Beach holiday in UK

[YouLookSoCool]

For various reasons we're only just attempting to book a week away in the summer and obviously availability is now limited!
Has to be somewhere with a beach, ideally with surfing and/or paddle boarding. More of a town than a village with a few decent restaurants and shops.
If I loved St Ives, liked Falmouth but wasn't keen on Broadstairs, would Tenby (Wales)
be a good option? Or any other suggestions please?

Swanage area /Studland

Anywhere between West Norfolk and East Norfolk is good for paddle boarding. But not actually West Norfolk or East Norfolk. The bit inbetween.

Bournemouth is fabulous

Another vote for Tynemouth- amazing coastline.

Holkham is lovely but the sea goes out miles so it's a looooong way to carry your surfboard!

I'd recommend Cromer out of those. Lovely sandy beach, lifeguards by the popular surfing bits, nice pubs. It does get busy in summer but I think that's going to be everywhere this year!

I would suggest IoW but the ferries might all be full. Going on the ferry though does make you feel like you're actually going abroad and it's a gorgeous place to visit if you go to all the right places of which there are many. There's a recent thread about it on MN.

Holkham is lovely but the sea goes out miles so it's a looooong way to carry your surfboard!

You're not wrong
I think we were there when the tide was out, and it was a good half mile before we reached the sea.

Wells-next-the-Sea is lovely, but I have no idea whether it is good for paddle boarding. I think they have issues with strong currents round there.

We had a holiday there a few years ago, and loved it.

Cromer and Mundesley are good for paddle boarding and there is a channel you can paddle board in at Wells next the sea.

Blackpool

If you didn’t like Broadstairs you are unlikely to take to Cromer.

For N Norfolk try Wells, Burnham Market, Blakeney,

Mundesley does not meet the ‘decent shops and restaurants’ criteria.

Aldeburgh
Southwold
Lyme Regis
Salcombe
Ventnor

@RampantIvy

Holkham is lovely but the sea goes out miles so it's a looooong way to carry your surfboard!

You're not wrong
I think we were there when the tide was out, and it was a good half mile before we reached the sea.

Wells-next-the-Sea is lovely, but I have no idea whether it is good for paddle boarding. I think they have issues with strong currents round there.

We had a holiday there a few years ago, and loved it.

Actually, @RampantIvy I think the previous poster was wrong. There is no surf at Holkham.

From my searching you're go in g to struggle unless you look inland a bit and are prepared to drive, sit in traffic and try and park near a beach. We've got lucky and have two caravan weeks booked but when I checked back they're full over summer.

How about somewhere with a reservoir, bowl water for example, if you could get an air b n b near there?

Appreciate all the suggestions. We've visited a few of the places mentioned before. @UpTheJunktion agree re Broadstairs/Cromer. Unfortunately can't find anything suitable for available dates in North Norfolk area but definitely somewhere to consider in the future, given how many recommendations it's had.