OVERALL MARK OUT OF TEN
REGION
South Wales
SPOT NAME
Rest Bay
PARKING
Yes
WALK TO BEACH
5 mins
FACILITIES
Cafe, Toilets, Bike Hire, Surf School
Very popular spot that attracts surfers from Cardiff, Bristol and weekend warriors from locations as far as Birmingham and Swindon (and beyond!). This is due to the beach being located just 10 minutes off the M4. There is a sizeable car park beside the beach. Parking is £1 all day from 1 October until the end of March and then £2.80 all day for rest of the year.
A brand new centre has replaced the old (and dated) cafe and public toilets. The facilities now boast new toilets, bike hire, coffee shop and of course one of the the best surf schools in the UK, Porthcawl Surf School
All locals will know Hugh from years working from his van in the car park. Hugh has been rewarded with a fantastic new unit in the activity centre and continues with his excellent hire service and surf lessons. A wide variety of wetsuits and surf boards can be hired for a great price and Hugh will often provide helpful advice on the conditions for beginners or others not familiar with the break.
In terms of the beach itself, obviously it gets very crowded most days when the conditions are good, especially at weekends. That being said, from low to mid tide there is plenty of space for people to spread out and there are many peaks that work up and down the beach which helps disperse the crowd. Lefts and rights are on offer and the waves still work when it gets to head high and above.
Given that this beach is in the heart of the severn estuary, like many beaches in the area, it is massively impacted by the tide. Tidal ranges can vary from 7m all the way to 10m and above. When there are strong tides, the rip can be very strong so beginners should monitor their position in the water and, if necessary, get out of the water and walk back up the beach.
The waves work best at mid tide on the push but if the conditions are good, the waves will still work on the dropping tide until low tide and will then increase in size again as the tide pushes back in. The wave does not work at high tide when the sea comes up to the rocks and will go flat as a pancake. Within an hour, the waves can go from 5ft to 0ft so people need to time when they arrive at the beach. As a general rule, the tide gets too high for an hour before high tide and an hour after high tide but depending on the tidal range, it often does not work for 2 hours before high tide and two hours after. On some occasions, it can be surfed throughout high tide but this would only happen when the tidal range is low at 7m or so. For the majority of the year, however, the waves do not work at high tide.
Overall, it’s obviously not the best beach break in the UK but the waves are fun and fairly consistent. It can be classic on it’s day with long lefts and rights on offer. I have had countless fun over the years at Rest Bay and will continue to return again and again!
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