Staithes

North East England · United Kingdom

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Staithes is a small fishing village in a steep gully on the North Yorkshire coast. Off its harbour wall, a fast, hollow left breaks over flat rock reef. Few waves on England's east coast are better. It is mostly lefts, with a right on the other side of the village.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, reef
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or step-up.

When it works

✓ A 1–3 m north to north-east swell at low tide on the rising tide, with a westerly or south-westerly wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Higher tides kill it, and northerly winds blow in.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips
  • localism
  • pollution

Best months

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

Local tips

It only works around low tide. The take-off is tight and the local crew is strong, so wait your turn. The village is steep and narrow: park at the top and walk down.

Getting there

Park in the pay car park at the top of the village, off the A174, and walk down through the village to the harbour.

Travel notes

How often it works
Regular in winter on north swells, but it needs a low tide to coincide.
Crowd and vibe
Crowded, very crowded at weekends, with a strong local crew.
Camping and vans
Several caravan sites are about 2.5 km away; Runswick Bay Caravan and Camping Park is about 3.5 km. Nearest campsite about 2.5 km away.
Facilities
Pubs and cafés in the village. Pay car park at the top.
Water quality
Staithes is not a designated bathing water. Surf guides warn the water can be poor.

Ideal conditions

Swell
N–NE best, NW–ENE works
Size
1.2–3 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 4 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore SSW–W; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid mid, high, on the rising tide
Faces
N (10°)

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