Suffolk isn’t the first location that comes to mind when your think of surfing spots in the UK. Its sheltered position nestled between the English Channel and The North Sea means that swell needs to put in some serious work to reach Suffolk’s shores.
Let’s take a deep dive into surfing Suffolk and all this coastal county has to offer for surfers.
Can you surf in Suffolk?
Yes, despite being very sheltered Suffolk’s coastline does receive surfable waves on rare occasions. Because of its tucked-away location the waves here are rarely bigger than head high and lend themselves perfectly to beginners, mini mals, longboards and stand-up paddleboards.
All of the spots on this list work best in westerly offshore winds and swell coming from the north. Typically these conditions are most likely to happen through the winter months with a higher chance of storms out at sea creating waves that eventually reach Suffolk’s beaches.
Surf spots in Suffolk
If you’re heading to Suffolk or live in the area and you’d like to give surfing a go then there are a few beaches that can host good surfing waves.
The north of Suffolk is much more exposed to swell from the North Sea so as a general rule the swell will always be slightly larger than in the south of the county.
Southwold
A classic resort town, Southwold is a Blue Flag award-winning beach with stretches of long sand interspersed with rocky groynes.
The beach here is very bank specific with shifting sand meaning the best waves aren’t always in the same place. The groynes along the beach tend to have some fun rights and lefts when a swell is running.
There’s even a surf school which offers regular lessons and surf equipment hire if you want to give it a go yourself. Check out the video below of some surfers enjoying the winter swell at Southwold.
Lowestoft
Lowestoft beach sometimes called Victoria Beach is another Blue Flag beach popular with beachgoers year-round. Priding itself as the most easterly surf spot in the UK, the surf here is variable in quality and normally comes in the form of wind swells rather than the groomed lines of a solid ground swell.
Low tide can kill the waves here a little so try to aim to surf an hour or two on either side of the tide (ideally on the pushing tide) for the best waves.
It’s famous for Claremont Pier which sits at the north end of the beach and provides a helpful structure for sandbanks to form around improving the wave quality and offering lefts and right peaks on good days.
Take a trip back in time to 2009 when a few lucky surfers scored a winter wind swell that hit Lowestoft:
Corton Sands
Corton Sands, sometimes called Gunton Sands is a long beach made up of a mix of sand and shingle. The waves here aren’t great by they can provide some rides under the right conditions. Just make sure to bring a surfboard with a lot of volume and watch out for the small section of nudist beach that was shut in 2009 but still draws naturists form time to time.
Walberswick
Walberswick can provide some good waves when a northerly swell arrives. The lack of surf here means that when a swell does arrive the sand banks have been groomed to perfection making for short punchy ries breaking close to shore.
Onshore winds tend to play havoc with the waves here so only worth a look of it’s going to be a gentle westerly breeze.
Now you’re all set for surfing Suffolk when a swell arrives. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the surf report for those rare north swells.
