Windsurfing in Pagham
Pagham beach can offer some of the best windsuring on the South Coast. With prevailing South Westerly winds, there are spits and sand bars which throw up the swell into good sets for the experts. For beginners, the water is very flat around low tide, when the shallow sea bed allows you to go out up to 100m without being out of standing depth.
We also benefit from a clean South-East facing shingle beach, without breakwater groynes, and non-tidal-sensitive launching.
The club facilities include access 365 days a year to the heated changing rooms, with hot showers. There is also a freshwater hose for your gear and the club has a patrol boat with VHF marine communication
Wind direction: N (cross off), NE (cross), E (cross on), SE (on shore), S (cross on), SW (cross), W (cross off), NW (off shore).
Wave Sailing
Around high tide you can sail to the large shingle bar at the entrance to Pagham harbour and enjoy the waves which the bar often creates. However, beware of the far side of the shingle bar, because the tidal flow into and out of the harbour is very strong.
Hazards
The part of Bognor Bay in which we sail is remarkably free from rocks. The only area to be wary of, at low water, is a small patch of rocks roughly inline with the first of a small number of groynes, that lie to the right of the main sailing area and towards the harbour.
Beginners and Improvers
Choose a day with light to moderate winds. Conditions for learning are good at low tide, when the water is flat and the beach is gently shelving, so you can usually touch down while you sort yourself out. We are lucky that the tide never goes out very far, so there's none of that long walk back to the upper beach!
Be safe! As with any coastal location, conditions can change very quickly.