The perfect surfing location - Ideal Beaches for beginner, intermediate and advanced surfers.

Bude, on the North Cornwall/North Devon border, is in many ways a well kept secret. It’s a small Victorian seaside resort with a friendly, relaxed and unspoilt atmosphere. Famous for its ship wreckers in the nineteenth century it should be famous as a British ‘surfer's paradise’ in the 20th century.

For the surfer, Bude and the surrounding are offer many sandy beaches as well as reef and point breaks, with clean water (dolphins and whales are spotted regularly), uncrowded conditions and more secret spots than you can shake a surfboard at. The surf is probably the most consistent in the UK and due to the Gulf Stream water temperatures remain comparatively high. However, many surfers have never even been here. Most people just drive past on their way to the more commercialized resort of Newquay or they stop short and join the huge crowds at Croyde without giving Bude a second thought. Yet Bude has produced some Europe’s best surfers including European & British Champions. The areas surf spots have also been visited by some of the world’s best surfers including Nat and Beau Young (Ex World and Ex World Longboard Champions), Tom Curran (Ex World Champion), Ted Dearhurst, Taylor Knox and many more. If it’s good enough for them………

At Big Blue Surf School we don’t restrict ourselves, or our customers, to just one beach. We teach on a number of beaches in and around Bude - finding the best and safest conditions at the time. This means you always get to surf the best waves available on any given day.

Here’s a run down on some of the main beaches we use:

Summerleaze Beach

This is one of the few spots along the North Devon and North Cornwall coastline that is protected from the areas dominant southwesterly winds. The breakwater at Summerleaze provides shelter in large swells from mid to high tide. As waves come in to the sheltered mouth of Summerleaze they break and then reform, meaning that even on a day when there are southwesterly gales and a big swell beginners can surf small, clean, waves in safe conditions at waist depth in the harbour. Summerleaze also offers some great conditions at mid to low tide where it picks up almost any swell hitting the north coast and offers a surfable wave when most other beaches are flat.

Early morning low tide Summerleaze, with no one out

Middle Beach

At mid to low tide Middle Beach often provides ideal conditions for teaching. Its gently sloping sand banks offer slow, spilling and uncrowded waves, ideal for beginner to intermediate surfers. However at mid to high tide, the surf on middle beach breaks over a mixture of sand and rock and is usually fast, hollow and barrelling – ideal for more experienced surfers who want to hit the lip or get barrelled.

Middle Beach, looking perfect for more experienced surfers - 5 foot clean and no one out."

Crooklets Beach

Described by some visiting Australian surfers as the ‘Bondi of Britain’ Crooklets is popular amongst local surfers and is home to the Bude Surf Life Saving Club. It offers some fast but fun waves at low tide and provides great mid to high tide conditions in small swell.

Crooklets with small, clean waves and no crowds - ideal conditions for these novice surfers."

All of these beaches are Life guarded from May to September and are recommended by the Marine Conservation Society’s “Good Beach Guide”. They have also been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag or Seaside Awards, for cleanliness, safety and water quality

Between them these beaches offer good quality waves, for all levels of surfer, in almost any conditions. If there isn’t a surfable wave here, you are unlikely to find one anywhere along the north coast.

"The region extends from Hartland Point to Newquay and is one of the most wave rich in Britain". "Secret spots abound". "A moderate swell in conjunction with light easterly wind will offer widespread and excellent conditions." "The vibe remains friendly." - ‘Storm Rider Guide’.

View the webcams on Summerleaze Harbour and Middle Beach at http://www.surfbude.com