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South Shields 43.2
#4800 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · South Tyneside · near Sunderland
Wind is the enemy here, peaks in January, thick rubber.
Beginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score43.2 /100
Surfable days69% of the year
Clean days3% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell4% period 11 s+
Typical size0.8 m 2.7 ft median
Water10°C a 5/4 with boots and hood
Best time to surf South Shields
The best time to surf South Shields is January, March, December. It rarely works. In January the water sits around 7°C, so pack a 6/5 with boots, gloves and hood, and the typical wave is 1.0 m. The nearest airport is NCL (20 km) and the nearest town is Sunderland (10 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 9% | 1.0 m | 7°C | 6/5 |
| Feb | 79% | 1% | 1.1 m | 6°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 74% | 8% | 1.0 m | 7°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 85% | 5% | 1.0 m | 8°C | 6/5 |
| May | 69% | 1% | 0.8 m | 10°C | 6/5 |
| Jun | 56% | 0% | 0.7 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Jul | 45% | 0% | 0.6 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 44% | 0% | 0.6 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 65% | 2% | 0.8 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 77% | 4% | 0.9 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Nov | 78% | 2% | 1.1 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 82% | 8% | 1.0 m | 9°C | 6/5 |
Why 43.2
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
20.6
Clean days 24%
1.4
Groundswell 12%
0.5
Season spread 10%
8.2
Wave size 8%
1.4
Water comfort 10%
0.0
Access 10%
10.0
The detail
Faces 65° with 44% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 73% of days. Mean peak period 7.1 s. Days over 3 m: 2%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 58%. Months that work: 10 of 12. Coordinates 54.995, -1.403 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Tynemouth (Longsands)🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 44.2Seaburn🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 42.4Blyth Beach🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 43.1Seaton Carew🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 39.6
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