Duckpool is a small rocky beach just to the north of Bude in North Cornwall. It’s easy to find and just a short drive via Stibb and Coombe. You eventually hit a single-track road before winding down to a National Trust car park just a short walk from the waves.
You can check the waves from the car park with most of the action happening out front at higher tides, as the ocean starts to drop back you’ll find peaks stretching for as far as the eye can see.
If you’re feeling adventurous there’s a coastal walk from Crooklets up the coast which can often uncover more waves as you gaze down from the cliffs.
Surfing at Duckpool
The beach at Duckpool faces north. It favours a westerly swell and offshore winds blow from the east.
The conditions here vary but it’s normally best with offshore winds and a swell size between 3-6ft much larger than this and it can turn into a whopping close-out.
Steeple point at the right-hand side of the bay can offer some moderate shelter from northerly winds.
At higher tides, you can find lefts and rights breaking over a reef/sand bottom but just make sure to watch out for the rocks that litter the line-up.
At low tide when the beach opens up you can score a right-hander that offers the opportunity for a few turns before breaking into shallow water.
There are even some old WW2 tank traps that can be found littering the shoreline half-submerged in the sand.
Duckpool isn’t as busy as other nearby beaches like Crooklets and Sandymouth. The combination of rocky shoreline and expensive car park (if you’re not a National Trust member) means that local surfers will often opt to surf other spots.
Other surf breaks in the area
The area around Duckpool is full of high-quality waves with reef and point breaks not too far if you’re willing to search.
In terms of beach breaks, you can head back south to surf one of Bude’s beaches like Summerleaze or Crooklets.
Heading north you’ll find the long stretch of sand and rock that makes up Sandymouth beach. Best surfed from low to mid tide this spot can offer up some great waves on clean head-high days.
Head over to our guide on surfing at Sandymouth to find out more.
