Barrel Monkey
Satellite view of Watergate Bay’s long west-facing strand below the hotels, Newquay.

Watergate Bay

Today · Tue 22 Sept · 04:20

Quality

Poor

Swell

Swell2.4ft

Tide

High tideLow tide

Weather

Cloud
16°Wind3kt SECloud

6-day surf report

Updated Tue 22 Sept 04:20

Mawgan Porth

Now · Tue 22

CloudCloud

Poor

Swell

2.4ft

7s

15–21°Temperature3kt SEWind
High tideLow tide

Wed 23

CloudCloud

Clean

Swell

4.1ft

13s

12–18°Temperature5kt SSEWind
High tideLow tide

Thu 24

ClearClear

Clean

Swell

4.3ft

9s

10–20°Temperature4kt EWind
High tideLow tide

Fri 25

ClearClear

Pumping

Swell

5.5ft

12s

12–20°Temperature3kt SWind
High tideLow tide

Sat 26

CloudCloud

Pumping

Swell

7.2ft

10s

8–18°Temperature7kt NNWWind
High tideLow tide

Sun 27

CloudCloud

Clean

Swell

4.9ft

8s

9–18°Temperature6kt SSEWind
High tideLow tide

The beach

Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay sits on the Newquay run. Swell, wind and tide for this beach and the neighbours, so you can pick a peak before you leave the car park. Today is cloud, 16°, 3kt SE.

Long west-facing strand that handles size and still has room when Newquay is packed.

Walk north of the hotel on a busy weekend. Works on more tide than Fistral when the banks are even.

Faces W. Best swell WSWNNW. Level: all. Crowd: busy.

On the sand

Before you paddle out at Watergate Bay

Parking

Cornwall Council Watergate Bay (TR8 4AD, 400 spaces). 1 April–31 October 9am–6pm: £2.50 / £5.10 / £7.50 / £11.50, weekly £29; evening £2.30; midnight–9am free. Winter 9am–4pm: £1 / £1.80 / £3 / £4.20. Wavehunters: use this beach car park, closest to the water.

Hire & lessons

Wavehunters is the school on the sand at Watergate, lessons and hire year-round, beginner groups from age 7. Extreme Academy is no longer the live operator.

Vibe

Family and all-ability coaching beach. Wavehunters run children’s groups and family bodyboarding in the holidays. Andy Cameron (Wavehunters) calls it one of the best high-tide surfing breaks in the country. The RNLI notes it picks up plenty of Atlantic swell.

Access & hazards

Met Office: high risk of rips. RNLI: foot of steep cliffs; the strand stretches over two miles at low tide; easiest access in front of the hotels. 2026 patrols include Easter, then daily 2 May–27 September, 10am–6pm. No flags means no lifeguards.

Sources Cornwall Council Watergate Bay · Wavehunters · RNLI Watergate Bay · Met Office Watergate

Nearby

Other beaches on this run

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