Croyde Beach, Croyde, EX33 1NZ
Croyde is celebrated throughout the surfing world for the quality of its waves, but the beach also has a great deal to offer wild swimmers who want to experience the full energy and dynamism of the Atlantic without a surfboard beneath their feet. The combination of clean, powerful surf, good water quality and a strikingly beautiful setting makes Croyde one of the most exhilarating and memorable places to swim on the North Devon coast.
Wild swimming at Croyde is very much about embracing the ocean on its own terms. The beach break here generates consistent, energetic waves that require genuine respect and confidence in the water, and this is not a location for inexperienced swimmers or those who prefer calm, pool-like conditions. However, for those who relish the sensation of diving through incoming waves, body-surfing the shorebreak and emerging from the water breathless and alive, Croyde offers an experience that is genuinely hard to match anywhere on the South West coast.
The water quality at Croyde is consistently good, monitored regularly by the Environment Agency and rated Excellent under the Bathing Water Regulations. The beach is cleaned daily during the summer season and the local surf community has a strong tradition of caring for and respecting the ocean environment.
The best conditions for swimming at Croyde are usually found in the calmer periods between swells, particularly at low to mid-tide when the beach is at its widest and the energy of the water is more manageable. The sheltered end of the beach nearest the car park is also a little calmer than the main break and can provide more forgiving entry and exit conditions.
As with all wild swimming in exposed coastal locations, always check current conditions before entering the water and choose a spot where a lifeguard is present if you are not a strong and experienced open-water swimmer.
