This live Croyde surf web cam is updated at least every second. If you hit F5 whilst on the enlargement the web cam image will be refreshed.
Croyde Live Cam - Click to enlarge
Croyde Beach Information
Croyde Beach is considered one of the best beach breaks in the country.
Croyde works best around low tide, when the sand banks, rips and general shape of the beach/bay help create powerful "A Frame peaks".
From an aerial view Croyde Bay is triangular in shape, narrowest near the dunes and opening out gradually down to the shore. This is what may cause the 'peakiness' of Croyde waves, amongst other things.
The waves are fast, heavy and hollow at low tide, for more ADVANCED surfers only! Don't be fooled by the ease of 'paddle out' which can sometimes occur because of the following:
You can literally paddle between peaks
Rips can assist your paddle out (but make it hard to get back in!)
The waves at Croyde, generally, break closer to the shore than most beach breaks (in the UK).
Rips, riptides, or a bit 'rippy', amongst other terms, mean streams or rivers of underwater currents, caused by tides, and, especially at Croyde, the shape of deep sand banks - if you have two high banks and a dip in between, this could potentially assist in the creation of a rip.
Gets crowded quickly.
Mid to high tide offers a fuller more mellow wave.
Location: Croyde Bay, North Devon
Best time to surf: 1-2 hours before low tide, (if spring tides), low tide, or on the pushing tide for neap tides, but, like any beach break, this depends on the conditions, sand banks, etc.
Best wind direction: Light Offshore East, North Easterly, although South Easterly is also off-shore, but can start to get a slight side chop.
Swell Directions: a south swell creates long, peaky, lefts which peel along Croyde's banks, straight west swells generally close out a little more, but find the right bank and it still fires.
Hazards: Strong rips at low tide, very busy, grumpy locals.
Conclusion: Only surf Croyde if you are competent and confident - the waves break so quickly here sometimes and rips drift so powerfully that one can get in all kinds of trouble (which could prove troublesome and/or embarrassing).
Check the surf at Croyde with our live surf web cams, you can also check the surf at Croyde Bay, by checking our digital photos, updated every day, without fail, or whenever the surf/wind/tide changes throughout the day, or we just happen to be near the beach!
There is also a surf report and surf forecast, including a 3 times a week free email forecast, covering Croyde Bay
The gallery contains tons of surfing photos and pictures from all over North Devon, the UK and the World - Croyde surf photos and so on.
