First off,the swell needs to be BIG/MASSIVE to produce a decent wave here. I've visited on days when the wave bouys have read 16ft+ and it's still only been a dribbly 1-2ft so wind and swell direction play a big part.
On smaller days or even biggish swells when a small wave is formed, it's popular with longboarders due to the clean, peeling waves on various peaks along the beach.
Alot of guys tend to only surf the right hand side but it can be just as good further along if you're prepared to walk a little while.
The beach is really crowded nowadays on classic swells - it's not uncommon to count 100 odd surfers in the water bobbing about all fighting for their share of the action so time your surfs well. Try and be respectful when parking - the hotel don't appreciate surfers using their carpark and the area has double yellows along the road side.
There is a carpark opposite the beach but it's pay and display. In summertime you can park right at the back of the beach but in Winter, a barrier is put in place so campervans can't get through...
Oxwich point - a right hander has been known to produce world class waves and can be extremely hollow. It can however be a dangerous wave when big and surfers will push each other to take off deeper inside (closer to the rocks) so it's best left for experienced surfers only. The entry is a rock clamber, there's no real sand here and dings are common place. Getting out afterwards is even trickier...
The wave has two main sections - an outer and inner, with the latter being pretty hollow and shallow. The waves will also works further and further round towards the beach as the tide pushes but takeoffs are pretty sketchy - infront of dry rock. This wave is definitely not for beginners or intermediates!
If you have a nice photo of the point working, email it to us here @ surfing.wales@bbc.co.uk
Check out the
daily tide times for this beach, or
click here if you turn up on a flat day and fancy trying our
Wild walk through the dunes instead...
your comments
James - Peterborough
Oxwich bay is probably the best place for surfing! Loved my time there an excellent swell and a good curling rip.
Wed Oct 31 11:29:47 2007
sophie lear from swansea!
Oxwich Bay Is probably the beach in Swansea. I love it there.
Mon Sep 10 14:26:55 2007
callum -pennrd
In a good winter/sping swell it is very good fast and verry clean cn barrel at times if there is a big enough swell bt it is lyk 5 times in a year u get that soo ceep to pobs or the cliffs or roches or gennith
Fri Jul 6 13:38:31 2007
Christopher Rees from Skewen
I went there on Sunday 2006 December the 3rd and it was absolutley awsum with a 6ft swell and tubes and about 150 people it was a really good day.
Tue Dec 5 09:39:15 2006
wayne from gower
oxwich bay should be 3-4 mon, pity your all in work!
Fri Nov 24 15:00:20 2006
ct, gower
Surfed here about 3 times in the same month in 2003, it was a good 3ft one day, clean with a nice curling lip, powerful, bit of surface chop tho. There was 200+ people in every session... better off sticking to somwhere like langland or horton on these big swells.
Thu Oct 19 10:21:07 2006
Mike, Mewslade
This place is so overcrowded these days it should be called Swansea Zoo.
Fri Feb 17 14:05:52 2006
Julian - Gower
I have lived in Gower all my life and have been surfing for 24 years. In all those years I have probably surfed Oxwich really good once or twice a year, usually after a big low in the Atlantic. It needs a really big swell to work, tide in, wind W to NW best, and not too strong. It gets way too crowded these days to be enjoyable.
Fri Feb 17 10:47:49 2006
SEAN - GOWER
What do peeps think about the swell this weekenk it lookd massive, Genith and Rhos look like they gonna be huge or maxed out, will caswell be better as it is more sheltered? Or how bout port enyon? too big? Iv only ever surfed 3ft but have been out in 15ft, not too experinced so thought that caswell would be the best option what does anyone else think?
Tue Feb 14 16:19:39 2006
Jon the Kook Loughor
When Llangennith is 2- 3 feet offshore, this place will be a nice 3 feet and clean. Can get a bit crowded at times.
Mon Dec 5 13:39:17 2005
Nick, Pennard
What is all this talk of 8ft waves down Oxwich? Utter madness, I tell you. More like 2 foot slop on a good day. May as well go to Genith or Broughton, it's only a bit further from town and you're guaranteed a decent wave if it's working.
Wed Nov 23 13:34:52 2005
Dude from Gower
Jamie - Oxwich point at 12ft on the 3rd Nov...I think not! I have never seen the point bigger than 8ft in the last 15yrs or so.
Sat Nov 12 17:27:36 2005
Jamie - Lanlocked,####
Surfed the point here yesterday the first two hours of the pushing tide.... everywhere else totally blown out but clean 12ft here, if you can cope with taking off infront of the rocks and the rip!
Fri Nov 4 15:45:15 2005
Matt, Oxwich Bay Local
Have to agree with 'local' here. It's a nice place for a stroll and maybe lunch (although sometimes pricey) @ Oxwich Bay Hotel, other than that the coolest thing about it is the fish that are about at low tide. Nothing here guys - carry on to Port Eynon or Rhossili to make it worth your while, smaller days check out Broughton and take a long board - great fun.
Wed Nov 2 21:41:47 2005
Jon Loughor
Surfed here many times. Works best at high tide and dropping. You need Llangenith to be 8 foot plus for it to really start working. When it's good be prepared for hundreds in the water.
Sat Oct 22 09:05:52 2005
Mark From Penyrheol
When this place works its world class, surfed there last september after a massive sw storm pushed through, leaving nothing but light nw winds (offshore) and solid 6ft plus faces. one word "epic"!!
Sat Oct 15 13:16:05 2005
barry from south africa
You all never seen real ocean waves. The only waves in The UK are sound waves. I suggest you all take up some other sport.
Fri Sep 2 21:52:42 2005
Fairy Swansea
Oxwich faces south east so don't listen to others say it works in this direction of wind, its straight onshore.
