TicTac
Waves Surfed
A good spot for beginners and intermediate surfers. Wave quality is all down to the right conditions as it can range from white water mush to clean over head waves or in some rare cases there has been double over head. The beach and bottom are a mixture of sand and rock, mainly smooth rocks and stones though so be careful walking out into the swell but you unlikely to hit the bottom even if you bail. There are several old stone fish traps further out to sea but you are only likely to encounter them during a very low tide. Best tide is usual mid-level as the incline of the beach is quite steep as you walk out into the swell. There are two rips worth mentioning, one is to the left of the surf spot where a vein of rocks goes out to sea and the other is to the right where the sea defense barricades are so try to head out directly from where you step onto the beach. There are plenty of landmarks around to keep track of where you are being dragged which will generally be either to the left or right. The locals are friendly, several live in Aberarth, so just be respectful if you come here.
An awkward break to get to as you have to climb along the rocks underneath the cliff face to get to it, then jump in off the rocks with the swell. Not really for beginners as the rocks are dangerous to navigate round, although you could paddle out from the beach. Need just the right conditions for it to be working here, but when it does you will get fairly clean over-head waves. No rips that I know of, but if you consider doing an early morning or late night surf here there are spot lights that shine out onto the surf from the fish factory up on the cliffs so visibility is good enough to surf in. Crowds are very small but when its working it can get quite crowded, but the locals are friendly if you show them some respect.
One of the more popular spots in Wales, it can get busy down here on a good day. Great for beginners because of the sandy bottom. A south-westerly swell gets it pumping here but be careful of the rip resulting from the river flowing down almost the centre of the beach. Stay away from the cliffs either side of the beach as people have got in trouble before being pulled onto them. Awesome cafe on the right hand side of the beach for food and drink. Locals are pretty friendly as well.