Newgale Sands
Two miles of clean Pembrokeshire sand behind a storm pebble bank, with the road right behind it.
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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
- Two miles of sand behind a substantial storm pebble bank, with the A487 running along the back.
- Wind
- S · SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW · NNW winds work here.
- Tide
- At high water the sea is against the pebble bank and there is very little beach.
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.
- The pebble storm bank behind the beach means a heavy dump at high water and nowhere to launch. Ride mid to low.
- The A487 runs directly along the back of the beach, which makes access unusually easy for Pembrokeshire.
- Faces west, so it works from south round to north-north-west. Easterly and south-easterly are offshore — good for surfers, not kites.
- Full Pembrokeshire Coast National Park setting and some of the cleanest water in Wales.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW
- Best in
- SW, WSW, W
- Offshore (careful)
- N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE
- Wind quality
- clean
- Water
- Waves
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 6.5 m
Tide rule
At high water the sea is against the pebble bank and there is very little beach.
- Beginner
- Workable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Ideal
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
shore break The storm pebble bank creates a heavy dumping shore break at high water.
- high
current Atlantic rips across St Brides Bay.
- medium
rocks Rock at both ends of the beach.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Two miles of sand behind a substantial storm pebble bank, with the A487 running along the back.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe, pub, campsite
Parking
- Newgale beach car park
paid
Seasonal restrictions
- Jun–Aug
RNLI bathing and surfing zones in peak season.
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- Seasonal RNLI cover.
- RNLI
- St Davids RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest (~20 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — excellent
The spot
Newgale is the largest beach in St Brides Bay: two miles of sand backed by a substantial storm pebble bank, with the A487 running along behind. Access is about as easy as Pembrokeshire gets, and the water is among the cleanest in Wales.
The pebble bank shapes the session. At high water the sea is against it, there is very little beach, and the shore break dumps heavily. Ride mid to low. The bay faces west and works from south round to north-north-west, with the prevailing south-westerly cross-onshore. Easterlies are offshore.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Windfinder — Newgale Sands
Checked 2026-09-07 · coordinates, wind
- Coast Watersports — Newgale Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Boards magazine — Newgale Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Kite & Windsurfing Guide — Newgale Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 51.8483, -5.1200. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.