Cornwall'98 Waterside Guide

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Windsurfing in the South Cornwall

Praa Sands

About ten minutes drive from Penzance towards Helston along the A394 will bring you to Praa Sands. This location provides excellent cross shore wave sailing in WNW or E or SE. Be aware the winds can be quite gusty here with a very strong powerful wave and the traditional severe shore dump at high tide. It is also a bit of a hike down to the waters edge with your kit.

Porthleven

This small village has one of the most devastating waves to be seen around the Cornish Coast line which breaks very fast over a shallow reef in front of the harbour wall. This is a spot only for the best and extremely expert big wave sailor. Before you even consider this location seriously check your health insurance, kit insurance and take time out to watch the surfers and bodyboarders. You will soon understand why every year freak waves catch people unawares on the sea wall and take them out to sea. If you get it wrong here the consequences are dire and at best you would have a long swim down the coast.

The Helford

At the top of the Lizard on the East coast is the beautiful Helford Passage. This creek is great for beginners and intermediates to learn, improve and hone their skills in relative security. Windsurfers should watch out for other water users as it is very popular with the cruising and small sailing enthusiasts and also with many powered craft. There are plenty of moored boats to cope with. Many are in front of the Ferryboat Inn a very popular launching spot. Durgan beach is a slightly less crowded spot but does involve a short walk down to the beach from the road and parking in summer can be scarce. With the creek lying E/W these winds are obviously the most consistent and most other wind directions will result in gusty, messy winds to keep windsurfers on their toes.

Falmouth, Gyllingvase

On the sea front of the famous harbour town of Falmouth lies the south easterly facing beach of Gyllingvase. Parking is plentiful, fairly close to the beach with a small grassy park to rig up in directly behind it. It is another great introductory south coast wave spot ideal for intermediate short boarders looking to hone their skills in more bumpy conditions. Gyllingvase will be at its best if there is a big southerly swell. Much of the force of it will be taken out by the Lizard Peninsula and by the time it reaches the beach and coupled with a SW wind can lay on good cross shore starboard jumping conditions. The beach can also work well in winds from the SE and possibly E and can provide plenty of scope for intermediates looking for a bit of Bump and Jump and slalom blasting. The winds on the inside can sometimes be a little gusty and at high tide the shore break is best avoided if there is much of a swell running.

Carrick Roads

Falmouth Harbour is the worlds third largest natural harbour and offers plenty to windsurfers from complete beginners to the accomplished short boarder. This beautiful myriad of creeks and inlets offers a wonderfully safe yet massive expanse of water to play in. Considering the size of the water, launching sites are not that plentiful but the three main ones allow you to sail in any wind direction you choose and any state of the tide. There are also few real hazards in terms of currents and waves to catch the less experienced sailors out as long as common sense is used. Loe Beach at Feock, is just 10 minutes from the capital of Cornwall, Truro and is situated on the northern shore of the Carrick Roads. It is a great spot to sail from with convenient parking right on the beach, and provides plenty of flat water sailing with usable wind directions of SW, S, SE and E. Be aware there are plenty of boats moored off here to avoid in Summer and give the bating area plenty of room when launching.

Nearer to Falmouth, Mylor Yacht Harbour is another excellent beach offering good flat water sailing. If you drive past Mylor Church and continue along to Restronguet Sailing Club you can drop your gear off here on the beach and but make sure you park your car either back in the dock yard complex or up the hill, past the church otherwise you could find it towed away or the tide could come in and cut you off leaving you with a rather damp vehicle. This beach being central to the Carrick Roads works in most every wind direction except Westerly which is offshore and tends to be very gusty. At low tide the water becomes fairly shallow, if a bit muddy but it is a great spot for practising waterstarting and other short board improving manoeuvres. It is also an ideal spot for setting out on a long board to cruise around various creeks and inlets of the Fal. Check out the Windsport Centre based here for lessons to help you on your way.

St Mawes

The final launching spot for the Carrick Roads or Fal Estuary is a little more exposed. If you take the A3078 down to St Mawes from the St Austell - Truro Road and head towards the picturesque castle. When you arrive you need to park in the field just below the castle looking across to Pendennis Castle and Falmouth on the other side. This spot is great for the slightly more intermediate sailor as the launch site is quite a narrow beach bordered by rocks. If you walk over to the left hand corner of the field there is a path taking you down to the beach. This spot works really well in wind directions from the W, N and NW, and also from the SW and S. Be aware there is quite a lot more commercial traffic here as ships arrive and quit the busy Falmouth ship yard. There are also many ferries and fishing craft going in and out together with a multitude of pleasure craft which befits one of the best cruising areas in the world. This is not major warning as there is generally plenty of water for everyone to be in but be aware to keep your eyes open. If there is a big southerly swell running some exciting short board sailing can be had around Black Rock at the entrance to the estuary.

Pendower

Just around the corner from St Mawes lies Pendower and Carne Beach. Pendower Beach is easily accessed via Veryan through a small National Trust Car Park at the back of small dunes bordering the quaint Pendower Hotel. There is plenty of grass to rig up on in the car park or plenty of space on the beach if you want to carry your kit the short distance. In lighter airs it is a great place to go long board cruising or out on a slalom board if the wind is from the SW, S or SE. At mid tide there is a reasonably strong tidal flow along the beach but at slack water it is much more manageable. If however the wind is blowing strongly from the E and there is a bit of a swell running from the south, a few of the local wave sailors in the "know" head here to catch the low tide as it changes. It can provide good down the line wavesailing.

Carne

At low tide this is almost the same beach as Pendower but further east it is just a bit more sheltered from the Nare Headland. There is also parking directly across the road from the beach. The beach works best in a W, SW or SE direction giving good bump and jump style coastal sailing, and generally not quite as extreme as Pendower.

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