One of the most surfed areas is North Devon. The consistent west-facing beachbreaks, in particular the fabled low tide barrels at Croyde, are rarely empty as locals, and visitors from as far a field as London try to get their fix. The other large beginner-friendly beaches thankfully absorb the numbers well. The whole west-facing coast of Devon and Cornwall favours W/SW swell and winds in the E quadrant. When big W swells close out the open beaches and the wind is in the S the north-facing coast of Devon hides some classy gems. The open beaches are reliable year round, the sheltered spots are winter only and as with most of the British Isles, September to November is prime time.