Polzeath

Cornwall · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Polzeath (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/polzeath.

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Polzeath is a wide, flat sandy beach on the east side of the Camel estuary, and one of the best-known learner beaches in Cornwall. The waves are usually gentle. The sandbanks keep moving, so the best peak changes: often on the right side at low tide, and in the middle at mid tide. It works on most tides.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A longboard or foam board most of the time; a fish on the punchier days.

When it works

✓ A west to north-west swell of 1–2 m with an easterly wind, at any tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Strong westerly and north-westerly winds make it choppy, and very big swells close out.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • crowds

Best months

April, May, June, July, August, September, October

Local tips

Summer brings crowds of learners, so surf early or late. Dogs are banned on the main beach in summer daytime.

Getting there

Several car parks: one on the beach, one by the beach and two field car parks above the village.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent: it sits a little inside Padstow Bay, so it is often smaller and gentler than the open beaches, which suits learners.
Crowd and vibe
Very busy in summer with families and surf schools; locals surf the better banks and expect respect for the usual right of way.
Camping and vans
Southwinds Camping Park is a few minutes from the beach, and Shilla Mill sits between the golf course and Polzeath. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Toilets at the beach and at New Polzeath, shops and cafés, a surf school with sand-chair hire, and lifeguards in summer.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 English bathing-water classification (Polzeath).

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
0.8–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 2.8 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore E–SSE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WNW (295°)

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