There’s a stretch of shoreline on the edge of the new forest that’s part of a biggish private estate

I’m told that it has absolute privacy protected, whereby there is zero publis access even below high water line

Presumably facilitated by having the correct tie and some decent bribery in the good old days (and potentially reversible via the MArine & coastal Access Bill – or whatever)

Yeah, there are a few locations where the foreshore isn’t owned by the Crown – I was aware of one somewhere around the New Forest – but most of it is, and I’m fairly sure Hayling Island is.

The bit by the sand spit is actually owned by the golf club below the high water, apparently so they could dredge for sand for their bunkers or something. A few years back they were worried about liability issues arising from kiting accidents on their land – so Chris Bull set up the club to help regulate the safety aspect of the spot to ensure continuous access.

West wittering similar – but mainly down to the shifting location of the beach means that technically the deeds extend into the sea (where the beach once was but since been eroded back). Again, regulating who goes where isn’t a bad thing in the south east where there are so many folk. that beach for instance can have 20,000 people on it on a busy day in the summer so you can imagine the effect that a beginner getting dragged down the beach by an out of control kite would have.

Anyway, it’s windy now, so I’m off for a kite before the rugby. 🙂

I’m pretty sure that Saunton Sands are privately owned.

Lots of good advice on here especially from Bikebhoy and jimbobrighton. It makes be grateful i kite and bike in Scotland at times.

When i started i didnt get any lessons but i had 3 friends took me out with them and it was a safe onshore wind where we used to kite so no real dramas but i would never recommend that route, i have had a couple of proper scares and when it does go wrong it happens very quickly and having the right self rescue methods taught from the start can literally be a lifesaver.

Its an awesome sport that can be very frustrating waiting on the wind when you have days off. My rule is now that if there is wind then i will be on the water, if not ill be biking.

Go for it, for those special days when it all clicks together life really does not get any better, warm wind, perfect conditions. BOOM>

Saunton Sands is privately owned but they do allow kitesurfers with the correct insurance. They’re only allowed to launch a fair way down the beach and can’t come back towards the hotel past that point as far as I know?
I’m sure it got banned on Saunton for a while which may or may not have been something of a knee jerk reaction to a land yacht mowing down and killing a beach goer somewhere else in the country?

Yeah, that was up at Lytheham. Got a lot of kite buggying banned too. I know Saunton after being race officer at the world Speedsail championships. Fun folk to deal with.
Used to drive there from Oxford most weekends to windsurf. Even had HyJumpers make me a custom assymetric for there. Then i got sensible and started going to better venues.

Thanks guys, I’ve caught up on all your great advice, and google image searched ‘kite surf accident’, and am now sufficiently put off this death-wish sport.

Back to RC airplane envy methinks