The best places to go surfing near London

You don't need to drive to Cornwall to catch a wave. The Kent and Sussex coasts are under two hours from London by train, and on the right day they deliver fun, beginner-friendly surf. Here are the best day-trip surf spots, what conditions each one needs, and the lessons and board hire you can book on eola.

Broadstairs, Kent: Viking Bay and Joss Bay

Broadstairs has two surf beaches a short walk apart. Viking Bay, the main town beach, is sheltered and works through most of the tide, so it's a friendly place for first lessons, with a cleaner longboard wave off the harbour jetty around low tide. Next door, Joss Bay is Kent's original surf beach, with sand bars and chalk reefs. It can get rippy at high water, so aim for mid to low tide when the sand bars line up.

Kent Surf School is a family-run school on the beach at Viking Bay, keeping classes small and putting beach safety first. Book a Viking Bay group surf lesson or a Joss Bay beginner surf lesson, choose a private surf lesson for faster progress, or sign younger children up for Surf Nippers, for ages 6 to 8.

Insider tip: this stretch of Kent faces north, so it needs a northerly wind to produce waves. Check the school's surf report before you travel. The high-speed train from St Pancras takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, or it's around 1 hour 40 minutes by car.

Bracklesham Bay and West Wittering, West Sussex

West Wittering is a beautiful, open beach and one of the best-known surf spots in Sussex. It's usually best a few hours before high tide on a south-westerly swell, with the best waves from September to April. Summer is busier, so go early. Just along the coast, Bracklesham Bay has a long, gently shelving beach that suits beginners.

Get Kiteboarding is based at Bracklesham Bay. If you can already paddle out, hire a beginner soft-top surfboard for 2 hours or longer. Under-18s need an adult with them. When the wind is up and the waves aren't, the same team runs kitesurfing and wing surfing lessons.

Getting there: take the train to Chichester (around 1 hour 30 minutes), then a short taxi or bus ride to the beach. By car it's about 1 hour 50 minutes.

Brighton, Littlehampton and Eastbourne, Sussex

These are the quickest beaches to reach from London, and they're best for surfers who already have their own kit. Brighton is about an hour by train. Its best breaks are around the Marina and the Wedge, while the West Pier area is good for longboarding at low tide. The biggest swells usually arrive between November and January.

Littlehampton has an exposed beach break by the harbour entrance, with lefts off the wooden groyne at high tide, and it's at its best in winter. Eastbourne's sheltered beach break works best at mid tide on a south to south-westerly swell. Neither spot has surf lessons on eola yet, but you'll find plenty of other things to book across Sussex.

Bournemouth and Poole, Dorset

Bournemouth's long sandy beaches, especially around Boscombe Pier, pick up surf when a decent south-westerly swell comes up the Channel. The waves are usually small and gentle, which suits longboards and beginners. The train from London Waterloo takes around two hours.

If you arrive to wind and no waves, head round to Sandbanks. Easyriders is a kite, wing, foil and paddleboard centre on Poole Harbour, where the flat, shallow water is ideal for a kitesurfing taster session or a wing taster session.

Closer to home: start learning without the sea

You can pick up board-sport skills before you reach the coast. Get Kiteboarding runs a London kitesurf and wingsurf intro in Richmond Park, covering safety, setting up and flying a kite or wing. It means you can get on the water sooner once you reach the beach.

At Ardingly Activity Centre near Haywards Heath, around an hour from London, you can try a wing surf taster or a windsurf taster session (ages 14 and over) on the reservoir. Both are good for building balance and confidence before you take on waves.

Indoor surfing in Cardiff

For a guaranteed wave, Cardiff International White Water has an indoor wave machine, about two hours from London Paddington by train. Book an indoor body and knee boarding session (ages 6 and over) or step up to stand-up indoor surfing (ages 14 and over). It's a fun way to practise your timing and balance between trips to the coast.

Tips before you go

Check the forecast for your spot, not just the weather. Sussex and Dorset need a south-westerly swell, while north-facing Kent needs a northerly wind. Tide matters too, so look at the tide times for the beach you're heading to.

Autumn and winter bring the best waves to the south-east. Expect sea temperatures that call for a thick wetsuit, boots and gloves in the colder months. Most schools provide wetsuits and soft-top boards for lessons, and many ask that you can swim 50 metres.

If you're new, book a lesson rather than hiring a board, since an instructor will pick the safest spot on the day. For more help getting started, read our answers to common concerns about surfing lessons in the UK, find out why winter surfing is worth a try, or look at the best kitesurfing spots near London for windy days.

Ready to catch your first wave? Browse surfing lessons and board hire on eola, or find more things to do in and around London.

-

Run a surf school or watersports centre? eola's booking system takes care of the admin, so you can spend more time on the water. Find out more or request a demo.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more ideas and activities near you.

Find your next adventure on eola

From surf lessons to kitesurfing courses and coasteering, browse watersports across the UK and book online on the eola marketplace.