WorldUnited Kingdom › Dorset › Highcliffe

Highcliffe 39.8

#4929 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Dorset · near Bournemouth

Wind is the enemy here, peaks in April, thick rubber.

Beginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score39.8 /100
Surfable days67% of the year
Clean days2% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell3% period 11 s+
Typical size0.8 m 2.7 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots

Best time to surf Highcliffe

The best time to surf Highcliffe is February, April, November. It rarely works. In April the water sits around 11°C, so pack a 5/4 with boots and hood, and the typical wave is 0.7 m. The nearest airport is BRS (101 km) and the nearest town is Bournemouth (14 km).

MonthSurfableCleanSizeWaterSuit
Jan77%2%1.1 m8°C6/5
Feb91%3%1.4 m8°C6/5
Mar77%2%1.0 m9°C6/5
Apr62%4%0.7 m11°C5/4
May57%0%0.7 m14°C4/3
Jun47%1%0.6 m17°C3/2
Jul41%0%0.5 m20°C2mm
Aug52%0%0.6 m20°C2mm
Sep59%0%0.7 m18°C3/2
Oct78%1%1.2 m15°C4/3
Nov83%3%1.3 m12°C5/4
Dec84%2%1.4 m10°C5/4

Why 39.8

Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.

Consistency 26%
20.0
Clean days 24%
0.3
Groundswell 12%
0.2
Season spread 10%
8.2
Wave size 8%
1.3
Water comfort 10%
0.4
Access 10%
8.4

The detail

Faces 175° with 28% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 54% of days. Mean peak period 6.7 s. Days over 3 m: 1%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 51%. Months that work: 10 of 12. Coordinates 50.737, -1.697 (OpenStreetMap).

Spots nearby

Southbourne🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 42.9Boscombe Pier🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 43.2Needles🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 43.9Bournemouth Pier🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 43.7
Compare Highcliffe with 5,700 other spots
Filters by month, level and water, map, side by side comparison and a trip planner.
Open the interactive profileMore spots good in April