Bournemouth is a popular surf spot located on the south coast of England. It attracts a mix of locals, students, and surfers of all levels, making it a lively place to catch some waves. The beach features a prominent pier that helps create consistent banks on either side, which can be appealing for surfers looking to ride some fun beach breaks.
The surf here can be quite variable, handling swell sizes from about 0.6 meters to 3 meters (2ft to 10ft). The best conditions usually come from south-west swells, with east and south-west windswells also working here. Most of the waves break over sandy bottoms, with both lefts and rights available. Paddling can be decent overall, but there’s a rip near the pier to watch out for. Typically, the waves are waist high to head high, but sometimes you can score really good long walls when the winds are right, especially from the north. The spot tends to work well at low to mid tide, and it’s often crowded with surfers, especially during peak times.
Parking is available in the Bath Road South car park, but it can be a bit tricky to find a spot in the summer due to the crowds. Autumn and winter months, particularly September through February, are regarded as the best times for surfing here when the big swells start rolling in. This area caters to a variety of board types, so whether you’re on a shortboard, fish, funboard, longboard, sup, or even bodyboarding, you can have a good time, just be ready to share the waves!
