Oxwich Bay Reviews and Ratings
(Wales – Gower, UK)
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Visitor reviews of Oxwich Bay surf break
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
“That is all truth; when Oxwich works it is the best place you can imagine. I was there once windsurfing and thought, and I've hit the jackpot. Sunny, waves were head high with a decent period and the cross off wind kept everything else flat. It was so good that I still remember that October day. I've spent all day there hoping to get through to the Oxwich "Golden Hour" when the Point reef starts to work but the tide was too high and the sunlight ended.”
Romek from UNITED KINGDOM - 15 Jun 2015
Oxwich Bay Ratings
Overall: 3.0. Based on 7 votes and 2 reviews. Vote
Quality on a good day: 3.6(1 star: Even when the swell and winds are optimum, the waves are poor quality, 5 stars: If conditions are right, the waves will be World Class). |
Consistency of Surf: 1.6(1: Oxwich Bay is a fickle surf spot that only works a few times a year. 5: Reliable year-round spot). |
Regional Rating: 3.7(1: Oxwich Bay is usually very poor quality compared to other spots in Wales - Gower. 5: the best break in Wales - Gower). |
Difficulty Level: 2.6(1: Suitable for Groms. 3: Intermediates. 5: Expert tow-in surfers only). |
Onshore Wind: 2.4(1: even a light onshore ruins the surf. 5: Oxwich Bay can offer better rides with a light wind behind them). |
Other Options: 3.2(1: If wind or tide conditions are poor at Oxwich Bay, it will be poor everywhere nearby. 5: other locations nearby provide a rich variety of wind and swell exposures). |
Wind and Kite Surfing: 3.2(1: An unsuitable spot. 5: Wind and wave conditions at Oxwich Bay are often excellent). |
Water Quality: 3.0(1: Known health risks from pollution. 5: Never any pollution). |
Crowds: 2.3(1: Often too crowded. 5: Oxwich Bay is an isolated spot where you are unlikely to meet other surfers). |
Access: 5.0(1: Getting to Oxwich Bay requires an overland expedition or chartering a boat. 3: A 30 minute walk from the nearest parking. 5: Park a vehicle right by the break). |
Scenery: 4.6(1: An ugly industrial backdrop. 5: A spectacular setting). |
Local Attitude: 4.4(1: Locals are hostile to visitors. 5: Either there are no locals who surf, or else they are accommodating and friendly). |
Accommodation: 3.4(1: No convenient places to stay indoors. 5: A wide variety of accommodation near Oxwich Bay for all budgets from hostels to luxury hotels). |
Camping: 4.0(1: Camping at Oxwich Bay is not possible. 3: Camping tolerated but no facilities. 5: A nearby camp ground has excellent facilities and a good vibe). |
Entertainment: 3.2(1: Besides the surf and the solitude there is nothing to do when it is flat. 5: Oxwich Bay is in such an interesting area to visit that getting wet is a bonus). |
Equipment and Repairs: 2.0(1: Nothing can be sourced, not even wax. 5: Quality surfing equipment can be purchased or hired. Major repairs can be fixed too). |
Eating: 3.0(1: Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. 5: A wide variety of places to eat and drink at Oxwich Bay, from fast food and cafes to fancy restaurants). |
Drinking: 3.4(1: Alcohol is not allowed in the country. 5: There is an excellent pub near Oxwich Bay where you can stay or park a camper van overnight). |
“Oxwich doesn't break very often. Summer sunbathers who flood here in their thousands would not suspect that this calm and sheltered spot could ever hold any interest to surfers. For most of the time, they would be right.
Oxwich needs a grunty SW or even bigger West swell to work; something that happens maybe 5 or 10 times each year, each time lasting only a day or so. Late Autumn and Winter are the most likely times. In this respect it is a bit like Freshwater East and Tenby North Beach.
Having lived in a house overlooking the Bay for several years, I would estimate that the open water swell needs to be above 4.5m before Oxwich starts to become surfable, and almost double that for it to produce the classic head-high waves that everyone is hoping for. These conditions only occur when a very deep Atlantic low has moved into the SW approaches with storm force West or South West winds to the south of Ireland and through the Bristol Channel. The Pembroke Buoy may report wave heights in excess of 10m during these big SW storms. If you ever see that, drop everything because these are classic Oxwich conditions.
Oxwich faces SE and is sheltered from the howling SW to W gales that accompany theses storm swell. Better still the local topography seems to turn the wind into a localised offshore right in front of the car park, even if it is blowing from the SW. In general, if the swell is big enough for Oxwich to work, the wind will not be a problem.
When it is working Oxwich is an excellent break with punchy left and right waves that get hollow at high tide and especially as the tide tends to drop back.
More often than not, there will be a large crowd in the water when the break is working even if that happens on a February week day. That said, I have only experienced a friendly atmosphere.
You can find larger and less crowded waves by walking a few hundred metres East towards the Nicholaston stream. Usually, the price you will pay is that as you move away from the car park in the corner, the break gets more wind affected and the quality drops off, tending to close out more. Even so, it is well worth bearing in mind that this part of the beach can still produce a decent waist-shoulder high wave when the swell is too small for the car park end; just as long as wind has some North in it. This often happens for a day or two after the swell has peaked, by which time most surfers will have lost interest.
Even on good days, as the tide drops, so do the waves at the beach. Dont't be disheartened. If you stick around pretty soon the excellent Oxwich Point will start to fire as the tide approaches low water. The name of this break is misleading because it is really a reef two thirds of the way from the beach to the actual Point. Waves here are usually a foot bigger than the beach break at high tide: indeed, it is one of the better Gower Reefs with a nice right wall.
Oxwich Bay is one of Britain's finest beaches and the backdrop makes for an exceptionally scenic setting.”
webmaster from UNITED KINGDOM - 05 Mar 2010
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