SAUNTON SANDS
ANOTHER ONE OF THE BEST KITESURFING BEACHES IN NORTH DEVON. SAUNTON DOESN'T HAVE MANY LOCAL RIDERS BUT THEY ARE A FRIENDLY BUNCH. SAUNTON BEACH HAS LOTS OF REGULAR VISITORS AND CAN GET AS BUSY AS WESTWARD HO! AT TIMES.
I HAVE TRIED TO COMPLETE AS MUCH AS A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE AS POSSIBLE FOR SAUNTON TO HELP EVERYONE ENJOY THE BEACH TOGETHER AND HELP PREVENT CONFRONTATION.
BUGGYING AND LAND BOARDING IS BANNED FROM THIS BEACH TOTALLY.
GENERAL RULES OF SAUNTON
ANYONE USING THE BEACH MUST HAVE 3RD PARTY INSURANCE
NO BUGGYS OR LAND BOARDS ARE ALLOWED ON SAUNTON AT ALL. STATIC FLYING IS ALLOWED BUT KEEP CLEAR OF OTHER BEACH USERS. NOTE:- SAUNTON BEACH CAN GET REALLY, REALLY BUSY IN THE SUMMER SEASON.
YOU NEED TO WALK ONTO THE BEACH FROM THE CAR PARK WITH YOUR KIT AND WALK DOWN THE BEACH (SOUTH) FOR 200 M APROX PAST THE WHITE ROCK AT THE HW MARK. KITES CAN THEN BE PUMPED UP AND SET UP ON THE BEACH.
AS WITH ALL PLACES KEEP CLEAR OF PEOPLE. SAUNTON SANDS GETS VERY BUSY IN THE WARMER MONTHS BUT IS A HUGE BEACH. KEEP WALKING SOUTH AND YOU SOON GET THE BEACH TO YOURSELF!
NO COMMERCIAL KITE SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE FROM SAUNTON AT ALL.
KITESURFING IS BANNED IN JULY AND AUGUST EACH YEAR DUE TO THE NUMBER OF HOLIDAY MAKERS AND SURFERS IN THE WATER.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE BEACH FROM OTHER PLACES AND STILL KITE SAUNTON BUT WE STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST THIS. SAUNTON IS MANAGED BY CHRISTIE ESTATES AND KITESURFING IS NOT POPULAR WITH THEM, IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS A TOTAL BAN WAS LIFTED. LETS WORK TOGETHER TO NOT GET IT BANNED AGAIN!
KEEP CLEAR OF THE SURFERS! SAUNTON IS ONE OF NORTH DEVONS CLASSIC WAVES AND CLOSE TO THE ROCKS ON THE NORTH OF THE BEACH IS A REALLY NICE RIP TIDE THAT HELPS GET YOU OUT BACK. ONCE OUT BACK YOU GET A RIGHT HAND, SLOW PEELING, SOLID WAVE WITH A GREAT SHOULDER TO PLAY ON. DUE TO THIS BY THE ROCKS YOU CAN GET 200-400 SURFERS, IT IS OVERSATURATED AND AGGRESSIVE PURLEY DUE TO EXCESSIVE NUMBERS. KEEP CLEAR OF THIS AREA. AS YOU GO DOWN THE BEACH THE SURFER NUMBERS THIN OUT QUITE QUICKLY ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER!
KITESURFING.
WHAT ANOTHER GREAT BEACH, SAUNTON KITESURFING CAN ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS VARIED. SAUNTON HAS A GREAT WAVE FOR KITESURFING, IT CAN GET WELL OVER 6FT WITH DOUBLE OVERHEAD FACES ON THE WAVES AND HAS A FAIR BIT MORE POWER THAN WESTWARD HO! THE WATER IS DEEPER OFF THE BEACH SO THE WAVES DON'T LOOSE POWER LIKE WESTWARD HO! YOU CAN ALSO GO TO THE BAR (EXPERIENCED KITESURFERS ONLY) FOR SOME EXHILARATING SUCKY WAVES AND RAGING CURRENTS! YOU HAVE LOADS OF ROOM FOR LAUNCHING AND LANDING AND LOTS OF SPACE IN THE WATER OUT OF SEASON.
LIKE ALL THINGS GOOD, SAUNTON KITESURFING CAN ALSO BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THE RISKS. MY GUIDE BELOW SHOULD CONTAIN MOST OF THE RISKS ENCOUNTERED AT SAUNTON AND SOME GENERAL INFORMATION TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU.
