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Gwithian

A long, unrestricted Cornish wave beach — exposed, powerful, and the antidote to the permit systems elsewhere in the county.

St Ives Bay · CornwallDirections

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● Spot · shaded: the wind directions that work here. It is not a riding area or a permitted kite zone. Two fingers to move the map.

Location & launch

Know before you go.

Launch
Open sand below the Gwithian Towans, with a long walk down from the cliff-top car park.
Wind
SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW · NNW · N · NNE · NE winds work here.

The shaded area shows the wind directions recorded as working here. It is not a permitted kite zone or a safe launch boundary. Check local signs.

Local rules, hazards & spot guide

Need to know

The things that catch people out here.

  • One of the longest beaches in Cornwall and, unusually for the county, no restrictions on who can kitesurf here.
  • Exposed to strong wind, swell and powerful surf — this is an experienced riders' beach.
  • The walk down from the cliff-top car park with kit is long and steep.
  • If it's too big here, The Bluff at the other end of the bay is sheltered and flat on the right wind.

Conditions

NESW
  • Best
  • Works
  • Offshore
Works in
SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE
Best in
NE, SW
Offshore (careful)
ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S
Wind quality
moderate
Water
Waves
Depth
mixed
Best tide
Low to mid
Spring range
6 m
Beginner
Not suitable
Intermediate
Good
Advanced
Ideal

Hazards

Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.

  • high

    current Strong rips along St Ives Bay, and Godrevy's reef and tidal flow at the northern end.

  • medium

    rocks Rock at the Godrevy end and reef sections exposed at low water.

  • medium

    crowds A well-known surf beach; expect surfers in the water.

Access & rules

Launch
Open sand below the Gwithian Towans, with a long walk down from the cliff-top car park.
Permit
Not required
Insurance
Third-party liability expected
Tuition
Permitted
Facilities
toilets, cafe

Parking

  • Gwithian Towans car park

    paid

Seasonal restrictions

  • May–Sep

    RNLI bathing and surfing zones in season.

Safety

Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.

Lifeguards
Seasonal RNLI cover.
RNLI
St Ives RNLI
Nearest A&E
Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro (~35 min)
Water quality
Designated bathing water — excellent

The spot

Gwithian runs north from Hayle towards Godrevy lighthouse and is one of the longest beaches in Cornwall. Unusually for the county, there are no permits and no restrictions on who can kitesurf here.

What there is instead is exposure. Full Atlantic wind, swell and powerful beach break, plus strong rips along the bay and reef at the Godrevy end. It is an experienced riders' beach, and the walk down from the cliff-top car park with kit is a proper effort. When it is too big, The Bluff at the southern end of the same bay offers flat, sheltered water on the right wind.

Links & local

Clubs, forums & groups

Nearby alternatives

Other launches around St Ives Bay, with different conditions.

  • The Bluff, Hayle

    The flattest water in Cornwall on a north-easterly, with waves further out for when you want them.

Sources

Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.

Confidence: high · 3 independent sources · status published · updated 2026-09-07

Verify locally. Coordinates 50.2195, -5.3984. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.