Slade (Gower Peninsula)
- Freeride, Shortboard
- Best for
- Expert
- Skill Level
- Swell
- Spot Type
- Empty
- Crowd Level
This spot information is AI-assisted and has not been human verified. It may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Verify safety, access, local rules, and current conditions with official or local sources before riding.
About
Slade (Slade Bay / “The Sands”) is a secluded, exposed surf spot on the Gower Peninsula known for hollow waves from a combined sand-bar and reef setup. It works best around low tide—both sources emphasize a low-tide-only usable window, with the break tending to hit rocks at higher water. Wave quality is consistently described as classic/regional with powerful hollow shape. The wave setup is typically short to moderate rides (often under 50 meters), though it can produce longer runs on optimal days. Swell is described as working from roughly 1.0–1.5 meters and holding up to 4 meters or more, with both left and right ways available. Access is one of the defining constraints: there is no car park directly at Slade Bay, and there is no obvious route down from parts of the coast path between Horton and Oxwich Bay. Expect to walk from Slade village or Horton, and in some routes, drive to Oxwich Green before taking a signposted lane; the final section still involves a short hike and navigating uneven terrain and rocks. Safety-wise, the main risks are submerged rocks and reef areas, particularly around the tide transition. Sources also note the presence of rip currents and recommend experienced-level judgment. The spot is reported as generally empty or very quiet, with the combination of difficult access and strict tide requirements contributing to low crowds.
- Hollow, powerful sandbar/reef waves
- Very consistent (reported ~150 rideable days per year) with best reliability in winter/spring
- Low tide is the key window; avoid higher water due to rock/reef exposure
- Hollow, powerful sandbar/reef waves with classic quality.
- Very consistent surf seasonally, with peak reliability in winter and spring.
- Usually quiet/calm crowd due to access difficulty and tide sensitivity.
- Challenging access (walk, navigating rocks; limited/poor route from the coast path between Horton and Oxwich Bay).
- Rock/reef hazards make high tide especially risky; the spot is low-tide dependent.
- Wind reliability is described as low at this specific spot.
Wind, water and seasons
Wind
- Direction
- N, NNE, NW
- Offshore directions
- N, NNE, NW
- Wind Type
- Frontal — Frontal wind patterns typical for the Bristol Channel/Gower coast; spot-level sources also describe a winter-to-spring pattern.
- Reliability
- low
- Best Months
- October, November, December, January, February, March
- Shadow Zones
- Some shelter from surrounding cliffs for certain directions.
Water & beach
- Water Type
- Swell
- Beach
- Sand — Sandy with rock/mixed sand-bar and rock reef bottom.
- Beach Size
- Small
- Waves
- Small — Sources describe small-to-medium surf depending on conditions; swell can start working around 1.0–1.5m and build higher.
- Launch
- Small — Short walk with large rocks to climb over; no obvious descent from the coast path.
- Launch Difficulty
- Moderate — Access involves walking and navigating rocks; no obvious route down from sections of the coast path.
Through the year
Generally quiet and uncrowded even on weekends.
Winter months see the most frequent storms and rainfall (regionally strongest storm systems October to January).
By sport
What to expect for each.
A fairly exposed reef and sand-bar break with both left and right reefs; hollow waves with higher reliability around low tide and winter/spring swell.
- Wave Direction
- Both
- Optimal Swell
- SW, W, NW
- Swell Height
- 1–4 m
- Optimal Tide
- Low — Low tide only; rising and falling around low are also noted as the usable window.
- Shelter
- Exposed
- Wind Effect
- Handles light-onshore; northerly winds described as providing cleaner/offshore conditions, while southern winds are onshore and messier.
- Bigger Swell
- Holds size well up to around 4 meters or more.
- Wave Quality
- Good — Regional quality described as a classic; also noted as good with hollow waves.
- Wave Power
- Powerful — Hollow, powerful waves reported for the sandbar/reef break.
- Wave Shape
- Hollow
- Peel Speed
- Medium
- Ride Length
- Short — Normal length typically under 50 meters; can extend much longer on optimal days.
- Typical Ride Length
- 50–150 m
- Ride Length Details
- Normal length typically under 50 meters; sources note extension up to ~150 meters on optimal days.
Check the forecast before you go
See wind, waves, weather and session windows for Slade (Gower Peninsula) in the full forecast view.
Slade (Gower Peninsula) wind and wave forecast summary
- Wind
- 7–30 ktsGusts 51 kts
- Direction
- SW233°
- Strongest day
- Sat, Oct 2430 kts
- Windy days
- 6/712 kts or more
- Waves
- 1.1–5.2 m8s period
- Temperature
- 11–16 °C
Over the next 7 days, Slade (Gower Peninsula) is forecast for daytime winds of 7–30 kts, peaking around 30 kts on Saturday, October 24 with gusts to 51 kts. The prevailing direction is SW. Waves run 1.1–5.2 m with a period of about 8s. Based on the Wavind model, in the spot’s local time.
Other spots in the area
What to know before you launch
Safety, access, restrictions, rescue, and local rules can change. Treat these details as informational and confirm them locally before launching.
Hazards
- Submerged rocks
- Reef below low tide mark
- Rocks and reef areas throughout the break
- Rip currents
Rescue & support
- Rescue & Self-Rescue
- Limited — Region served by RNLI lifeboat stations at Horton and Port Eynon; HM Coastguard provides secondary oversight.
- Emergency Info
- Emergency number 999 or 112 (UK standard).
Rules of the spot
Use tide awareness: the break is best at low tide and can hit rocks at higher water; avoid the rock/reef edges around transitions.
- Best at low tide (including around the low mark); at higher tide the spot tends to hit the rocks.
- The break is exposed but generally reliable in winter/spring.
- Access requires a walk and navigating large rocks; there is no obvious route down from the coast path between Horton and Oxwich Bay.
Getting there & access
- Nearest City
- Swansea
- Nearest Town
- Oxwich
- Parking
- Park at Horton for better parking; limited/limited-near-start parking near the footpath is also described.
- Access
- Reachable only on foot via a walk from the village of Slade (accessed from Oxwich) or from Horton; no car park at the beach and no obvious route down from the coast path between Horton and Oxwich Bay. One source also describes driving to Oxwich Green and then following a signposted lane to Slade, with a short walk remaining.
- Cost Level
- Moderate
- Local Language
- English
What's on the beach
- Accommodation
- Nearby town — Accommodation available in nearby villages of Oxwich and Horton (and broader local villages on the peninsula).
- Food & Drink
- Local pubs and cafes are located in Oxwich.
No schools or services are listed for this spot yet.
From riders who've been here
Latest reported conditions
Spot questions
Frequently asked questions
When is the best season at Slade (Gower Peninsula)?
The best overall months at Slade (Gower Peninsula) are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. The best wind months are October, November, December, January, February, March.
Which wind directions work at Slade (Gower Peninsula)?
Slade (Gower Peninsula) works with N, NNE, NW winds. Offshore directions are N, NNE, NW.
What skill level is Slade (Gower Peninsula) suitable for?
Slade (Gower Peninsula) suits these riding levels: Surfing: Expert.