Cayton Bay

Cayton · North East England · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Cayton 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/cayton-bay.

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Cayton Bay is a sandy bay below wooded cliffs south of Scarborough, with old Second World War bunkers on the beach. It has several waves: sandbar peaks at the Bunkers, a reef at the Pumphouse and a left point at the north end. It is one of the most dependable spots in Yorkshire.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a longboard on small days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2.5 m north swell on a rising mid tide with a westerly to south-westerly wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Easterly winds blow straight in, and it is hard to get out when it is big.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips
  • crowds

Best months

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

Local tips

The Bunkers peaks work best on the higher tides; the point needs a bigger north swell. Park only where it is allowed or you will get a ticket. The surf shop at the top has parking and showers.

Getting there

On the A165 south of Scarborough, park at the surf shop car park or at the Cayton traffic lights and walk down the path past the holiday park.

Travel notes

How often it works
Dependable on north swells, mostly in winter.
Crowd and vibe
It gets busy when the surf is up, but the bay spreads people out.
Camping and vans
Cayton Bay Holiday Park and Browns and Cliff Farm caravan parks are about 1 km away. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Surf shop with a pay car park and showers at the top of the path.
Water quality
Cayton Bay is rated excellent in the 2025 English classification.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NNW–NE best, NW–ENE works
Size
1–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 10 s
Wind
Offshore SSW–W; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
NNE (30°)

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 North East England · All spots

Sources