United Kingdom · Atlantic Europe
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Local knowledge and community tips for Cayton Bay
Cayton Bay is a powerful beach and reef break south of Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast. It faces east-northeast into the North Sea and picks up swell with impressive consistency for an east coast spot. The seabed is a mix of sand and flat rock shelf, creating peaks that vary from hollow beach break barrels to more defined reef sections. The headland to the south (the Pumphouse) offers a quality left on bigger days.
Best on northerly or north-easterly wind swells between September and March. A south-westerly offshore wind is essential for clean conditions. Works through most of the tide but produces its hollower waves at mid to high on the reef sections. Head-high north-easterly swells with light offshores represent the classic Cayton session.
The main beach break peaks are in the centre of the bay. The reef section (the Pumphouse) is at the south end beneath the cliffs and produces a defined left that barrels on its day. This section needs a bigger swell and more experience. Beginners should stick to the sandy middle where the consequences are lower.
Strong rip currents form along both ends of the bay, particularly on bigger days. The reef sections have shallow rock underneath. The cliffs behind limit easy exit points. Cold water year-round (5-12 degrees depending on season). The Pumphouse section is heavy and not suitable for less experienced surfers.
Car park at the top of the cliff with a steep path down to the beach. The walk takes about 10 minutes and is not pleasant with a longboard. No facilities at beach level. The access path can be muddy and slippery in winter.
Cayton has a dedicated local crew who surf it year-round. Weekends can be busy by east coast standards (15-20 people on a good day). The Pumphouse section has a tighter group of regulars. Midweek you will often share with only a handful. Respect the locals; they know the currents and can offer advice.
The Pumphouse left is the prize but do not paddle straight there on your first visit. Surf the beach break first and observe. The banks shift significantly after storms, so what worked last week may not apply today. North-easterly groundswell wraps in cleaner than due-east wind chop. The cafe at the top does a proper bacon sandwich.
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Record your session, conditions and gear.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Cayton Bay tend to be best between 05:00 to 08:00 in June.
Average score during this window: 0.6/10
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
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 28 days of logged conditions.
Sign up to save favourite spots and get surf alerts
Create free accountCreate a free profile and let employers in Cayton Bay find you.
Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Cayton Bay. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
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).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Cayton Bay is the week of 23 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Flat as a lake. Save your energy for another day. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Heavy offshore making for difficult paddle-outs but textbook faces. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: cold-shock risk.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Moderate water clarity: ~4m visibility
Updated 10:32
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Cayton Bay
Conditions at Cayton Bay tend to be best between 05:00 to 08:00 in June.
Average score during this window: 0.6/10
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
View Best Time to Go →