Saunton Sands

Saunton · Devon and the south coast · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Saunton Sands (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/saunton.

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Saunton Sands is a three-mile beach backed by the Braunton Burrows dunes, running south from the cliffs at Saunton to the Taw estuary. The waves are slow and gentle, which makes it a classic longboard and learner wave. They get steeper and better with a light offshore wind.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A longboard or mid-length; foam boards for learning.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m west swell with an easterly wind, at any tide but best on the push.

When it doesn't

✕ Westerly winds blow it out; very small swells are too slow even for longboards.

Watch out for

  • rips

Best months

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

Local tips

On bigger days a rip runs along the cliff at the north end; it is the way out for experienced surfers, but learners get swept out there. There are no lifeguards.

Getting there

Park in the large car park by the road at the north end. A slipway takes you onto the beach.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent: it faces the open Atlantic, and the cliff at the north end gives shelter from north and north-west winds.
Crowd and vibe
Busy near the car park with longboarders and learners; walk south for empty peaks.
Camping and vans
Braunton Sands Campsite is about a five-minute drive away, and more sites are around Braunton and Croyde. Nearest campsite about 4 km away.
Facilities
Toilets, a café and a beach shop at the car park; no lifeguards.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 English bathing-water classification (Saunton Sands).

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, SW–NNW works
Size
0.9–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 2.8 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
W (273°)

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 Devon and the south coast · All spots

Sources