Why are the waves so big in Cornwall?

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.



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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.

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In the UK and especially in Newquay, Cornwall we have a long continental shelf. This means the ocean bed is flat and continues quite far out before dropping off. This is great for people wanting to learn to surf as it creates gentle waves which are fat (not steep) and crumble slowly at the top.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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Mavericks Beach, California Mavericks 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.

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Praia do Norte | Nazaré, Portugal Home 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.

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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.

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