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Needles 43.9
#4765 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Isle of Wight · near Bournemouth
Very consistent, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearBeginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score43.9 /100
Surfable days76% of the year
Clean days2% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell3% period 11 s+
Typical size1.0 m 3.2 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Needles
The best time to surf Needles is January, February, April. It rarely works. In February the water sits around 8°C, so pack a 6/5 with boots, gloves and hood, and the typical wave is 1.6 m. The nearest airport is BRS (113 km) and the nearest town is Bournemouth (23 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 2% | 1.4 m | 8°C | 6/5 |
| Feb | 97% | 5% | 1.6 m | 8°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 80% | 2% | 1.2 m | 9°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 74% | 4% | 0.8 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| May | 63% | 0% | 0.8 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 60% | 1% | 0.6 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Jul | 49% | 0% | 0.6 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Aug | 61% | 0% | 0.8 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Sep | 73% | 0% | 0.8 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Oct | 87% | 1% | 1.4 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 92% | 2% | 1.5 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 91% | 2% | 1.6 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
Why 43.9
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
23.0
Clean days 24%
0.4
Groundswell 12%
0.2
Season spread 10%
9.1
Wave size 8%
2.0
Water comfort 10%
0.4
Access 10%
7.8
The detail
Faces 250° with 47% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 51% of days. Mean peak period 6.7 s. Days over 3 m: 2%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 50%. Months that work: 11 of 12. Coordinates 50.663, -1.585 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Compton🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 40.4Highcliffe🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 39.8Southbourne🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 42.9Boscombe Pier🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 43.2
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