Surfing Guides at Surfer Space

Fistral Beach is a major surfing beach of the United Kingdom, located at Newquay, in Cornwall. The beach is particularly straight and is about 2500 feet (750 metres) in length. It is mainly sandy and faces North-West towards the Atlantic Ocean. It is also backed by steep sand dunes.

Looking North from the Southern end of Fistral Beach
North FistralDuring the summer period it can get extremely crowded, both on the beach and in the sea, especially at high tide when most of the sand is covered by water. It is popular with surfers for its large clean breaks and a good right hander.

The word "Fistral" is enigmatic and has no known meaning in any of the Indo-European languages (including Cornish).

The British Surfing Association is based at the north end of the bay, alongside the Newquay Surf Life Saving Club and the Newquay Boardrider Club. The bay is also overlooked by the famous Headland Hotel which was used in the film The Witches.

The beach is a site for major international surfing competitions and a competition suite for judges and competitors has been built at North Fistral along with a surf museum, surf shops and daily board and wetsuit hire facilities.

The Cribbar

The cribbar, named after the reef which stretches half a mile from the beach, is a legendary wave that only breaks at Fistral Beach around once every 2 years. This incedible swell can reach heights of around 40 feet. Many surfers have attempted to ride the wave although this should only be attempted by experienced surfers. It is rarely seen due to several unique conditions essential to its creation.