Caswell Bay Reviews and Ratings

“Caswell Bay is a pretty ordinary surf break. Even so it is very popular with locals and Swansea Uni students because it is so close to the Swansea west suburbs and also because Caswell is a wave that works at mid to high tide whereas nearby Langland Bay, which is much better and just around the corner, works between low and mid. It's a reasonably scenic spot and in summer the beach gets wildly overcrowded with sun-seekers and best avoided.

It is sufficiently open to the swell to be pretty consistent. As such, it is not a bad indicator beach for Llangennith and the West Gower Reefs which are usually about twice the size.

Low tide at Caswell is a totally useless dumping wave. It is not unusual too see each wave break across the entire width of the beach simultaneously. Stranger still, more often than not there is at least one optimist out there trying to surf it but achieving nothing more than to provide some scale because it generally picks up quite a bit towards high tide.

The reefs at either end of the beach, towards Brandy Cove and Whiteshell Point, can provide surfable waves around low water but since there are much better low-tide options at nearby Langland, these are rarely surfed.

At about mid-tide the waves at Caswell start to take on a bit of shape and size, usually offering a soft wave for learners so it is no surprise that a surf-school operates here in summer. The best of the surf is always found on the Redcliff (west) side and it can actually get quite good if the wind is offshore or light. Very rarely, it can even become a bit hollow.

More often than not, the surf is accompanied by onshore west or southwest winds. The Redcliff provides quite a bit of shelter from this so don't be too worried if the view from the main beach access shows only messy waves; they will always have much better shape around the corner and out of sight.

A long time ago you used to be able to park in front of the Redcliff apartments overlooking the best of the high tide surf. This was very useful for deciding if it was worth going in or not. A security gate means that this is no longer possible and surfers have to park in the main beach car park and either walk up the road and down the steps or else paddle around from the main beach. This can be hard work if the waves have any size.

The cafe at Caswell is open all year and is not a bad option for a hot drink and a bite to eat after a surf. It's nothing like the quality of say the Cafe at Watergate Bay in Cornwall, but it is a big improvement over the previous chips and candy floss establishment.

Your not supposed to park overnight in Caswell car park, but some do. Likewise, you are not supposed to pitch a tent in Bishop's wood Nature reserve beyond the top of the car park, but some do that too.

Apart from these, the nearest official places to stay are various B and B's in Bishopston. Mumbles is a better option because it offers a range of eating and drinking options too but for legal camping with proper facilities, head down The Gower.”

webmaster from UNITED KINGDOM - 07 Mar 2010