Bantham
Bigbury's quieter eastern launch, on the far side of the Avon mouth.
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● Spot · shaded: the wind directions that work here. It is not a riding area or a permitted kite zone. Two fingers to move the map.
Location & launch
Know before you go.
- Launch
- Sand and dune access on the eastern side of the Avon mouth, via the Bantham estate road.
- Wind
- S · SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW winds work here.
- Tide
- Avoid high water and never ride the estuary on the ebb.
The shaded area shows the wind directions recorded as working here. It is not a permitted kite zone or a safe launch boundary. Check local signs.
Local rules, hazards & spot guide
Need to know
The things that catch people out here.
- Same estuary, same rule: nothing good happens riding the Avon mouth on an outgoing tide.
- Quieter and less crowded than Bigbury across the water, which is why many locals launch here.
- Access is via the Bantham estate road with a parking charge.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
- Best in
- SW, WSW, W
- Offshore (careful)
- NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE
- Wind quality
- moderate
- Water
- Waves
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 4.9 m
Tide rule
Avoid high water and never ride the estuary on the ebb.
Sea breeze · May–Aug
- Beginner
- Not suitable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Ideal
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
current The Avon estuary ebb is the defining hazard on this side of the bay.
- medium
rocks Reef and rock at the eastern end and around the river mouth.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Sand and dune access on the eastern side of the Avon mouth, via the Bantham estate road.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe
Parking
- Bantham Estate car park
paid
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- Seasonal RNLI cover.
- RNLI
- Salcombe RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Derriford Hospital, Plymouth (~45 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — excellent
The spot
Bantham sits on the eastern side of the Avon estuary, looking across at Bigbury and Burgh Island. It shares the same wave field — waves peel most of the way across the bay — but is considerably less crowded, which is why a lot of locals choose to launch here.
The estuary ebb remains the hazard, and it is a serious one. Mid to low tide is the window; at high water there is little usable sand. Access is via the Bantham estate road with a parking charge.
Nearby alternatives
Other launches around Bigbury Bay, with different conditions.
- Bigbury-on-Sea
North-westerlies on the Burgh Island side of the spit, and long peeling waves across the bay.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- kite-and-windsurfing-guide — Bantham
Checked 2026-09-07 · conditions, hazards
- South Devon Kitesurf Club — Bantham
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 50.2799, -3.8757. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.