Ainsdale

Ainsdale beach is situated just south of Southport.

Get onto the beach from the Coast Road near Pontins (admission charge April-October).

Once on the beach turn left and drive down to the barriers to set up.
Avoid the swimming area opposite the Lifeguards hut.
You must be a member of the BKSA and a member of Ainsdale Kitesurfing Club 

Source; North-west Development Agency

"As well as being one of the top 10 beaches in the UK, Ainsdale has again been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for 2005 - in 2004 it was a first beach in the north-west of England to achieve the standard. With the new Discovery Centre near by , Ainsdale on Sea beach and sand dunes nature reserves are regularly awarded the ENCAMS Seaside Award. To achieve these awards the beaches must pass rigorous tests including the provision of water safety equipment, good access for all ensuring that the sands have a high quality of cleanliness."

In essence, it is a perfect place to learn and practise kite surfing. The beach is large, safe and free from obstructions. The local council is keen to develop kite surfing and is redesignating the beach as ' Kite beach'. The Coast And Countryside Management Services already provide a ranger and lifeguard service and this year will be implementing new signs and zoning system. There is in existence already a permit system in operation to ensure all users have appropriate and adequate insurance cover. It is the council's intention to make Ainsdale the Premier Kite surfing venue in the UK.

Blackpool , Morecambe Bay and The Fylde Coast

The North West of has always been a hot bed of activity for various watersports over the years and with the introduction of kitesurfing a few years ago the Morecambe Bay area has become the mecca for kiters from all across the North of England. Blackpool in particular has become the major centre of attraction with stretches of beach that were often thought of as  a waste of water are now becoming some of the hottest areas of flat water to kite in the country. The Fylde coast area stretching from Lytham to Fleetwood has also become a classic downwinder stretch with twenty miles plus of west facing wide open beaches, heaven !!!.  The entire area currently has no flying restrictions whatsoever with the only restrictions being your sense to recognise your own ability to kite safely and responsible.

The only official BKSA recognised club in the Northwest is the Southshore Boardriders.Co.UK, it’s been up and running for just over a year now and founded by four local riders. The website is a mind of information on the area with plenty of contact details and our very own club “Kitesafe” policy. It’s a first as far as we know and plans out a safe and responsible approach to enjoying our sport in the Blackpool area, thanks to Big Graham for this one. The main aim of the club was to get self-regulated before someone did it for us and to date it has worked with the SSBR’s enjoying an excellent relationship with the local councils and other marine users. We urge any visitors to the area to check out the website and contact any of us for additional information.

The Blackpool, Morecambe Bay and Fylde Coast is divided into too many beaches to list in one article, new areas are being discovered all the time. What follows is a tour of the area touching on some of the most popular and some of the guarded and notorious beaches and channels thus yet discovered.

Accomadation -  http://www.visitlancashire.com/

Starr Gate

Blackpool, Starr Gate and the adopted home of the SSBR’s club. The area is easy to locate it lies at the end of the M55, next to the International Airport, yes Blackpool has one and where the tram tracks STOP. Starr Gate faces west so will take any direction from a southerly round to a northerly and all in between. The Beach is wide sandy and has some fantastic lagoons that drain and fill at various states of the tide to make for some excellent flat water blasting. On the outside things get a little bigger and mushier to say the least but with a strong northerly tidal flow and huge sets on the outside the level minded kiter usually stays within a couple of hundred meters of the beach. On the beach is the Blackpool Light Craft Club and our adopted clubhouse, membership can be purchased for annual fee of about £60 and with free parking, showers and a bar it’s well worth it. 

Club - www.southshoreboardriders.co.uk

Lytham, Fairhaven Lake

 A small posh town normally associated internationally for the Golf Open but is now becoming a haven for kiters in South Easterlies. The beach access just north of Fairhaven Lake and as far north as the Beach Terrace Café gives perfect one foot deep buttery smooth cross shore conditions at high water. The area only really floods on a 9 mtr plus tide but it’s certainly worth the effort and you usually can kite here for about three hours over the high water period. Parking here is errr sort of free, there is a parking ticket machine but for the two years I have parked here without paying and  have never been given a ticket, pays ya money and take your chance I guess.

