North Wales
Colwyn Bay
LLandulas Breakwater
Point break facing North. Strong rips, hence not suitable for beginners.
Llandudno
North / North East Bay. Not really known for surf and not very consistent, but can produce waves in strong North West or West winds.
Porthmadog
Porth Oer / Whistling Sands
North West facing Beach. Waves can be good when South winds combine with a sizable swell. Beach break with rocks at to the end of the beach which can cause strong rips. Summer only.
Porth Colmon / Traeth Penllech
Beach breaks suitable for beginners.
Aberdaron
South facing beach break, a good one to check out if nearby Hell’s Mouth is too big. Only produces breaks at high tide.
Porth Neigwl / Hell’s Mouth
North Wales’ best known surfing spot. The bay is four miles long with peaks to be found along the full length when the swell is good. A good range of wave sizes can be found to suit. The middle of the bay near the car park usually offers waves which are suitable for beginners.
Porth Ceiriad
A good beach break which can produce good waves in smaller swells. Suitable for beginners.
Mid Wales
Aberystwyth
Borth
A left hand point break and peaks along the beach. Suitable for beginners.
Aberystwyth Beach
In the right conditions there are three breaks to be found. The North end of the beach works on low tide. A big swell can give breaking waves near the pier.
Aberystwyth Harbour Trap
Popular with the university students, this is the area’s most popular surf break. A boulder reef creates a left and right hand peak, but watch out for the swell and nearby sewage outlet. Not recommended for beginners.
Aberaeron
Aberaeron
Left hand point break which needs a big swell to produce waves.
Newquay
Newquay
As with all the breaks in this area it takes a good swell to produce waves.
South West Wales
Pembrokeshire
Whitesands
Very popular surf spot, offering peaks along the length of the beach. Nearby surf shop, car park and lifeguards in summer make this a great place for beginners. When Freshwater West surf is too big this offers a smaller alternative.
Newgale
A long stretch of beach, offering easy access, car parking and more importantly, peaks along the length of the beach. The steep pebble banking spoils high tide waves but otherwise can be very good. As with Whitesands this beach is well provided with facilities which makes it a very popular and busy spot, although with such an expanse of beach and breaks it rarely suffers from over-crowding. It also boasts a web-cam of the beach.
Broadhaven
Not to be mistaken with Broadhaven South, this popular beach can produce breaks given a good swell. Worth checking out if the surrounding surf spots are too big.
Marloes
Unspoilt and isolated beach. Due to being South West facing it picks up good swells along the length of the beach. No facilities and it’s location mean it is unlikely to be crowded, for this reason it’s probably not a good choice for beginners.
Freshwater West
Widely accepted to be the most consistent surf spot in Wales, this combination of reef and beach breaks is the home of the Welsh National Surfing Championships. The long South West facing beach is capable of producing waves when most other spots are flat. Beginners should steer well clear of the reef – a strong Southerly current combined with powerful rips during bigger surf often sweep the unsuspecting out for a ride down the beach, surfers and body-boarders alike. This spot is capable of being way too big and unmanageable for all but the most experienced locals, it may be worth checking out smaller surf at Manorbier or Whitesands if this is the case. A great place to watch and learn, some of the locals here are great surfers. There are also good regular surf lessons available – provided by Outer Reef. In recent summers, during even the smallest surf, the line up can get quite busy with surfers waiting for the occasional wave at the optimum spot. Limited parking/toilets and occasional mobile facilities.
Broadhaven (South)
Takes a big South West swell to work. Not for beginners. This is a popular tourist beach during the summer season, the southern end has access to the walks around Bosherston Lilly Ponds.
Freshwater East
Beach breaks here can work well but only in big swells. A smaller wave than Broadhaven South, it’s often worth checking out when other breaks are too big. Suitable for beginners.
Manorbier
This small picturesque bay has a reef to the south end which produces a good right break over onto the beach. A consistent spot, but can become very busy. Beach breaks here are suitable for beginners. When conditions here are good the local boys move in in large numbers and show how it’s done. When Freshwater West is too big, blown out or messy this can be the place. On a flat summer day it’s the perfect family spot, but the relatively small beach gets crowded.
Tenby (South Beach)
Another tourist beach which only works well when swells are big, suitable for beginners.
South Wales
Gower
Llangennith (Hillend)
Popular consistent beach with breaks along its length. Can be crowded when good. Suitable for beginners. Surf school, facilities, caravan and camp site all nearby.
Rhossili
Good beach breaks for beginners, also worth checking out if Llangennith surf is too big or closing out.
Pete’s Reef
Only suitable for the experienced. Very popular reef break. No facilities.
Boiler Left
Another experienced only surf spot. Can hold very good waves up to around 8ft. No facilities.
Horton Beach
A good swell is needed for this beach break which begins to close out if over around 6ft. Not suited to beginners.
Oxwich Bay
A good sized bay offering beach breaks along its length. Popular and can be crowded, but good for beginners. Oxwich Point also provides a couple of right hand point breaks to choose from. One works on smaller swells, but both are only suitable for experienced surfers.
Langland
A popular spot which produces consistent waves, with two beach breaks and a reef break. It can be very crowded. Langland Point offers a further break over rocks, at low tide it can hold big waves and long rides but not for the inexperienced.
Port Talbot
Aberavon
With a beach and a reef break, the beach is most consistent, more than surrounding breaks, but the reef needs a big swell and is not being suitable for beginners. Life guards in summer and facilities nearby.
Porthcawl
Porthcawl
A variety of breaks, bays and point breaks to choose from, many need a good swell to work. Black Rock/Trecco Bay is OK for beginners, but the other options are suitable for experienced surfers. Lots of parking and facilities including surf shops and camping. Breaks are likely to be crowded when surf is good. Pollution might be an issue.
This article originally appeared on surfinginwales.co.uk.