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Budle Bay

A lagoon just round the corner from Bamburgh beach. It is a tidal lagoon that fills up 2 hours before high tide and empties 2 hours after high tide. Relatively shallow in spots. No waves get into the lagoon so there is only wind chop to handle. Really beautiful spot.

There is no water in the bay at low tide. Sailable 2 hours before and after high tide. High Spring tides are the best, more sailing area and depth of water good for a few hours; neap tides do not fill the bay.

Currents on the incoming and outgoing tides can be strong as the bay is getting shallower, danger on the outgoing tide as the current will take you out of the bay.

Budle Bay is closed to Sailing from November 1st to the end of March due to the site being on a migratory route for many species of birds. Please adhere to this rule. Access to the bay is very good from the middle of the south side lane.

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Mouth of Budle

The beach just to the south of Budle Bay, just north of Bamburgh beach. Benefits from having more wind than Budle Bay or Beadnell on a westerly direction due to the high ground (70m hill) funnelling effect beside it, and flattish land just upwind.

Works best on westerly directions, (cross off). A clean wind for a westerly, coupled with a northerly swell gives some of the finest classy cross off clean wave sailing on the Northumberland coast. A bit of a carry with the carefully selected kit, requires a good level of fitness and strength, and sailing ability/experience. Limited parking.

Can be sailed at most tides, on a spring high tide the beach will disappear with the tide right up against the rocks and dunes. Sailing is still possible but access becomes more difficult. Rock outcrops at points, but flat sandy beach off high tide. Waves and flat water.

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Bamburgh

A big long sandy beach with the Bamburgh castle as a backdrop. Open to huge northerly swells, sailable at most tide states but no beach on a spring high tide. Can get some nice waves and quite sizeable, cross shore best directions. Access is good from Bamburgh north end. South end is possible, but a long carry ensues.

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Beadnell

A big wide east facing horse shoe shaped bay with a few rocky reefs (exposed at low tide and covered from mid tide).

Can be sailed at most tide times and wind directions, popular for flat water blasting, and gets some nice waves, huge in the middle of the bay off the main reef, suffers with gusty wind on offshore directions due to the high dunes. Access is good from the north end or south end car park.

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Embleton

A small nice sandy horse shoe shaped bay, gets some nicely spaced clean waves. Cross shore on a NW and SE access ok but a long carry ensues.

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Boulmer

A natural safe haven formed by two outer reefs create flat water blasting at times in the bay and waves breaking on the outer reefs (sailable from mid to high,) can be good if only a small wave, but in huge S-SE-E-NE-N swells can a provide a place to sail.

Versatile little spot, no water and dry reefs at low spring tides, neap tides sailing possible in the bay on flat water (reef still dry) but possible to sail through the gap in the reefs to the open sea. From mid tide there is plenty water to sail the bay and towards high tides there is enough depth of water to sail over/on the reefs, cross off to cross on the reefs. Rocks/sand in the bay/reefs, weed can be problematic but can be very good. Sits out on a point so it sometimes catches wind when nowhere else does. SE picks up more wind here than most places. Waves and flat water.

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Seaton Point

A small bay with quite high ground around it, flat sandy beach with rocks at low tide, rocky outcrops at either end of the bay. On a NE at mid tide there are clean easy rideable waves wrapping into the bay cross shore, suffers a bit wind shadow but very good quality sailing. Not sailed much on other directions as there are better places.

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Alnmouth

A nicely situated flat sandy beach running SW to NE, with a tidal estuary (no sailing in the estuary, only on the beach). Access very good with the car park on the beach.

Sailable at all tide states, can be very good on a SW if a Southerly swell present, waves focus into the corner of the bay and wrap upwind slightly into the estuary mouth and can give very good wave riding along the length of the bay or flat water blasting, suffers from gusty wind due to high ground inland, funnelling effect from the estuary, local amenities very good, nice spot. Good waves and flat water.

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Coquet Island

A nice sandy beach with a few rocks and outcrops, with an island about a mile offshore with reefs extending to it at either end of the bay. Best times to sail are at Neap low tides to mid tide, low spring tides shallow out.

This will give either flat water blasting or cross on wave sailing on a NW or a SE. access ok, parking good but carrying the kit not easy, sailing can be good. High tides flood over the reefs and can cause big rips. Good waves and flat water.

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Druridge North End

 A wide sandy horse shoe shaped bay with reefs at either end. The north end has good access, reefs to the north and south with flat sand in-between. Very good at low to mid tide with waves being wrapped off the reefs. Good wave sailing and flat water blasting on S-SW. Good limited parking right on the beach. Flat lands around point.

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Druridge Bay Boatramp

Easy access and limited parking, reef offshore sailable over at high tide and exposed from low to mid, creates a good waves on the flat sandy beach. Sailable at most tide states, nice waves at times. Best on NNW-NNE or S-SW waves and flat water.

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Druridge Boardwalk

Mid-point of the bay, can get the biggest waves and strongest currents. Best at low to mid, high tide suffers a big wind shadow/gusty winds as the dunes are quite high here. Less popular. Sea defences at high tide can damage kit. Waves and flat water.