Just to the east is the harbour town of Porthleven, which is where all of the storm-watchers and photographers go when huge winter storms send enormous waves crashing up over the clock tower.
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Huge Atlantic swells and the infamous Cribbar, a reef off Towan Headland, can create waves in excess of 9 metres high. The beach can become quite crowded in the summer, but the surf is usually good year-round, so worth a trip at any time of year.
The most famous for surfers is the north coast, which includes the legendary spots of Bude and Newquay, mainly because it gets the full hit of the NW Atlantic swell system. That brings big waves and great consistency. Sometimes, when the stars align right, the south coast can also go off.
The waves which pound the Cornish coastline are created by deep Atlantic low pressure systems which unleash their powerful swells eastwards creating some of the best surfing conditions in Europe.
Turbulent water and rushing waves create quite the setting in County Sligo. Mullaghmore Head might just be the biggest wave in the British Isles, it's certainly one of the biggest waves in Europe! Often whipped up by high winds and bracing rain, this left-hand beach break only forms at high tide.
Hannah continues: “The clarity and turquoise colour in west Cornwall compared to say the North Sea or Bristol Channel is also because of the heavy sand particles which sit on the seabed, and lack of sediment swirling around in the water column.”
Hannah continues: “The clarity and turquoise colour in west Cornwall compared to say the North Sea or Bristol Channel is also because of the heavy sand particles which sit on the seabed, and lack of sediment swirling around in the water column.”
Among surfers, the term “heavy” can refer to any wave that is particularly dangerous. That includes waves that are literally heavy, heaving a crushing amount of water toward the shore and onto unlucky surfers. The waves off the coast of Teahupo'o in southern Tahiti have been called the heaviest in the world.
Newquay is the surf capital of Great Britain with Fistral and Towan beaches being some of the best surfing beaches you'll find in Cornwall. This is also the best place for beginners to take surf lessons in Cornwall as there are lots of great surf schools close by.
Widemouth Bay, located in North Cornwall, is a popular spot among surfers of all abilities. Whether it's your first time riding the waves or you're an experienced surfer looking for the biggest waves, Widemouth Bay offers plenty of space and an ideal spot for everyone.
Praia do Norte | Nazaré, PortugalHome to several Guinness World Records - including the largest wave ever ridden and biggest wave ever surfed by a woman - Nazaré's Praia do Norte is a rare natural phenomenon. Despite being a beach break, it is so powerful and heavy that some call it the surfboard-breaking machine.
Sitting on the west coast, Carbis Bay is one of the more famous beaches in Cornwall but is still as outstandingly beautiful as others in the county. The crisp, white sands are a delight in the warmer months and the sheltered cove is safe for sea swimming.
Generally the water quality is good in Cornwall. After periods of high rainfall, seawater can become contaminated with farmland or urban runoff. There is also the risk of sewage overflows releasing raw, untreated human waste into the ocean.
Cornwall is England's most south-westerly county that built its reputation on fishing, mining and farming (and a bit of smuggling, too). Known to Cornish speakers as Kernow, it's now the place to come if you seek isolated craggy coves, wide expanses of smooth sand or wild, rugged moorland.
When surfer William Howells returned to the sea a year after suffering a heart attack, the swell was not the main thing on his mind. It was the smell. He said a wave of sewage releases in July left Harlyn Bay, Cornwall, just smelling of excrement.
Mavericks Beach, CaliforniaMavericks Beach in Half Moon Bay, California is renowned for its powerful waves and is considered to have some of the largest surfable waves in the United States.
Praia do Norte is the largest wave in Europe (and the world). This psycho wave is the product of a deep-sea canyon (the Nazare Canyon) that cuts through a seabed almost five kilometres deep in some places.
The largest waves occur where there are big expanses of open water that wind can affect. Places famous for big waves include Waimea Bay in Hawaii, Jaws in Maui, Mavericks in California, Mullaghmore Head in Ireland, and Teahupoo in Tahiti.