St.Annes, Coastguard Station.

Perfectly positioned right outside the Coast Guard Station and with free parking is the top flat water section of water on the Fylde Coast. Again this is only accessable over high tide for about three hours but will take any wind direction from southerlies to North Westerlies. The tide floods over the sand banks here and creates a lagoon stretching for about a mile of so to the north and as far as St.Annes Victorian Pier. The water along the stretch is usually only about a foot deep with only small, very small chop on the windiest days mostly again it’s butterly smooth and awesome for loading up for aerials. Car Parking access is free here and positioned right next to the Coast Guard Station, how thoughtful of the MCA, the access road is one hundred meters from the first set of lights as you drive south along the beach road.

North Shore

Moving five miles up the coast towards Fleetwood and well clear of Blackpool’s tourist beaches, three Piers, kiss me quick hats, Lap Dancing Bars, Strip Clubs, amusement arcades and the Pleasure Beach lies miles upon miles of open west facing beaches. These beaches remain quiet and only sailed by a handful of kiters due to the treacherous rips and  huge swells but and it is a huge but if you know when and where to sail here the areas are some of the finest in the country.

Situated in between Cleveleys and Bispam on the Lower Promenade, the Wreck is gaining popularity as one of the premier spots on the coast. Named after the large wooden hulled schooner that was washed up here in a storm in the 1920’s and is still visible at low water today. The Wreck is best about two hours after high tide when the one mile lagoon is working. High tide is a definite no no here as the sea wall defences are effective, concrete and very painful if you hit them. The Wreck will take anything from a South south west to a northerly with Westerlies being the preferred direction which is bang onshore and perfect for exploiting the stretch of the lagoon. On the outside of the Lagoon there are sizable ridable waves which break on the sandbars that protect the lagoon. Access is easy here just park on the Lower Promenade and walk.

Rossall Beach

Lying just south of Fleetwood and accessesed from Rossall Road Rossall Beach has been infamous over the years as the wavesailing spot for all the local windsurfers. The Beach is made up of three sandbars that kick up nice ridable waves at various states of the tide. On the outside there are huge swells which are only now being exploited by kiters. There is also a strong northerly rip here so lost boards usually get swept half a mile up the beach. It’s a fantastic beach to kite on being wide and very open but desolate as well giving it a wild and early feel to the place. A number of locals have actually purchased houses on the here to make the most of the conditions. Rossall beach works best on a south south west to south westerly giving starboard riding on the way in, it’s also works on a northerly as well but is much flatter.

Just a mile up the coast is probably the wildest and most dangerous spot on the coast. Rossal Point as its name depicts is situated right on the tip of the North Shore Coast and takes a south Westerly cross shore. That same cross shore south westerly soon becomes a cross off wind if you can’t stay up wind. The rip here is very strong being about five knots at a flood so better to sail it a couple of hours after high water when the water movement is against the wind and staying up wind is a dream. I find it hard to believe but I actually learnt to kite here many summers ago !!!!! The inside works great here for flat water blasting with huge waves on the outside; it works mid to low water best and is very safe place to sail at low water where a large sandbar protects you if trouble strikes. Don’t make any mistakes at high water this place will eat you up and spit you and your equipment out in tatters, not for the faint hearted, it’s eaten at least one Naish AR 3.5 I can think of a few years back !!!

Marine Beach, Fleetwood

Home of the Kiteshop and Daves Café, Marine Beach has long been established as the top windsurf spot for the Fylde and now one of the top for kitesurfing. Relatively safe and user friendly. Marine beach was the host for the Big Freeze Competition in December has tested the likes of Sean Curran and Dave Ibbertson to their limit. The beach is tidal but the kitable range is about five hours with some classic flat water on the flood and ebb of the tidal range and half decent waves over high water. . Wind direction here is best suited to West to northwest and also east to North East all giving cross to cross on conditions. Car parking is free and plentiful courtesy of Wyre bough Council.

