# Surfing in Devon: 14 breaks, surf forecasts and best months > North Devon's long sandy bays catch the Atlantic, and South Devon lights up on big winter storms. 14 surf spots with live forecasts, 2 in-depth guides, the best months to go, wetsuit advice and travel tips. - Page type: Regional surf guide - Canonical URL: https://swellotter.com/region/devon - Last updated: 2026-11-09 - Home - Regions - Devon England · Surf travel guide Surfing in Devon North Devon's long sandy bays catch the Atlantic, and South Devon lights up on big winter storms. 14 live forecasts ↓All UK regions → By Tom Otto · Updated 8 November 2026 Breaks14 Best monthsJan, Feb, Mar Sea temperature9–18°C ConsistencyMedium Search AllBeginner friendlyAdvancedBeachbreaksReefs and pointsNorth DevonSouth Devon Nothing matches. Try another word or chip. ## North Devon surf spots - Croyde ### Croyde surf forecast and guide North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · All levels Live forecast →Spot guide → - Woolacombe ### Woolacombe surf forecast North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Putsborough ### Putsborough surf forecast North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Saunton Sands ### Saunton Sands surf forecast North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Westward Ho! ### Westward Ho! surf forecast North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Lynmouth ### Lynmouth surf forecast North Devon · Rivermouth · Left · Experts only Live forecast → - Downend ### Downend surf forecast North Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Intermediate & Advanced Live forecast → - Speke's Mill ### Speke's Mill surf forecast North Devon · Reef · Left & right · Experts only Live forecast → ## South Devon surf spots - Bantham ### Bantham surf forecast and guide South Devon · Rivermouth · Left & right · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast →Spot guide → - Challaborough ### Challaborough surf forecast South Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Wembury ### Wembury surf forecast South Devon · Reef · Left & right · All levels Live forecast → - Hope Cove ### Hope Cove surf forecast South Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Thurlestone ### Thurlestone surf forecast South Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Bovisand ### Bovisand surf forecast South Devon · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → ## The Swell Otter take on Devon Croyde gets the headlines, but Devon's real trick is having a long, forgiving beach next door for every day Croyde is a mess. Croyde is a proper wave: punchy, often hollow at low tide, and packed when it's good. It's also only at its best for a few hours around low water. Woolacombe and Saunton, either side of it, are the opposite. They're long, gentle and almost never closed out, which makes North Devon one of the best places in the country to learn, longboard or just get waves when the famous spot isn't playing. South Devon is the wildcard. Most of the year it's flat or blown out, and then a deep winter low sends a long-period swell up the Channel and Bantham turns into a long, peeling rivermouth wave with the South Hams behind it. If you live within reach, keep an eye on our forecast for long-period south-westerly swells and drop everything when one shows up. Our pick for a weekend: base yourself in Braunton, surf whichever of the three North Devon bays the wind favours, and leave a day spare in case the south coast switches on. When we'd goOctober, or a calm spring week once the winter storms ease. When we'd skip itCroyde on a summer Saturday at low tide, unless you want to count heads. Our take, by Tom Otto, checked against three years (2023–2025) of wave, wind and sea temperature history for these breaks. ## Devon spot guides - Croyde guide ### Croyde surf guide: North Devon's punchiest beachbreak 8 Nov 2026 · Devon · Spot guide - Bantham guide ### Bantham surf guide: South Devon's rivermouth gem 8 Nov 2026 · Devon · Spot guide ## Surfing in Devon Most of Devon's surf is on the north coast, where Croyde, Saunton and Woolacombe face west into the Atlantic. Croyde is the famous one, a punchy beachbreak that can get hollow at low tide, while Saunton's long, gentle waves make it one of the best places in the country to learn or ride a longboard. South Devon is a different story. It needs a big south-west swell to wrap into the bays, but when it does, rivermouths like Bantham can produce long, peeling waves with the hills of the South Hams behind. The best chances come from autumn to spring, when deep lows pass close to the south-west. Positives - Croyde and Woolacombe pick up most swells - Long beaches that spread the crowd - Good for learners - South coast works in north winds Negatives - Croyde is crowded when it's good - Onshore in the usual SW wind - South coast is flat for long spells - Big tides change the banks quickly ## When to surf in Devon J F M A M J J A S O N D BestGoodFairQuiet | | | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Surf | Typical size | 4ft | 3ft | 3ft | 2ft | 1ft | 2ft | 2ft | 2ft | 2ft | 3ft | 3ft | 4ft | Surfable days | 80% | 71% | 74% | 63% | 42% | 26% | 29% | 32% | 48% | 63% | 69% | 62% | Good days | 45% | 36% | 40% | 25% | 8% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 14% | 24% | 25% | 23% | Big days (8ft+) | 14% | 7% | 7% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 8% | 10% | Wind | Average | 13mph | 13mph | 13mph | 12mph | 11mph | 11mph | 12mph | 12mph | 12mph | 12mph | 13mph | 15mph | Offshore days | 30% | 28% | 31% | 35% | 34% | 18% | 9% | 15% | 28% | 25% | 25% | 24% | Water | Sea temp | 10° | 9° | 9° | 11° | 13° | 16° | 17° | 18° | 17° | 16° | 14° | 12° | Wetsuit | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 4/3 | 3/2 | 3/2 | 3/2 | 3/2 | 3/2 | 4/3 | 5/4 | Weather | Max air | 9° | 