Boardmasters: the Newquay beach that’s locked shut this weekend

If you are heading to Newquay for Boardmasters, there is a short list the local Coastguard team would like you to read before you go anywhere near the water. It is not long, and most of it is the sort of thing that only matters until the moment it really matters.

Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team has put out a coastal safety message welcoming festivalgoers to town for Boardmasters and pointing out a few things worth knowing before the weekend gets going. The beaches around the festival site are big, beautiful and, in the wrong spot or the wrong conditions, genuinely dangerous. Here is what the team is asking people to keep in mind.

The beach that is closed off completely

Whipsiderry Beach, which sits between the festival site and Porth Beach, is shut to the public. The reason is falling cliffs, and the Coastguard is clear that this is not a soft warning. Do not try to reach it at low tide by walking round from Watergate or Porth. The gate at the top of the steps has been locked, and it has been locked for a reason.

Swim where the lifeguards are

The simplest rule of the weekend is to only swim at a lifeguarded beach, and to check the lifeguards are actually on duty before you get in. Standard patrol hours are 10am to 6pm. There is some extended lifeguard cover at Watergate Beach and Porth Beach, but the safe move is always to look for the red and yellow flags and the crew on the sand before you go in, rather than assuming.

When you are on a patrolled beach, listen to the lifeguards and follow what they tell you. They can see rips, tides and conditions that are invisible from the water’s edge. More detail on reading a beach safely is on the RNLI beach safety pages.

If something goes wrong on the coast

If someone is injured, has fallen, is trapped, or is in any kind of difficulty along the coast, the instruction is the same every time. Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. Do not try to carry out the rescue yourself. It is the fastest way to get trained help moving and it keeps a one-person emergency from turning into a two-person one.

Leave the disposable BBQ at home

Conditions are exceptionally dry at the moment, and the fire risk that comes with that is the reason the Coastguard is asking people not to light disposable BBQs on any of the beaches or along the coast. A cheap foil tray and a hot afternoon are all it takes.

The team signed off by wishing everyone an incredible time at the festival. The message underneath it was simpler than that. Stay safe.

📷Credit: Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team