Mon Aug 15 13:38:57 2005
Jim of Swansea
Used to surf here in the winter back in the early 90's man, not so crowded back then, keep it real.
Fri Jun 24 12:57:05 2005
broadie
surfed here last nov clean and around 8ft.pure stoke
Thu May 26 14:15:02 2005
Mike, South West Wales
If this place is working there will be three to four hundred people in the water surfing it. If you can cope with intense crowds surf here if not keep driving until you hit Pembrokeshire.
Wed May 18 12:21:14 2005
Samuel Hill, Ebbw Vale
Oxwich is also swell nice waters there too.
Fri May 13 12:02:45 2005
Willy Swansea
Mark Gob sounds like my hero.
Wed Apr 27 17:04:20 2005
Tom - Gower
What tides does Oxwich work best at??
Fri Apr 22 12:16:40 2005
Dave from Gower
What a wave needs a pretty big swell to work but its great when it does !!!
Fri Apr 8 12:57:37 2005
Mark Gabb from Mumbles
I used to work in the Oxwich Bay Hotel for 3 years, I saw it 12 ft just me in, happy days.
Fri Apr 1 15:46:41 2005
Mark Gabb from Mumbles
Don't know what everyone is on about - it's always pumping in Oxwich - I surf there at least three times a week, most weeks... picks up the smallest swells - so always working.
Fri Apr 1 13:14:26 2005
Bruno
Heard about some epic days at Oxwich, but never got the chance to see it work... I guess it needs a really big swell to start breaking.
Thu Mar 24 00:52:41 2005
Lip - Gower
The most crowded break in the world when it is on, which is not often.
Fri Mar 4 13:23:58 2005
Keeto and the soap bar
Yeh sufed the oxo back in the hurricane winds that blew me nan's caravan off top 'ut slade. Didn't av me sponge so used lilo insted and knew even then I'ad body board seen sewn up like.
Fri Mar 4 10:04:54 2005
paul Loughor
surfed this beach by mistake years ago,great day but howling off shore wind, nearly lost my board to the dunes. Been a regular since though!
Fri Feb 18 23:24:08 2005
Local
Don't know how Oxwich is renowned as a surfing beach. It's more of a got nothing to do, go for a walk beach. Don't know how it's even on the BBC site... it's baffled me.
Tue Feb 1 11:37:13 2005
Steve
If this place is working properly it will be as packed as a good day down at Malibu.
Do not even think about it unless you absolutely rip, you will not get any waves.
The reason it gets so packed is because there are very few alternative breaks in the South Wales area, which work under the same conditions.
Tue Jan 18 09:12:20 2005
Ben
This place is a total close out.
Fri Jan 7 16:18:42 2005
Jim
I've had a few sessions at Oxwich when it's been 2-3ft glass. Gennith needs to be a solid 8ft for there to be any hope of a wave at this break. If in doubt go around to Horton.
Sun Dec 19 13:32:07 2004
Filp, Gower
Whenever this place works, which is not that often, the crowds are really intense and make it throughly not enjoyable.
Most of your time will be spent fighting for a wave with thousands of really top surfers. Can get very nasty down there when people get in each others way.
Wed Dec 1 11:54:30 2004
Mic
Loves a SE wind, this place goes off!
Wed Dec 1 11:41:51 2004
Nick - Pennard, Gower
Agree with Jeff. Only works when the other breaks are going off, so not much point in surfing here when you can get a cleaner 4 foot swell over at Three Cliffs.
Fri Nov 26 13:35:38 2004
Lug
When it is 3 feet at Gennith on a strong South East Wind this place goes off. Check it out!
Wed Nov 24 15:52:16 2004
Blue crush gals, Oxwich
Man its mental, get there!!!! It's ripping! I don't know what Steve or Jeff are talking about every time I go I get barreled...we've surfed it at 20ft!!!
Thu Nov 18 16:51:56 2004
John from Gower
Oxwich Beach is primarily a lee beach - hence why it is sheltered from SW gales. But on the rare occasions that we get a howling easterly (more of these in the winter) Oxwich will pick right up.
Sun Oct 24 22:33:34 2004
The Mole Bristol
The point rocks, some great waves, the odd barrel too, happy days!
Thu Sep 30 18:01:35 2004
Joel
Oxwich has worked already about 4 times this year, had a few good sessions in January, one last week in fact. If it's too small by the hotel walk past the sand dunes it's always double the size.
Thu Sep 23 14:24:14 2004
Lee from Swansea
Surfed there middle of Septemer, some of the best surf this year, first time I've surfed Oxwich. Not at all crowded, a pleasure to surf there, wicked.
Sun Sep 19 23:18:11 2004
Jeff - Gower
Oxwich ... surf ...no way, it's all a wind up.
Sun Sep 12 20:39:35 2004
Malcolm (Basingstoke)
I've surfed Man & Boy. Oxwich is huge. Double overhead every time I go!
Sun Jul 18 16:51:49 2004
Adam - Gower
Surfed for 14 years and seen Oxwich work about 5 times. When it does work every man and his dog heads for this wicked wave. You need to be there one hour either side of high tide on a massive day. Ten minutes early or late and you will miss it. Its as if somebody flicks a switch!
Thu Jun 24 10:58:25 2004
Sam Holton from Eynsham
Oxwich beach could nearly match a Spainish beach the sometimes turns a little green and the best beach I've been to.
sincerly
Sam Holton
Thu Jun 24 10:33:58 2004
Steve from Gower
I have lived in Gower all my life and surfed since I was very young and have never seen Oxwich working properly, or even heard of local surfers heading there on huge swells, so whats the score???
Fri Jun 18 15:23:34 2004
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