United Kingdom · Atlantic Europe
Each location is refreshed once every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.
We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at Bigbury-on-Sea. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical late July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Flat as a lake. Save your energy for another day. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Onshore wind making a mess of the surface. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.
Bigbury-on-Sea is a sprawling beach break situated on the southern coast of Devon, United Kingdom, overlooking Burgh Island. The bathymetry consists of an expansive, shallow gradient of fine sand, which dissipates wave energy gently as it approaches the shoreline. This location relies heavily on south-westerly groundswells travelling up the English Channel, and functions optimally when styled by a north-easterly offshore wind. Due to the very gradual slope of the seabed, the waves here typically break with a soft, crumbling lip rather than pitching top-to-bottom. This structural characteristic produces forgiving, slow-rolling faces that are ideal for beginner surfers looking to master foundational skills such as pop-ups and early trim generation. The presence of the Burgh Island tombolo naturally fragments the incoming swell, creating multiple distinct peaks across the bay and diffusing crowded line-ups. While the surf rarely reaches the critical power required by advanced riders, it remains a highly reliable training ground for novices.
Heads up: jellyfish: high.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 79% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Significantly cleaner air than a typical city. Ideal for outdoor exercise with minimal respiratory strain.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NO₂ 5, O₃ 3, PM10 2, SO₂ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 15:24
Moderate water clarity: ~7m visibility
Updated 10:32
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Bigbury-on-Sea
Historical quality only. Safety is not reconstructed for this view.
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Create Profile →Partly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.
The best week for surf at Bigbury-on-Sea is the week of 23 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Local knowledge and community tips for Bigbury-on-Sea
Bigbury-on-Sea is a wide, gentle beach break overlooking Burgh Island on the south Devon coast. The seabed slopes gradually and the island itself splits the incoming swell, creating several distinct zones across the bay. It is predominantly a longboard and beginner wave, with soft faces and forgiving whitewater. The views of the Art Deco hotel on the island are a bonus.
Needs south-westerly groundswell funnelling up the English Channel. Works on any tide due to the gradual slope, though low to mid tends to offer more shape. A north-easterly offshore wind cleans things up. The best months are September through May, but even small summer swells produce rideable waves here.
The peaks closest to Burgh Island tend to have slightly more shape where the swell wraps around the landmass. The middle of the bay is wider and more spread out, good for learners who want space. On bigger days the section to the south of the island can produce more powerful waves.
Very few. The sandy bottom is forgiving and the waves lack real power. The main thing to watch is the tidal causeway to Burgh Island, which creates a current as water flows around it. In bigger swells, rip currents can form along the edges of the bay near the rocks. Swimmers and paddleboarders populate the inside sections during summer.
There is a pay car park right behind the beach that works on a seasonal price structure. It gets extremely busy in summer holidays. The walk to the water is short and straightforward across flat sand. There are toilets and a cafe nearby.
Surf schools dominate in summer but there is plenty of beach to spread out. In autumn and winter you will often have the lineup to yourself. The soft nature of the waves means advanced surfers rarely bother, so you are mostly sharing with learners and longboarders.
Walk towards the island for slightly steeper waves with more push. The tombolo (sand causeway) to Burgh Island creates interesting wave patterns on bigger tides. If it is flat, the rock pools around the island are worth exploring. The Pilchard Inn on the island does a good pint if you time the tide right.
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Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 30 days of logged conditions.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Bigbury-on-Sea tend to be best between 06:00 to 09:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 21/100
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