lo all im new to these forums, i been searching a long time for forums with surfing as a catagorie, mainly i am a bodyboarder [PRONE] so just saying hi ! to everyone in here

im goin to woolacombe, north devon on holiday in 2 weeks, begining of july, any one know wat the surf will be like or anything about croyde ??? ty

Hi FaZe

Welcome to the most exciting forum on the web!......well maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it's certainly the friendliest.

Can't comment on Wollacombe, but I've been to Croyde quite a few times, and it's a great laugh. You can usually get some decent surf for body boarding at either Croyde Bay, Saunton or Putsborough, and Croyde's quite a good laugh in the evening, with Billy Braggs and the Thatch pubs both being pretty lively throughout the summer. I'm sure Al will have some more info for you....I think he knows that area quite well.

Enjoy the surf!

Hello...

I do indeed know the North Devon area quite well. It used to be my local surfspot and I worked as a lifeguard on the beaches of Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe for a couple of years, so spent all day everyday during the summer on one of those beaches.

Saunton has a nice mellow, slow wave and loads of room. It picks up pretty much any swell going and is fine for longboarders and beginners.

Croyde is a completely different kettle of fish, although most of the time during the summer it is pretty mellow too. Croyde is ALWAYS crowded, can have some epic fast hollow waves on the sandbars at low tide and has two reef breaks on the rocks at either end of the bay. It does pick up a little more surf than the other beaches on this stretch of coastline, and when its working well the waves here are better than elsewhee. However, its often worth looking elsewhere just to avoid the crowds.

If you get a big SW blow, then the place to head for is Putsborough which is right at the southern end of Woolacombe Bay, and is accessed by going up over the hill from Croyde. Its protected from the SW winds by baggy point and will be the best wave in these conditions. It works in other wind directions if theres a decent swell as well.

Woolacombe is similar to Saunton, providing a slow, mellow wave, but it does seem to have a little more punch to it than Saunton. Of course, when theres a big swell, the waves at Saunton aren't THAT mellow either!

As far as summertime surf goes, the N. Devon area is about as consistent as anywhere in the SW really. A few spots such as Sennen in Cornwall may get a little bit more, but you'll be pretty well placed. It can of course go flat for a couple of weeks at a time, so you could be unlucky. It all depends on whats happening with the low pressure systems out in the Atlantic.

Hope you get some surf, let us know how it goes..

Al.

Well i am sure you will have a great time FaZe.

Hi FaZe,

nice to have another bodyboarder on the forum. I bodyboard as well (prone). My favourite surf spot in Britain is Croyde Bay. I go there every easter to bodyboard and sometimes even in the summer (look out for crowds!).
Anyway if you want to know any more about Croyde Bay visit the following website. It's for a surf shop right near the beach. It's called "the little pink shop" and it usually has loads of surf/beach camera shots from their live surf cam which looks right over the bay. If you go to Croyde make sure you go to the shop, the staff are friendly and helpful. Loads of bodyboards and fins to buy! Enjoy Croyde!

From Airborne

Here's the link:www.croyde-surf-cam.com

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by Airborne]

Just thought i'd throw my two pennies worth in being a body boarder aswell!

I'm going to be in Croyde for about a week in the middle of July also.. I went the same time last year (and numerous times throughout the year) and I had a great weeks Surf!

I have to say that Croyde bay did show me who was the boss a few times and after spending 80% of a session holding my breath under water I slipped around the coast to Saunton. I rode some beautiful clean waves that went on and on and on.......ahhhhhhh

Sick. I always love Croyde. I went to Saunton to try it out once, but at the time it was much slower and less powerful than Croyde. That was probably a good thing because Croyde was packed out!
Do you know exactly where Downend Point is. I think that's what it is.

Cheers.