Wooda Farm Holiday Park, Poughill, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 9HJ
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It might seem surprising but one of the best times to visit Cornwall and Devon, if surfing is your priority, is in the spring. The water is warming, gradually, the lineups are sparsely populated and the swells are still coming through on a regular basis. And by the time June has come, the Atlantic storms are dissipating and the chances of decent surf, for the experienced board master, are severely reduced, making it the perfect time for your surf holiday in Cornwall.
It’s worth mentioning that for the beginner surfer, this isn’t a problem as you won’t need the size of waves that winter and spring swells bring in order to learn the craft, but, for the advanced surfer booking a Spring surf trip in North Cornwall really is a must.
If you’ve spent your winter dreaming of trips to Bali or Hawaii and are spending time glued to youtube fantasising about perfect waves in far-flung regions across the world, you might want to consider what is right here on our doorstep in the UK. Here in North Cornwall, there is a plethora of superb spots that can be favourably compared to the best waves in the world, with the added advantage of there only being a handful of people in the water alongside you.
Also, for us British Surfers, the environmental impact of taking your surf trip in the UK makes sense, as watermen and waterwomen we should all be doing as much as we possibly can to keep our oceans as healthy as we possibly can and reducing our air miles is a great way to do that.
As surfers, you’ll know that if I were to reveal the locations of all of the best surf spots in the local area I would probably be sent to surfers’ purgatory and be banned from the Atlantic for the foreseeable future. What I can say is that local surfers in our beautiful area of North Cornwall are welcoming and very willing to share information via word of mouth.
There are, however, a few great surf locations within a short distance of Wooda Farm that I can share with you without risking permanent banishment from the surf community!
The nearest beach to us and an excellent spot for surfing when the conditions are right is Northcott Mouth. This little beach break is a bit exposed but has quite consistent surf all year round providing the wind is playing ball. It offers lefts and rights and works best at low tide with westerly swells. The rips can be frighteningly powerful when it’s getting gnarly in the Spring, so best for experienced surfers only when the size of the swell is big. Perfect spot for beginners in the smaller waves of the summer.
One of the best-known beach breaks in this area of the world and one that is best visited in the Spring before the crowds gather in the busy summer months. Widemouth is a long stretch made up of two main reefs and a plethora of sandbanks in between, providing all sorts of waves throughout all tides, but is usually best at just off high tide. Consistently gives something surfable even in smaller conditions. Can be very busy when the swell is perfect.
Sandymouth is a quieter spot and west facing so it picks up a lot of swells throughout the Spring. Best on a pushing tide at low to mid but can be easily messed up by strong winds due to its exposure. Big swells cause powerful rip currents so, again, best for surfers with experience when the waves are big.
Even though the air temperature is rising here, in North Cornwall, the sea temperature doesn’t catch up until May/June, therefore you need to be properly prepared to surf in North Cornwall in the Spring. Hood, boots and gloves are necessities at this time of year as the sea temperature rarely gets above 10Ë™C. I would also recommend bringing a larger board, longboard or fish, as well as your shortboard for those days with smaller swells so you don’t miss out. There are places in Bude where you can hire, including the awesome Zuma Jay, which is probably the best surf shop in the area, if you can’t travel with more than one board.
Here, at Wooda Farm Holiday Park, we offer a wide range of accommodation choices for those wanting to come and sample the surf in North Cornwall in the Spring. From luxurious lodges to pitches for tents and campervans and almost everything in between, all within a short distance from some of the best surfing beaches in the country, you’ll be sure to have a surf trip that will satisfy any watersport fanatic when you book with us in the Spring.
So stop fantasising about Uluwatu and Pipeline and get your springtime surf trip booked with us here, at Wooda Farm in North Cornwall, and enjoy the sun, swells and superb accommodation we have to offer at this time of year.
