The surfing story in Newquay dates back to the 1920s when Lewis Rosenberg and pals descended from London to Newquay to test their new invention — the wooden bodyboard. Fast forward to today, and the surfing industry in Cornwall has flourished — with Newquay now a bucket-list destination for surfers and paddle boarders from around the world. Famed for its sheer variety of beaches and consistent surf breaks, Newquay offers endless fun for people of all abilities and ages. JustSurf is based in the heart of this golden surfing mecca — offering surf hire delivery in Newquay, including Surfboard hire and SUP hire. Here’s our quick guide to when and where to score the best waves in Newquay:
Newquay is a year-round surfing destination. From April-August you can generally expect smaller waves — ideal for learning, but you can still get lucky with some epic swells alongside the (sometimes) gorgeous weather.
Between September to November, you can expect nice warm waters with early winter swells offering some more consistency, with offshore winds creating some epic days.
JustSurf partners with holiday homes with the closest access to the best beaches in Newquay, with most of our properties near Fistral, Crantock, Towan and Watergate Bay:
Fistral is Mike's favourite beach and where we conduct our surf lessons, so we’re a bit biased — but this beach deserves its praise seeing as it's the most popular beach in the UK.
Fistral Beach is an iconic break offering more than 700 meters of long peaks and a particularly nice left breaking off the rocks. The beach faces west — meaning its exposed to consistent swells from the Atlantic and solid waves year round.
North generally attracts intermediate to advanced surfers, so if you’re a beginner, we recommend heading to the middle or southern side of the beach.
More confident surfers will enjoy the often fast, hollow waves at low tide, while beginners are better suited to softer conditions generally two hours before low tide and one hour after high tide.
For lifeguard information about Fistral Beach, check the RNLI website by clicking here
When the surf at Fistral gets too big, we recommend heading over to the four beaches known collectively as ‘The Bay” — which are sheltered by the harbour and headland, offering a clean swell when other beaches are blown out.
These beaches are located in the centre of Newquay town, and begin with Towan by Newquay harbour, stretching across to Great Western, Tolcarne, and Lusty Glaze.
However, it’s not possible to surf here until at least 2 hours after high tide, as the water comes up against the Aquarium wall and is also affected by the nearby cliffs. Waves can close out frequently at lower tides, so we recommend surfing these beaches at mid-tide.
Head north from Newquay and you’ll shortly reach Watergate Bay; a gorgeous two-mile beach that can pump out punchy lefts and rights. While the middle of the beach can get busy, you’ll find a quieter peak if you surf further north or south.
Mid to high tide works best, but the surf works well through all tides, with low tide your best bet if there’s not much swell around. Be mindful not to get cut off at high tide as the beach shrinks away.
Crantock is at the end of the river gannel and offers a protected beachbreak that is less prone to becoming too busy. You can find some nice peaks along the northern side of the beach, but this will depend on the current state of the sandbars. The surf is occasionally fast and hollow for more advanced surfers, but more often than not offers long and mellow waves ideal for beginners.
The Gannel River is a tidal estuary in-between Newquay from Crantock. The lower part of the Gannel River winds gently from the Newquay boating lake through a salt marsh before it reaches Crantock Beach. At low tide you can walk, bike, or even horseback on the gannel.
The best time to paddle board along the gannel is up to 1.5 hours either side of high tide. It is important to stay clear from where the river joins the sea, as when the tide transitions this can turn into a whirlpool and cause a strong rip that’s tricky to paddle against. In the main summer season, lifeguards patrol both the beach and the estuary.
Surfing lessons can be daunting, but fear not. Your Newquay surf school lesson with Just Surf are designed to be as fun as possible and build your confidence for you to surf Newquay again and again.
Surf lessons Newquay - what is it all about then? Here’s what to expect:
We recommend you bring a few things to your surfing lessons in Newquay: swimsuit/trunks to wear under your wetsuit, sunscreen, water, towel, a dry bag if you have one, any prescribed medicine if you have a health condition (i.e asthma), your surf hire if you already have it and a large pasty.
About 15 minutes before your Newquay surf lessons starts, head down Esplanade Road to South Fistral, where you will be greeted by your instructor with your surf hire by the steps down to the beach. This location is next to public changing facilities and a shower. The map below also indicates free parking zones (seen in green), along with a paid car park further up the road. These parking areas can be quite busy in peak season so we always recommend you get here extra early.
13 Esplanade Rd, Newquay TR7 1FR, click here.
For those not taking part in the surf lesson, a timber joint coffee shop perched on the cliff called the Sea Spray, has the best view for watching the surf lesson, while providing hearty breakfasts and brunches. The Nook directly below also provides take-away coffees and small bites, ideal for refulling after your surf lesson.
click here, for more infomation.
When you meet the instructor, they’ll help you get your wetsuit and branded rash vest on, and show you the safe way of getting your board down to your Fistral Beach surf lesson.
Once on the beach, you’ll form a circle where your instructor will then do some introductions and break down how the surf lesson will work. They’ll also ask your surfing experience, such as in surf lessons or other sea activities to determine the best course of action for your surf lesson.
They’ll then break down the structure of the surf lesson and discuss the conditions and other safety information. Hopefully, by the end of your surf lesson, you’ll be a more confident surfer and you’ll be hooked!
For people who have never surfed before, we offer beginner surf lessons in Newquay.
For those who have surfed a few times, we offer lessons which will focus more on the advanced methods of popping up and surfing manoeuvres.
We offer private lessons for those who would like one-to-one tuition, lessons for couples/pairs, as well as family packages and larger groups. We also offer the option for you to keep your surf hire for the rest of your day if you want to keep going!
As we expand to more locations delivering surf hire to new areas such as Crantock, Hollywell, Perranporth, Porth and Watergate Bay, we also wish to do the same for our surf school. With the aim of JustSurf becoming the number one way to book surf hire and surf lessons Cornwall wide with ease and convenience. So keep an eye out as there may be some JustSurf surf lessons near me on your beach retreat.
Newquay holidays have the beauty of being accessible to all surfers and paddle boarders. From total beginners to seasoned pro’s, Newquay has something for everyone. If you’re staring out the window dreaming of your next trip down, check out our four ultimate Holiday Homes for large Surf groups below.
If stepping from the bottom the garden straight onto a paddle board sounds good to you, you’ll love this property which has direct beach access and Stunning views that change with the tide. Beachside View is a unique gem in a perfect, quiet and breathtaking waterside location, and with Fistral beach only 200m from the front of the house, you may not use your car all holiday. Book your surf retreat by clicking here.
Cliff House is a stunning property with a unique south facing sea front position on the Pentire headland, overlooking Crantock Beach on the south side of Newquay. The house is set in 1 acre of south facing gardens which go down to the sea, giving private access to beach and sea. Our favourite feature? The idilic summer house at the bottom of the garden, just steps away from the Gannel Estuary.
Halula Beach House is as exotic as it sounds, with a huge covered deck dotted with rattan chairs, colourful bean bags and fairy lights. Beside the heated pool and hot tub are hooks for hanging wetsuits and a beachy heated deck shower for de-sanding. The property is just off Fistral Beach, one of the UK’s premier surfing spots.
Whispering Waters is a spacious property offering stunning views over the Gannel from the front decked area. The property boasts a front decked area complete with furniture and fire pit, perfect for enjoying the views and keeping warm as the sun goes down. The rear garden boasts a hot tub and barbecue area to unwind after a busy day exploring. The river Gannel, perfect for paddle-boarding, is just steps away.