Shop - Hangtime Kites located in Fleetwood 01253 870000

www.RossallBeach.com   100% Skywalker Kiteboards www.skywalkerkiteboarding.com

Not for the inexperienced Fleetwood Shipping Channel is a stretch of water running North to South two miles long by two hundred meters long and lies exposed at low water. As its name depictes the Channel is frequented by multi thousand ton cargo ships travelling to and from Ireland. Although motor should give way to sail in maritime law I would not argue with one of these babies. The Channel takes an easterly or westerly cross on with the windward bank having the smoothest water you could imagine and would give the Slick in Cape Hatteras a run for it’s money. Apart from the Freight cross Irish Sea Ferries there are another few hazards to look out for, mainly the mussel beds that lay on both sides of the channel near the pier, these little rascals will shred kites in seconds so best to stay well clear.

Further to the north of Fleetwood and the Fylde Coast lies many un-chartered beaches, inlets and rivers. Many too dangerous due to quick sand and strong tidal/current conditions but many to be explored in the future. A few that have already been exploited are Morecambe, Middleton Sands and Arnside in the South Lake District.

Morecambe, The Battery

If you are looking for flat water on the inside with a clean point break on the outside then “The Battery” is the place. Follow the promenade south until you see “The Battery” pub and park in the car park next door. At anything but a 9m plus tide the battery works in all tidal states, all be it with a walk down at low tide. In a good south westerly the waves off the point can reach head high and come in as clean sets from left to right, flattening out to well organised little ramps in the lee of the point. Kitebits.com is located just round the corner with coffee and a DVD always on the go if the wind drops. The rest of the bay works in anything from a south west through to a north west, with shallow, flat water ideal for beginners and speed / airtime freaks. Always ask a local kiter or the tourist information before going out in unfamiliar areas of the Bay as tidal conditions need respect.

Shop- Kitebits located in Morecambe 01524 414869 ask for KiteRich

Just to the south of the picturesque Lake District National Park lies Arnside village at low water here many channels small and not so small are being discovered all the time by one of the locals Florida Paul, he’s called Paul and he’s just moved from Florida !!!. Although the area is vast and open the tidal low here is extreme so caution is advisable and local knowledge is a must before venturing out. Once out and on the channels the place is awesome flat water playground and will take just about ant direction you can throw at it.

Conclusion

So there you have it a vast array of beaches that will take every possible wind direction and seastate the Irish Sea can throw at it. The North west is well supported by Kiteshops, road, rail and even air links and you will never be out on your own, pay us a visit and let us Northern Monkeys entertain you.

 www.ryanair.com   direct to Blackpool from Stanstead

Road access M6-M55 head west and stop when your wheels get wet.

 www.blackpooltourism.com

Barrow in Furness 

Wayside Guest Accommodation and Whisky Barn

www.waysidehotel.co.uk

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01229 718883

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Roa Bay

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Roa Channel

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Rampside

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Earnse Bay

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Isle of Man

The island has numerous bays allowing for safe kiting in most wind directions most notably:

1. Bay ny Carrickey (Gansey) - this is located in the south of the island, it is ideal inSW through to SE winds at low tide, it offers a large sandy beach for launching but, is best avoided at high tide due to the rocky sea defences.

2. Port Erin - small sandy beach best in W to WSW winds, it offers very sheltered water for starters but, the wind can be quite turbulent due to the headlands either side of the bay. This bay should be avoided in the summer months due to its popularity.

3. Balley Chashtal (Castletown) - best sailed in SW or SE or NW (with boat support). This bay has restricted use due to the secondary airport runway, avoid launching close the end of the runway (clearance for sailing this bay has been received from Air Traffic Control but only in certain areas). Alternate launch site in a Southerly wind is Scarlet Point.

4. Derbyhaven - ideal in a NNW through to NE and even a SW, this is a sheltered bay, very shallow and good for learning. There are a number ofshoreline rocksto look out for at low tide

There are numerous other sites around the island (Douglas, Peel, Ramsey to name a few)