It’s a great way to get some reliable waves in, whether you’re catching your first or working on your turns.
Then there’s World, a collection of places abroad that I’ve surfed and fallen for. Each one is paired with a surf camp I’ve stayed at, tried, tested and genuinely loved. Planning a surf trip can be overwhelming, so hopefully this takes some of the stress out of choosing where to go next.
Maybe you’ve never touched a foamie. Maybe you’ve mastered the Banzai Pipeline. Maybe, like me, you’re somewhere in between, taking a beating but paddling back out regardless.
Wherever you are, we all started in the same place: in the white water, on a foamie, getting wiped out. And you only get to ride a barrel if you learned to love that bit first. Whether you’re in it right now, left it behind years ago or haven’t paddled out yet, it’s everyone’s origin story. White water wasted. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been surfing, we’ve all been there, and that’s the beauty of it. The experiences are shared.
I’ve always thought surfers see the world a little differently. There’s an outlook that comes from time in the water, and with it a real urge to pass on the good stuff: the right spot, the right tide, the place that changed everything. That’s what this site is about.
So grab your board and your wetsuit, and let’s get white water wasted together.
Mini game
Steer through the night swell and bring your board home. A thousand metres of open water stand between you and the beach.
Space or Enter to start · fastest ride is saved on this device
Right on
Surf conditions
Live wave and wind forecasts for my spots, rated for your level. Intermediate is my level: good means waves of about 1–1.8 m with some period behind them and light or offshore wind.
Pick a spot and a day in the next 9 days to see how it looks, hour by hour.
Tide times are estimates from Open-Meteo's ocean model and can be 30 to 45 minutes out, so check a local tide table before you go.
My spots
From cold-water favourites in Cornwall and Devon, through Portugal, France, Morocco and the Canary Islands, to warm water in Brazil, Nicaragua and Sri Lanka.
Drag to spin · tap a dot or pick a spot
Pick a spot
Newquay, Cornwall, UK
Cornwall's best-known beach break. Fistral picks up almost any Atlantic swell, with punchy peaks up and down the beach and plenty of room to spread out.
Near Newquay, Cornwall, UK
Two miles of sand just north of Newquay, with punchy lefts and rights all along it. The middle gets busy near the beach entrance, so walk north or south for a quieter peak, and watch the tide pushing up to the cliffs.
North Devon, UK
A hollow, peaky beach break tucked between Baggy Point and Downend Point. Low tide brings heavy barrels; it gets friendlier as the tide pushes in. Expect crowds and rips.
North Devon, UK
A huge stretch of dune-backed sand just south of Croyde, known for long, gentle, peeling waves. A favourite with longboarders and beginners, with a friendly line-up. Watch for rips, and the paddle back out gets long when it's bigger.
South Devon, UK
South Devon's best-known break, where the River Avon meets the sea. Consistent sandbanks give a right by the rivermouth and peaks in the middle of the bay. Watch for rips, especially as the tide drops.
Basque coast, France
The Grande Plage in the middle of town: punchy, walling peaks over sandbanks, best in clean, medium swells at lower tides. Côte des Basques, round the headland, is mellower for longboard days.
Ribeira d'Ilhas, Portugal
The heart of Europe's first World Surfing Reserve: a long right that reels over a sand-covered reef in a cliff-lined bay. It starts working from just over knee high and can run for 200 m, so there's a wave for every level.
Panorama Point, Morocco
Panoramas is a long right-hand point that peels onto the sand at the edge of Taghazout village. Faster and more sectiony at low tide, softer as the tide fills in, and far mellower than Anchor Point along the coast.
Rocky Point, Corralejo, Canary Islands
Rocky Point (Punta Elena) is Corralejo's go-to wave on Fuerteventura's north shore: a huge arc of flat reef that wakes up when a big winter swell wraps in. There's a fast, hollow right and longer, walling lefts. Beginners and longboarders surf it when it's small, and it gets good for intermediates as the size picks up, with views across to the Isla de Lobos.
East coast, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's famous right-hand point break. Long, peeling walls, warm water, palm trees on the shore and a laid-back village to come back to.
Rivas, Nicaragua
A flat rock reef with a fun A-frame peak, rights and lefts. Offshore winds blowing across from Lake Nicaragua keep it clean for much of the year. Watch the shallow sections.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A consistent sand-bottom beach break on Rio's west side, between Recreio and Prainha. Softer, fatter waves in the left corner and faster, hollower ones to the right, so you can pick your peak.
Wave pools
A wave pool is a lake where machines make the waves, so they roll in on schedule and break the same way every time, whatever the swell, wind or tide. It's the perfect place to practise. Head to Bristol, where The Wave has sessions for every level, from white water in The Bay to 6ft barrels on The Reef. Or go further afield to Surf Abu Dhabi, one of the world's biggest wave pools.
Bristol, England
Sessions sell out fast and spaces change by the minute, so availability lives on The Wave's own booking calendar. Pick a session below to see its dates, or jump straight in.
This site isn't connected to The Wave. Session details come from thewave.com and can change, so check there before you book.
Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi
One of the world's biggest wave pools, built with Kelly Slater Wave Co. and open since late 2024. A submerged foil is pulled along the pool to make each wave, and there's something for every level, from gentle white water for first-timers to barrels on Kelly's Wave.
Lessons and open surf sessions on each wave are booked on Surf Abu Dhabi's own website.
What it's like, so you can decide whether it's worth the trip.
This site isn't connected to Surf Abu Dhabi. Details come from surfabudhabi.com and can change, so check there before you book.
Surf diary
Written down whilst it's fresh.
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Gallery
Moments that make me want to paddle out.
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