Kite-surf St. Andrews West Sands

Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert Type: Ocean Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave Water hazards: Currents Infos: Flat to choppy water. Tidal beach, so water will be shallow depending on tides. Lots of sandbars creating nice flat water. Look out for currents in the bay channel. St Andrews does get waves and swell too. It needs a low pressure off in the East for a while but it does get swell from time to time (3-5 ft). Waves are ok, but never clean enough for proper surfing (head down to the harbor beach for this). Beach type & size: Sand - Big Infos: Long sandy beach all the way along the St. Andrews golf course. Lots of space. Can be dangerously busy in high summer though, so please be careful launching and landing kites. Huge at low tide. Fine, hard packed sand. Few obstacles. Perfect. Beachgoer: July, August Weather specificities: Wetsuit all year round, winter is for the brave but is sailed all year. Surprisingly sunny for Scotland. Wind type: Frontal Wind specificities: Best in North winds, but many directions work on the north end of the beach, since it is a tip into the St. Andrews Bay. St Andrews can benefit from an onshore sea breeze effect on warmer summers days as it sticks out into the North Sea with water on three sides. Can be excellent but prevailing winds are often offshore. St Andrews is best in anything from a Northeasterly to a Southeasterly. When it blows onshore, or sideonshore, it blows well and clean. If it is blowing offshore, we all pack up and drive twenty minutes South to Shell Bay, near Elie, where the wind is onshore. Access description: by Car - From Edinburgh up north on M90, then Northeast on A92 and A91 towards St. Andrews. Follow signs to the golf course and get to the ocean road (West Sands Road) and drive up north to the end. Drive all the way down the beach road and park on the grassy area at the end. No parking charges! There is also a bus station in the town itself. Specific rules: Zones Extra: Stay out of the river estuary and lagoon at the North end of the beach even though it looks butter flat and tempting to kitesurfers. Flying here puts you in the landing line for Leuchars Airforce Base and also in the firing line from the Nature Reserve folks (the lagoon area is a bird sanctuary). Don't fly in these areas or we risk loosing the use of the beach for all kite use (and you just may get taken out by a Tornado jet! There is a well established, very large 'Kite Zone' at the far North end of West Sands defined by two flags, outside of which you cannot kitesurf. Overnight parking is no longer allowed but not enforced. Note: overnight parking can be a frustrating experience with boy racers circling your vehicle at 3am. Accommodations: Parking