Body boarding at Formby Beach, Southport

[LadyFuschia]

Visiting the area in August with my kids who love bodyboarding and wondering if they’ll be able to catch any waves at Formby? Any locals know?

We’ve been before but I can’t picture how big the waves get, or how safe it would be.

Kids are 8 and almost 11, both swim ok and oldest has been practising proper surfing in Devon today! We also have wetsuits...

Hi OP, I don't think you'll catch any waves at Formby beach!

The sand dunes are nice and there's a lovely walk through the pinewoods, look out for the red squirrels!

No, like most of the Lancashire coast it shelves very gently so at most states of the tide I think you'd have to wade quite a way to swim, and I've never seen any surfy type waves there. Apart from the shallowness, this coast is shielded by Ireland.

The dunes and woods are nice, and there's a huge expanse of beach. We go there for walks, not swimming.

You'll be lucky to see any water, let alone any waves.

You will need binoculars to see the sea on that part of the coast.

Ha ha thanks! I’ve never been on a sunny day so only ever seen it deserted. We’ll settle for paddling and dune climbing then, which will be quite lovely enough. Shame we live as far inland as you can in the UK!

Have a lovely time. We live about as far inland as it's possible to get in the UK too, and we go to Formby often as it's our closest beach! (It is a 2.5 hour drive.)