Southbourne is known as a body boarding hotspot.

It’s fast and heavy wave breaks on an outer sandbar, then reforms as a heavy shore break.

When it’s firing this is an advanced wave riding location good for surf kiting.

On more mellow days it’s great for intermediate riders confident in the water getting into wave riding.

Riders should be aware of the limits and wave riding techniques when riding this location.

Facing SSW, this stretch of the beach is side shore in WNW and ESE winds.

SW and SE wind is cross-on. 

The tide here doesn’t effect the beach safety too much as the beach drops into the deep quickly.

It’s generally always around 50m wide. Strong high tides reduce space to around 20 meters wide.

On the water the waves shore break a lot harder at high tide, reforming after a sandbar break 200m out.

At low tide the shore break is more mellow, the waves crumble quicker on the sand bar.

Here riders should be aware of the following hazards:

The shore break and rip current can be significant. This is not a learner location when the swell is pushing, riders should be aware of their limits

The wooden groynes located every 100m get covered by the water, riders should not ride near them, and come back in considering their location

The fringing cliff creates a wind updraft and flying kites near it should be avoided

Riders should give each other space and time to leave the beach through the shore break and out to sea

Being a wave spot, wave rules of the road are generally prioritised here, giving space to a rider on a wave, so riders jumping (on the way out) should give way

Riders picking a wave should enter the circulation and pick a swell line out back, they should be alert to not ‘snaking’ another riders wave

On the beach kiters should stay alert to helping other in need

Postcode: BH6 4BE

Pay and display parking is located at a carpark overlooking the spot, or free on the adjacent road

A toilet block is located at the beach

Bistro cafe is located on the beach