Introduction
Bournemouth is on the South Coast of England and is best known for being one of the UK's best seaside resorts and a great place to retire. The town is now also a firm favorite with the younger generation because of its good climate, great beaches, cosmopolitan feel and lively night life.
People have been surfing in Bournemouth since the mid 60's and the local surf scene has exploded to a size that now rivals other larger more established UK surf communities.
The waves in and around Bournemouth can get classic from time to time but unfortunately the area lacks consistency because of its location and exposure to swell. More often than not Bournemouth surfers have to rely on waves that are generated from strong winds blowing from either a South Westerly or South Easterly direction.
It's not all doom and gloom though because Bournemouth surfers benefit from quite a few surf spots within a 20 mile radius and some breaks that can cope with strong onshore winds.
The 'most popular' surf spots in and around Bournemouth are:
- Boscombe Pier
- Bournemouth Pier
- Southborne
- Highcliffe
- Kimmeridge Bay
There are other 'less popular' spots that can offer better waves to the surfers who take the time to search them out. Bournemouth surfers will also soon be able to apply their trade to Europe's first artificial surfing reef that is being constructed in the sea of Boscombe pier.
Leading Surf shops in Bournemouth
Bournemouth has some great surf shops where you can find out more information and purchase top notch gear. The best surf shops in Bournemouth include:
Other places where you can find out more information or meet other surfers for a flat day chat include:
Local Rippers
Bournemouth has a strong core of great and upcoming surfers and bodyboarders for an area that lacks good consistent waves. Some of the names to look out for in the sea include:
- Terry Crump
- Aaron Strong
- Karl Read
Other Bournemouth 'Local Zones' on notheep.com
These include the following: