Blyth – South Beach

Blyth · North East England · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Blyth – South Beach (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/blyth-south-beach.

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South Beach is a long sandy beach that runs about 3 km from Blyth harbour south to Seaton Sluice, with dunes and car parks behind it. Peaks break left and right on sandbanks that move after storms, and on a good day they can be steep and hollow. The big pier at the north end cleans up a north swell but also makes it smaller there.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter
Boards
Any board: a longboard or foam board on small days, a shortboard when it gets steep.

When it works

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

When it doesn't

✕ Easterly winds blow straight in, and on a north swell the north end by the pier stays small.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • pollution

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

The banks change after every storm, so drive along and check from the different car parks. On a north swell, skip the north end and try the middle car park or the Seaton Sluice end. Rips get strong once it is over head high.

Getting there

Off the A193 between Blyth and Seaton Sluice. There are four car parks along the beach: at Seaton Sluice, and the south, middle and north car parks.

History

Martin Potter, the 1989 world surfing champion, was born in Blyth.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly regular for the North Sea in autumn and winter. With such a long beach, some part of it is usually working.
Crowd and vibe
Quiet and friendly, more sociable than Tynemouth. Rarely busy, even at weekends.
Camping and vans
Old Hartley Caravan Club Site is about 3 km south, near St Mary's Island. Nearest campsite about 3 km away.
Facilities
Car parks along the beach; shops, cafés and pubs in Blyth and Seaton Sluice.
Water quality
Blyth South Beach is rated excellent in the 2025 English classification. Surf guides warn the water can be polluted after heavy rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
N–ENE best, NNW–ESE works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 2.6 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 10 s
Wind
Offshore SW–W; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
ENE (65°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in North East England · All spots

Sources