Belhaven Bay

Dunbar · Scotland · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Belhaven Bay (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/belhaven-bay.

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Belhaven Bay is a wide sandy bay west of Dunbar, inside the John Muir Country Park. Gentle peaks spread across the beach, with a reef at the Dunbar end. It is the closest good beach to Edinburgh, so it is a popular place to learn.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard or foam board; a shortboard on bigger days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m north-east swell with a west-south-westerly wind.

When it doesn't

✕ North-easterly and easterly winds blow straight in, and it is flat without a North Sea swell.

Watch out for

  • rips

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Local tips

Rips can be strong on bigger days. The river Tyne crosses the beach at the west end, so stay away from its mouth.

Getting there

From Dunbar, follow the signs to Belhaven and the beach car park at the end of Shore Road.

Travel notes

How often it works
Usually a safe bet when there is a North Sea swell, mostly in winter and spring.
Crowd and vibe
Rarely crowded and friendly, with lots of learners.
Camping and vans
Belhaven Bay Caravan Site is about 1 km away; Dunbar Camping and Caravanning Club Site is about 4 km. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Car park and toilets at the beach. Shops, cafés and pubs in Dunbar.
Water quality
Dunbar Belhaven is rated good by SEPA.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NNE–E best, N–ESE works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 10 s
Wind
Offshore SSW–W; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
NNE (20°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Scotland · All spots

Sources