Woody Bay, UK
Also within 20 km of Lynmouth
- Lynmouth Surf spot · 1.2 km from Lynmouth
- Porlock Weir Somerset Surf spot · 14.2 km from Lynmouth
Watch this spot We email you when Woody Bay is worth the trip.
About Woody Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (358°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (178°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 72). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Lynmouth, 4.7 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 16 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to CWL, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB). About 7 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → CWL · Skyscanner from about £385 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Woody Bay.
Accommodation.
Stay in LynmouthAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Lynmouth (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Lynmouth 8 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 68 places to stay · where Woody Bay stays
Places to stay in Lynmouth · Booking.com AdLee 34 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 14 places to stay
Places to stay in Lee · Booking.com AdBarnstaple 35 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 30 places to stay
Places to stay in Barnstaple · Booking.com AdPorlock 37 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 32 places to stay
Places to stay in Porlock · Booking.com AdMortehoe 39 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 53 places to stay
Places to stay in Mortehoe · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Lynmouth · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Lynmouth · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
Woody Bay on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Woody Bay does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft8 smushy | 23kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft13 scrumbling | 51kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 13 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 11, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 65kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 6, too small | 5 ft9 ssoft | 339kJ | wind from the west, 20 knots | 8°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 40, fair | 6 ft7 smushy | 318kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 8 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 10, poor | 7 ft10 smushy | 984kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 33 knots | 9°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 26, too small | 5 ft7 smushy | 223kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft10 scrumbling | 32kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 16, poor | 7 ft7 smushy | 416kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 16 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling | 10kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 14 knots, offshore | 13°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to CWL, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 16h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 12 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Lynmouth
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Woody Bay
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to CWL, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 16h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Lynmouth each day: Lynmouth, Woody Bay.
Rough cost
About £1,115–£2,075 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to CWL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £385–£800 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £250–£420 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£170 |
| Total | £1,115–£2,075 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Lynmouth
- 7 the Bistro LynmouthBritish · 0.1 km from the centre
- Mad 4 SeafoodSeafood · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, May 2026
- Chef NartnapaAsian · 0.3 km from the centre
- Restaurant KensingtonSteakhouse · 0.3 km from the centreFood hygiene 4 of 5, Jan 2026
- The Old BankBritish · 0.4 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Sep 2025
- Esplanade Fish BarFish and chips · 0.3 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Nov 2024
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.