Wembury

Devon and the south coast · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Wembury (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/wembury.

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Wembury is a sandy and rocky beach at the mouth of the River Yealm, east of Plymouth, with the Great Mewstone island offshore. Its main wave is a left over sand and rock, and on a good day it runs a long way. Rights also break, but they are short and end in the rocks. No regular wave is closer to Plymouth.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Reef break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or a fish.

When it works

✓ A 1.5–2.5 m south-west swell with a northerly wind, from low to mid tide on the push.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide, small swells and any southerly wind.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

With a big swell and a spring low tide, the take-off turns steep and hollow. In summer the car parks are full by mid-morning, and the National Trust one is expensive.

Getting there

The National Trust has a small car park above the beach, with steps down. There is a little more parking by the church and along the road.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fickle: it needs a solid Channel swell, so it is mostly a winter spot and often flat in summer.
Crowd and vibe
Busy with Plymouth surfers when it works; local surfers expect visitors to wait their turn.
Camping and vans
Churchwood Valley has holiday cabins a short walk from the beach, and Drakes View is about 4 km away. Nearest campsite about 4 km away.
Facilities
Toilets and a café at the main beach.
Water quality
Rated good in the 2025 English bathing-water classification (Wembury). Run-off from Plymouth and the river can lower it after rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
SSW–SW best, S–WSW works
Size
1.5–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore N–NE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low, mid best, avoid high, on the rising tide
Faces
SSW (207°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Devon and the south coast · All spots

Sources