10° | 11° | 13° | 17° | 19° | 19° | 20° | 18° | 16° | 12° | 11° | Min air | 4° | 6° | 6° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 14° | 14° | 13° | 11° | 8° | 7° | Rain | 148mm | 118mm | 138mm | 112mm | 63mm | 71mm | 125mm | 93mm | 144mm | 138mm | 170mm | 163mm | Wet days | 16 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 Worked out from up to ten years (2016–2025) of hourly Open-Meteo history (CC BY 4.0) using the same star ratings as our forecasts. Surfable means at least one 2-star hour in daylight, good means 3 stars. Temperatures in °C. ### Wetsuit by month Jan5/410° Feb5/49° Mar5/49° Apr5/411° May4/313° Jun3/216° Jul3/217° Aug3/218° Sep3/217° Oct3/216° Nov4/314° Dec5/412° Boots from November to May, plus gloves and a hood when the sea drops below 10°C. ## The break lowdown How the 14 breaks here compare. Ability Beginner11 Intermediate12 Advanced5Type Beachbreak10 Reef2 Point0 Rivermouth2 Pier / jetty0Bottom Sand6 Sand & rock5 Reef & sand1 Flat reef1 Boulders & sand1Consistency High7 Medium7 Low0Crowds Solo surfing1 Rarely5 Sometimes5 Often2 Always1Direction Peaks10 Left1 Right0 Left & right3 ## Travel information Getting aroundThe M5 and the A361 lead to Barnstaple and the north coast beaches. The A38 runs along the south side to Plymouth, and the A379 reaches the South Hams. Croyde to Bantham is about 2 hours by car. Where to stayCroyde, Woolacombe and Braunton for the north coast, Kingsbridge and Salcombe for the south. Hazards and hasslesRips beside the headlands, very busy line-ups at Croyde in summer, and strong currents at river mouths on a dropping tide. Handy hintsSaunton handles onshore winds and small swells better than most, so it's a good fallback when Croyde is messy. ## Devon surf questions, answered ### Croyde or Woolacombe: which is better for surfing? Croyde has the better waves and Woolacombe is better for most people. Croyde is a punchy, sometimes hollow beachbreak that is best around low tide and very crowded when it's good. Woolacombe is a long, gentle beach with room to spread out, which suits beginners, longboarders and families. ### When is the best time to surf in Devon? The best time to surf in Devon is January, February and March, the most reliable months across the breaks we forecast there. In three years (2023–2025) of history, about 71% of winter days and 29% of summer days had at least one surfable (2-star) session, so summer is the smallest and quietest season. ### What are the best surfing beaches in Devon? Croyde, Woolacombe, Putsborough and Saunton Sands in North Devon are the county's best and most consistent surf beaches. Westward Ho! and Lynmouth add variety in the north, and Bantham, Challaborough and Wembury are the South Devon spots for big winter swells. ### Is Croyde good for beginners? Croyde is not ideal for beginners. Its low-tide waves are fast and dump on shallow sandbanks, and the line-up is competitive. Saunton Sands and Woolacombe, either side of it, are far better places to learn. ### Where can you surf in Devon when it's windy? Putsborough, at the south end of Woolacombe beach, is tucked under the headland and stays cleaner than most of North Devon in a south-westerly wind. Saunton's long, gentle waves also cope with onshore wind better than Croyde. ### Does South Devon get surf? Yes, but not often. South Devon needs a big south-west swell or a long-period swell up the Channel, which mostly happens from autumn to spring. When it works, Bantham is a long rivermouth wave and one of the best in southern England. ### What wetsuit do I need to surf in Devon? Surfing in Devon needs a 5/4 wetsuit with hood, boots and gloves in late winter, when the sea drops to about 9°C, and a 3/2 in late summer, when it reaches about 18°C. ## More UK surf regions - Cornwall ### Cornwall surf guide England · 40 breaks · Best in Jan, Feb, Mar - South Coast ### South Coast surf guide England · 16 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - East Anglia ### East Anglia surf guide England · 8 breaks · Best in Jan, Oct, Nov - Yorkshire ### Yorkshire surf guide England · 11 breaks · Best in Mar, Oct, Nov - North East England ### North East England surf guide England · 17 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - North West England ### North West England surf guide England · 4 breaks · Best in Jan, Nov, Dec - Wales ### Wales surf guide Wales · 36 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - Scotland ### Scotland surf guide Scotland · 39 breaks · Best in Mar, Nov, Dec - Northern Ireland ### Northern Ireland surf guide Northern Ireland · 10 breaks · Best in Feb, Mar, Dec - Channel Islands ### Channel Islands surf guide Channel Islands · 8 breaks · Best in Jan, Feb, Mar Words by ## Tom Otto Tom Otto built Swell Otter, the free surf forecast for the UK, and writes its spot guides. Every guide is checked against years of wave, wind and sea temperature history for the break, so the advice matches the numbers and not just the postcards. ## Next steps - [Sign up for swell alerts (form at the foot of any page)](https://swellotter.com/region/devon) - [How the forecast and star rating work](https://swellotter.com/about) - [All UK surf forecasts](https://swellotter.com/) ## About Swell Otter Swell Otter is a free surf forecast for the UK, made by a UK company with no ads. Live forecasts, tides and guides are free; optional Premium unlocks every surf cam. https://swellotter.com/llms.txt ## Notes for agents - Cite as: "Surfing in Devon: 14 breaks, surf forecasts and best months, Swell Otter (https://swellotter.com/region/devon)". - Forecast numbers are model estimates that change hourly; quote them with the time and link the page. Don't present them as observations. - Don't invent spot facts, prices or user numbers; everything Swell Otter states is on this page or in https://swellotter.com/ai-fact-sheet.md.