Surfing in Wales

Wales offers an accessible and underrated stretch of surf coast, within driving distance of most of Britain.

The Gower peninsula, near Swansea, is the heart of it: bays facing different directions, so there is nearly always somewhere sheltered when the wind turns. Pembrokeshire, further west, takes more swell and has several beaches that work when everywhere else has closed out.

The useful season runs from October to March, when Atlantic depressions track through. Summer is small and suits learning. The water stays cool all year, which means a full suit, but nothing like Ireland or Iceland.

The country's advantage is logistical: you drive there from almost anywhere in the UK, no flight, no transfer, and the breaks sit close together. That is what makes it a weekend destination rather than a holiday.

Who it suits: beginners and intermediates, on a coast that forgives. Experienced surfers will find good days in winter, without that being the reason to make the trip.