Crantock.

Crantock sits at the mouth of the Gannel River, where shifting sandbars create several distinct peaks along the beach. The main draw is a fast, hollow right that peels off rocks at the north end, offering bowly, punchy walls on lower tides. A central rivermouth sandbar serves up mellower a-frame peaks popular with longboarders, while a rare left appears in the south corner when large swells push through. Wave quality is entirely dependent on how the river has sculpted the banks, making the spot inconsistent but rewarding when everything aligns. Best on W swells in the 0.6-2.4m range with a SE wind keeping the face clean, working from low through mid-tide on the incoming push. The beach is flanked by Pentire Head to the north and the Bowgie Inn headland to the south, with free parking available at both ends or behind the dunes for the main beach. The Gannel estuary means water quality deteriorates after rain, a real consideration in a Cornish winter. Crowds build on good days given its proximity to Newquay, but it rarely gets as hectic as Fistral.

Rivermouth sandbars that rebuild themselves with every Atlantic swell.