Conditions guidance only. Cliffs are dangerous — never dig in or stand near them. Check tide times locally and tell someone where you're going. Safety page

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Ogmore-by-Sea

South Wales · Directions ↗

Today at Ogmore-by-Sea

Good day to hunt
Leave beach by5:14pmthe tide will cut off your route back
Safe window2:14pm – 5:14pm
Weather19° · drizzle · 3mm rain
Tide nowFalling ↓ until 4:14pm
Low tide4:14pm (1.3 m)
Wind & sea38 km/h · 1.8 m waves
Daylight5:55am – 8:36pm

Big tide today (spring tide) — more beach exposed, but it comes back in fast.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. A big 1.3 m low tide falls mid-afternoon.

safe window High 9.6m 10:16am Low 1.3m 4:14pm High 9.4m 10:34pm 6ammidday6pm
Today's tide at Ogmore-by-Sea — heights in metres above chart datum. Guidance only: check the official tide table locally.
Wed 2 Good 1.3 m Thu 3 Fair 1.9 m Fri 4 No-go 2.1 m Sat 5 Good 2.8 m Sun 6 Good 3.4 m Mon 7 Fair 3.4 m Tue 8 No-go 2.9 m

Next 7 days

Wednesday 2 September

Good day to hunt

Safe window: 2:14pm – 5:14pm

Leave the beach by 5:14pm — the tide will cut off your route back.

Big tide today (spring tide) — more beach exposed, but it comes back in fast.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. A big 1.3 m low tide falls mid-afternoon.

19° · drizzle · 3mm rain · Low tide: 4:14pm (1.3 m) · Wind up to 38 km/h · Waves 1.8 m

Thursday 3 September

Fair

Safe window: 2:55pm – 5:55pm

Leave the beach by 5:55pm — the tide will cut off your route back.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. Low tide falls mid-afternoon, though it is not an especially big one.

20° · mostly clear · Low tide: 4:35am (1.5 m), 4:55pm (1.9 m) · Wind up to 36 km/h · Waves 1.8 m

Friday 4 September

Not safe

No safe daylight window

Why: Rough seas with big waves forecast — stay off the beach today.

20° · mostly clear · 1mm rain · Low tide: 5:19am (2.1 m), 5:46pm (2.6 m) · Wind up to 46 km/h · Waves 2.6 m

Saturday 5 September

Good day to hunt

Safe window: 6:00am – 7:16am

Leave the beach by 7:16am — the tide will cut off your route back.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. Low tide falls first thing, though it is not an especially big one.

18° · mostly clear · Low tide: 6:16am (2.8 m), 6:57pm (3.2 m) · Wind up to 12 km/h · Waves 1.3 m

Sunday 6 September

Good day to hunt

Safe window: 6:01am – 8:41am

Leave the beach by 8:41am — the tide will cut off your route back.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. Low tide falls first thing, though it is not an especially big one.

23° · mostly clear · 2mm rain · Low tide: 7:41am (3.4 m), 8:44pm (3.5 m) · Wind up to 23 km/h · Waves 1.0 m

Monday 7 September

Fair

Safe window: 7:34am – 10:34am

Leave the beach by 10:34am — the tide will cut off your route back.

Why: A recent south-westerly blow should have brought fresh cliff material onto the beach. An early-autumn blow like this restocks beaches after the quiet summer. Low tide falls mid-morning, though it is not an especially big one.

19° · overcast · Low tide: 9:34am (3.4 m), 10:29pm (3.1 m) · Wind up to 26 km/h · Waves 1.1 m

Tuesday 8 September

Not safe

No safe daylight window

Why: Rough seas with big waves forecast — stay off the beach today.

18° · drizzle · 17mm rain · Low tide: 11:02am (2.9 m), 11:37pm (2.4 m) · Wind up to 43 km/h · Waves 4.4 m

Where to look

Hunt the gravel pockets between the flat rocks at low water, south of the river mouth — Gryphaea and ammonite fragments concentrate in the runnels where the tide sorts the shingle.

What fossils look like here

Ammonite impressions here can be dinner-plate size, showing as coiled ridges on fallen grey-blue slabs. 'Devil's toenails' (Gryphaea) are thick, curved oyster shells lying loose in the gravel. Free identification: photograph your find for the enquiry service at Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Cardiff.

Can I take fossils home?

Detailed location guide at UK Fossils →

Know before you go

Parking

Large roadside car parks above the beach.

Facilities

Toilets and seasonal refreshments near the main car park.

Access

Paths and steps down to rocky foreshore and sand.

Hazards

Dangerous currents at the Ogmore river mouth — never wade. Fast rising tide over flat rocks; slippery seaweed-covered ledges.