South Bay is a popular, beginner friendly beach in the heart of Scarborough’s tourist area. Sheltered on N/NE swells, on rare E it can get hollow and punchy. Range of peaks that work most tides.

Peaks

• Main beach: A-frames up and down the beach, from lifeboat launch to in front of Spa. On a N/NE swell, smaller and more sheltered at north end (which also has some shelter from N winds), getting bigger as you go south. Peaks to the north tend to work at higher tide, peaks to the south as it drops.
• Cliff Lift: reef right south of Scarborough Spa infront of South Cliff lift. Mid tide. More to explore further south. Intermediate+ only.

Tide: All except spring highs and lows, Mid ideal. Stops working for around an hour on spring highs, and gets dumpy on spring lows.

Swell: E or large N/NE. E tends to be peaky, once there’s too much south in it it tends to closeout. Best under larger N/NE, with the headland cleaning it up as it wraps - peaks tend to be smaller to N and bigger to S. Neighbouring North Bay, or Cayton Bay are generally larger when South is too small. Filey can be more sheltered when too big.

Wind: W. Some shelter from strong offshores at mid to high tide, and from N/NE winds on a huge N swell at the northernmost peaks.

Hazards: rips, rocks, reef, access, pollution, crowds, theft. Fixed rip in harbour channel, flash rips along bay, particularly when bigger. Access cut off at high tide. Watch out for reef in front of Beachcomber cafe on spring lows, and to south of Spa on low to mid. Poor water quality, despite less dumping than North Bay next door. Check SSRS app. Can get very crowded.

Parking/access/facilities: limited, paid for, parking at Spa and Spa access road, as well as underground car park (not suitable for vans) that tend to fill up quickly, particularly when sunny. Disk zone 3-hourly parking 5-10 mins walk uphill at the Crown spa hotel. Cafe and toilets at Spa when open, and along waterfront. Don't let anyone see you hide your keys.

Links

Fluid Concepts surf shop, hire and ding repair. Closed?
Secret Spot - surf shop. Short walk uphill into town.
CoastalConcepts - van based surf coaching.
Wave Project, Scarborough - surf therapy charity.
LowBrow Surf - local shaper and ding repair
Scarborough Boardriders - local surf club