Lynmouth

Rocky beach with several good surf breaks

Submitted by:
justal
Updated:
27th Apr 2004

Upload Photo...

The seaside town of Lynmouth (famous for a catastrophic flood in 1952) nestles at the base of several steep hills and looks out across the Bristol Channel. The sea front has all the usual seaside shops and also a funicular railway to the village of Lynton at the top of one of these hills. The River Lyn tumbles down the hills and out into the Bristol Channel right in the middle of Lynmouth and it is here that several well know and pretty good waves break.

It takes a large swell for Lynmouth to work, but when it does it can get pretty busy (especially when the beaches of N.Devon are too big). Theres a left hander that breaks off the rocks to the west of the rivermouth. At low tide this is often the best, biggest and fastest wave in Lynmouth There are usually two other lefthanders in Lynmouth, one into the river mouth and one to the east of the river mouth. At high tide there can be a nice right-hander breaking into the river mouth as well. (I've actually scored some amazingly fast, long rides on this wave before now). To get to the line up either jump into the river mouth (from the steps on the wall) at high tide and let it take you out, or paddle out from the pebbly beach just to the West of the river mouth. Parking is available along the seafront or in the car parks in town.

The surrounding Exmoor countryside and cliff top drives / walks are some of the best around, so even if there isn't surf, the drive to check Lynmouth is often an adventure in itself.