LAUNCHING/LANDING-GET YOUR SUIT ETC ON IN THE BEACH CAR PARK AND CARRY YOUR KITE, BOARD AND PUMP ONTO THE BEACH. WALK DOWN THE BEACH (SOUTH) FOR 200 M UNTIL YOU PASS THE WHITE ROCK AT THE HIGH WATER MARK. YOU CAN PUMP UP AND SET UP ON THE BEACH THERE. NEVER KIT UP BY SUNBATHERS/FAMILYS USING THE BEACH SO IN THE WARMER MONTHS WHEN THE BEACH IS BUSY WALK A BIT FURTHER, YOU SOON FIND EMPTY BEACH.
WIND-SAUNTON SANDS WORKS FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WINDS GIVING A LARGE USEABLE WINDOW. DIRECT ONSHORE WIND IS WEST. THE NORTH WIND HERE IS NEARLY ALWAYS LUMPY DUE TO THE HEADLAND AND IT IS BEST TO GO TO WESTWARD HO! SOUTH WINDS HERE ARE NICE AS THE SURF IS USUALLY CLEAN BUT STAY DOWN THE BEACH. NEVER ATTEMPT SAUNTON WITH ANY EAST IN IT UNLESS YOU HAVE A RESCUE BOAT ON HAND (THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LIFEBOAT!).
TIDES-SAUNTON WILL WORK IN NEARLY ALL TIDES. YOU LOOSE ALL BEACH ON SPRING HIGH TIDES BUT ONLY FOR ABOUT 1 HR EACH SIDE OF HIGH. IF YOU ARE KITESURFING AT HIGH WATER THINK ABOUT PEOPLE AND THEIR SAFETY! NEVER FLY YOUR KITE OVER PEOPLE SO STAY RIGHT DOWN THE BEACH OUT OF THE WAY.
CURRENTS-SAUNTON SANDS IS A RELATIVLY SAFE BEACH IF YOU STAY ON THE BEACH. AS YOU APPROACH BIDEFORD BAR THINGS CHANGE QUICKLY, SEE BIDEFORD BAR WARNING BELOW. YOU GET A MAJOR RIP TIDE NEAR THE ROCK FACE TO THE NORTH OF THE BEACH. WAVE SURGE ON THE SHORELINE CAN GET QUITE BAD ON BIG SWELL DAYS WITH SOME MASSIVE SANDY, WATERY LUMPS!
BIDEFORD BAR-THIS SHIPPING CHANNEL HAS BEEN SINKING SHIPS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAS A FORMIDABLE REPUTATION. IT IS NOT A PLACE JUST TO GO AND HAVE A LOOK AT AND ONLY FOR VERY EXPERIENCED KITESURFERS. YOU CAN GET 4-8 KNOTT CURRENTS THAT ACCELERATE OVER ROCKS (THIS CAN KILL THE WIND IN YOUR KITE INSTANTLY), WATER THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS BOILING DUE TO THE CURRENT, WAVES COMING IN FROM 3 DIRECTIONS AT ONE POINT AND VERY BIG UNPREDICTABLE WAVES DUE TO CURRENT AND SWELL MIXING. IF YOU DROP YOUR KITE IN PLACES IT WILL NOT RELAUNCH DUE TO WATER MOVEMENT AND YOU WILL HAVE TO DO AN IN WATER PACK DOWN. IT CAN BE AN EVIL PLACE THAT IS BEST AVOIDED.
LANDBOARD/BUGGYING.
ALL LANDBOARDING AND BUGGYING IS BANNED FROM SAUNTON SANDS BEACH AND THE SIGNS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH ALSO STATE THIS. GO TO WESTWARD HO! FOR BUGGYING AND LANDBOARDING.
ALL USERS.
LAND OWNERS AT SAUNTON SURVIVE ON INCOME GENERATED BY HOLIDAY MAKERS AND THE GROWING NUMBER OF SURFERS, AS KITESURFERS WE GENERATE VERY LITTLE REVENUE IN THE GRAND SCALE OF THINGS. IF THERE ARE ANY CONFLICTS OR PROBLEMS IT IS THE KITESURFERS THEY WILL BAN AGAIN. PLAY NICELY AND DON'T RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
EVERY ONE OF US HAS A DUTY TO SHOW WHAT A DECENT BUNCH OF GUYS/GIRLS WE REALLY ARE.
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