East Wittering Surf Report

 

How the beach works

East Wittering is a sandy beach break on the tip of the Manhood Peninsula, and the most consistent surf between Brighton and the Isle of Wight. It's been the home of surfing on this stretch of coast for decades, which is roughly how long we've been sat here watching it.

Swell

Most days here are made by southwesterly windswellpushing up the Channel. It arrives quick, it's punchy, and it's usually gone within a day or two of the wind easing. Proper groundswell makes it up the channel a fair few times a year, and when it does the whole village goes surfing.

Wind

North and northeast winds are offshore and tidy everything up. Southwesterlies are onshore, but they're also what builds the waves in the first place, so a lot of sessions here are a trade between size and cleanliness. The days to drop everything for are light winds over a leftover swell.

Tide

The beach is flat and shallow and the sea goes out a long way. Low tide tends to be slow and fat. The waves pick up on the push, and mid tide through to high is usually your window. The table above has the times, so plan around it. Turning up at the wrong tide is the classic visitor mistake.

Getting in

Main access is at the bottom of Shore Road, with parking close to the beach and a short walk to the water. The groynes split the beach into bays, which spreads the crowd out even on a busy weekend.

Learning here. On a small clean day this is a proper learner beach. Sandy bottom, gentle slope, loads of space. On bigger windswell days the shore dump and the pull along the groynes deserve some respect, so if you're new to it, pick your day or pop in and ask us first. That's what we're here for.

What to wear in the water

The Channel bottoms out around 6 to 8 degrees in late winter and tops out around 17 to 19 in late summer. Roughly:

• December to April. 5/4 hooded or a 5/3 with boots and gloves. The air is usually the harder part.
• May and June. 4/3 while the sea catches up with the sunshine.
• July to October. 3/2, and on the warmest days a shorty will do if you're only in for a quick one. October is warmer in the water than June, every year, and nobody believes us.
• November. Back in the 4/3, boots on standby.

 

Whatever the month, the ten minutes after you get out matter as much as the surf. A hooded change robe sorts the car park change without the towel dance, and a waterproof seat cover means you can drive home dripping and the car doesn't hold a grudge.

Before and after

The shop sits a couple of minutes back from the beach, and the Drift-In Cafe is part of the same building, so most sessions here start or end with us whether you planned it or not. Grab a coffee on your way down for a dawn one, or come in for something warm when your hands have stopped working. If you've forgotten your wax or snapped a leash on the way down, we keep all the small essentials that end sessions when they're missing, along with caps and beanies for the walk back up the beach.

And when it's flat, which around here is often, the Witteringsstill put on one of the best beach days on the south coast. Low tide opens up sandbars and warm shallows that stretch out for miles, and everything you'd want for a day on them lives in the Ultimate Beach Day collection.

FAQs

Is there surf at East Wittering today? 

Check the cam at the top of the page, it's live from the beach. Rough rule: if a southwesterly has been blowing in the Channel in the last day or so, there's probably something to ride.

When is high tide at East Wittering? 

Today's times are in the table above, from Admiralty data for the nearest tidal station. Tides here run about 40 minutes to an hour later each day.

Is East Wittering good for beginners? 

On the right day, yes. Small and clean over sand is about as friendly as the south coast gets. Save the bigger days for later and ask in the shop if you're not sure.

What wetsuit do I need? 

See the month by month guide above. Short version: 3/2 in summer, 4/3 either side of it, 5mm and boots in winter. We stock wetsuits in the shop, so come in and get fitted properly.

Where do I park for East Wittering beach? 

Head for the bottom of Shore Road. There's parking near the beach and it fills fast on sunny weekends, so early is the move in summer. Early is the move for the surf anyway.