The best surfing locations near London
Are you looking to escape the city and head to the beach? The easing of lockdown measures finally makes day trips and holidays possible once again. The UK is home to many beautiful coastlines and long stretches of golden sandy beaches.
What better way to enjoy a day out than by going surfing? We’ve listed the best surfing locations near London. You’ll be surprised, it’s a shorter journey than you think, with many popular spots within just 2hr journey from Central London!
Broadstairs, Kent
What we love: You can find two great surf spots in Broadstairs. Viking Bay is the main beach in the picturesque seaside town. It has a clean more sheltered wave at low tide from the end of the harbour jetty, greatly suited for longboarders. The inside of the bay is perfect for beginners and works during all stages of the tide. The most ideal conditions, however, are a couple of hours either side of low tide. Located just next to Viking Bay you'll find Joss Bay, known as Kent's first original surf beach featuring both sand bars and chalk reefs. During high water it can get very rippy in the beach break that often closes out, but you can surf the reefs on both sides of the beach offering left and right-hand waves. In mid to low and low to mid tide, you will find some sand bars in the central bay that generate excellent sets of waves.
We recommend: Kent Surf School
Kent Surf School is a family-owned business, dedicated to providing lessons that are engaging and fun. Located conveniently on the beach in Viking Bay, they offer a range of surf lessons as well as all-you-need equipment hire.
Travel: You can jump on a train from London St Pancras that only takes 1 hour 20 minutes to Broadstairs station, or it’s a 1 hour 40 min drive (82 miles).
Littlehampton, West Sussex
What we love: Littlehampton has a small but reasonably exposed beach break on the east side of the harbour entrance. You can also get some good conditions during high tide with lefts off the wooden groyne, especially on a good east/southwesterly swell. During a good day it can get a bit crowded as it's a beautiful spot, but definitely worth a visit. If you're chasing those perfect waves the best time is actually to go during the winter months.
We recommend: Get Kiteboarding
Get Kiteboarding is a kiteboarding and surfing school in West Sussex just outside of Littlehampton. Bracklesham Bay is a great place for beginners and experienced surfers alike! There, you can even take your surfing skills to the next level by trying kitesurfing as well for a new skill to master!
Travel: By train from Central London it takes about 1 hour 45 min to Littlehampton station, or you can drive in about the same time (65 miles).
Brighton, East Sussex
What we love: Surfing is a very important part of the Brighton culture with a large and vibrant surfing community. You'll find the best breaks around the Marina, although during good conditions you're most likely to find the greatest waves at the Wedge. The West Pier is good for longboarding and during low tide, it's an ideal location for beginners. If you're chasing the biggest swells Nov-Jan is generally the best time to find them in Brighton, but the summer is amazing for meeting your peers and grabbing a beer at one of the many bars, cafees and restaurants along the beach.
We recommend:Brighton Kitesurf & SUP Academy
Lancing Beach has shallow calm water with sand underfoot making it the premier kite beach on the South Coast for teaching, even used by the British Kitesports Association for national and local competitions. All of their instructors are affiliated with the British Kitesports Association, making it the best place to learn. Plus, once you are ready to fly solo they can set you up on their teaching beach and they will help make sure you are safe and ready to go!
Travel: It only takes an hour on the train from London to Brighton station and if you prefer to drive it usually takes around 1 hour 30 min (55 miles).
Eastbourne, East Sussex
What we love: This is a beautiful location with great facilities and is a very popular destination for a variety of water sports. With a sheltered beach break which is best during mid tide, Eastbourne offers great surfing conditions, especially paired with a south to southwest swell. This is a good spot for both beginners as well as more experienced surfers.
Travel: A train from Central London to Eastbourne takes around 1 hour 30 min, or it takes 1 hour 50 min by car (74 miles).
West Wittering, West Sussex
What we love: West Wittering is a naturally beautiful spot for surfing! If your looking for uncrowded waves, friendly locals and stunning surroundings, this is the place for you. Though local surf reports can be a bit unreliable, it's generally best conditions a few hours before high tide on a southwesterly swell. Expect the best waves between Sept-April and a bigger chance from crowding during the summer months.
We recommend: Get Kiteboarding
Get Kiteboarding is a kiteboarding and surfing school just around the corner of West Wittering in West Sussex. There, you can even take your surfing skills to the next level by trying kitesurfing as well for a new skill to master!
Travel: Coming from London, it takes around 1 hour 30 min to the nearest train station which is Chichester, and then you're about 15 mins away from the beach by taxi. Or it's a 1 hour 50 min drive (85 miles).
Ready to get out there and catch some waves? Now that you know all about the surfing spots near London all that’s left to do is arrange a visit. You can easily find and book your next experience on the eola marketplace.
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Looking for an online booking system to help you run your outdoor activities? eola is dedicated to helping surf instructors and water centres share their passion with more people. We take care of the admin, so you can have spend more time doing what you love.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out 10 awesome activities to try this year and 5 adventure activities to try in Cornwall.
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