Newquay – Fistral

Newquay · Cornwall · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Newquay – Fistral (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/fistral.

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Fistral is Britain's best-known surf beach, a wide sandy bay on the west side of Newquay between Towan Head and Pentire. On a good day North Fistral has fast, hollow peaks that rank with the best beach breaks in Britain. South Fistral is partly sheltered from south-westerly winds, and lefts break along the rocks there. Little Fistral, under the headland, only works at lower tides.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Packed
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A shortboard for North Fistral; longboards and foam boards at the south end on small days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m west to south-west swell with an easterly or south-easterly wind, around low to mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Westerly onshore winds, and swells much over 2.5 m, which close out across the bay.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • crowds
  • rocks

Best months

March, April, May, September, October, November

Local tips

When it is south-westerly, check the south end first. Surf schools work at the south end, so better surfers usually head north.

Getting there

Parking right by the beach is limited to one small, pricey car park. Tower Road has several more within walking distance. From the coast path, steps lead down to the sand; the ones at the south end are steep.

History

Fistral is home to the British Surfing Association and the Newquay Surf Life Saving Club. A competition centre and a surf museum were built at North Fistral, and the beach hosts the Boardmasters festival and international contests.

Travel notes

How often it works
Consistent: the bay faces west and picks up most Atlantic swells, and the headlands funnel and shape the waves.
Crowd and vibe
Crowded all year and packed in summer and at weekends. The mood at North Fistral is competitive but rarely aggressive; South Fistral is easier.
Camping and vans
Macdonald's Farm Touring and Camping is about a ten-minute drive from Fistral; many holiday parks surround Newquay.
Facilities
Toilets at both ends, a beach shop, cafés and restaurants, surf schools and shops, and lifeguards in summer.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 English bathing-water classification (Fistral North and Fistral South).

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1–2.2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 3 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore E–SSE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low, mid best
Faces
WNW (290°)

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 Cornwall · All spots

Sources