Mike,
I may have given you some duff info. I asked at the local tonight and people do beach fish round here but mainly in the winter, don't know why. But as I said the tide moves very fast, as the tides in the Bristol Channel are very high and the beaches shallow so it moves very quickly across the ground. Most people fish from low slack water as the tide comes in but you probably need some seroius kit as you need to cast well out and by the time you have done that you have to walk back and cast again.
A cheaper option may be to buy kit suitable for fishing off a harbour wall or rocks, there aren't any piers on this coast.
I tried, this evening, to get advice from my daughter's partner but he is working a late shift.
Another option if you need some 'me' time would be a fishing boat trip. I think off Tenby they do everything from a couple of hours to all day and they provide the kit. If you would like me to make some enquiries PM me and we can swop phone numbers and talk direct.
Just out of interest the guy I was chatting to in the pub caught a 15lb salmon in one of the local small rivers today.
Chris