general information

The Gare is a very fickle wave located on the inside of the mouth of the River Tees. It relies on huge south easterly to easterly swells and therefore breaks only a handful of times per year. However, when the conditions come together it creates a world class right hander and surely the best right on the east coast of England. Likened to a brown Jeffreys bay the wave comes rolling down the man made cobble breakwater reeling off long hollow tubes dreams are made. Now for the bad news, aside the fact its a very shallow, very sharp hell man only type wave, the water quality is dire! It's  concoction of brackish water, human faecal pollution and petrochemical outflows from the industries beside the river and there is a strong, slightly perfumed smell on the water. Many locals regularly annouce they will never surf here again -until the next big south easterly that is!