Excellent at low tide, the cliffs to the south offer shelter from cross winds to give some clean surf. Be careful at the north end where the river mouth is.
Tom's right, it does work best from low tide, but the river mouth at the north end is generally a better wave. It's usually a foot or so bigger here too. Great longboard wave at high tide on small days. Mellow locals - keep them this way!
Crantock is always less crowded than Fistral and gets some great slow swells for longboarding. The best storm thrash I ever had was here with swells bouncing off south end cliffs sending a crazy wave pattern, peaking upwards of 15 feet. I nearly drowned in the rip.
A transcendentially beautiful wave. Sometimes. The rivermouth holds barrelling rights into a vicious close out on a big swell at low tide, often with a smaller left at the south end below the Bowgie. Mid to high tide, 10 knot offshore? Log heaven.
I've had many excellent days surfing Crantock. In winter the rips near the river mouth are very strong and there are lots of rocks. In summer all the crowds go to Fistral and leave Crantock alone. A great mellow wave, well worth the visit.
When Fistral is big and crowded head for Crantock, I've seen this pumping tubes at low tide with no one out and fistral is Packed to bursting. It can hold a great wave off the river mouth but the rips are strong here at high tide.
I have to say was over there about 9 years ago and surfed k****s for afew dayswith my friend mikey who lives over the back. I saw him pull into a tube get fully slotted good memories of this joint in and out of water.
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