Felixstowe Ferry
The mouth of the Deben — shifting bar, strong ebb, and Europe's busiest container port round the corner.
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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
- Shingle at the mouth of the River Deben, beside the ferry hard and the sailing club.
- Wind
- NE · ENE · E · ESE · SE · SSE · S · SSW winds work here.
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.
- The Deben bar shifts every year and the ebb through the entrance is strong. This is the local hazard everyone talks about.
- The Port of Felixstowe is just south — one of Europe's largest container ports, with constant traffic.
- Shared with a busy sailing club and the foot ferry.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW
- Best in
- S, SSW
- Offshore (careful)
- SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW
- Wind quality
- moderate
- Water
- Choppy
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Mid tide
- Spring range
- 3.8 m
- Beginner
- Workable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Good
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
current The Deben entrance ebbs hard over a constantly shifting bar. Local pilotage notes are updated every year for a reason.
- high
shallow sandbar The Deben bar moves. Do not assume last year's channel.
- medium
shipping Port of Felixstowe traffic is a short distance south.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Shingle at the mouth of the River Deben, beside the ferry hard and the sailing club.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe, pub, slipway
Parking
- Felixstowe Ferry car park
paid
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Harwich RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich (~30 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — good
The spot
Felixstowe Ferry sits at the mouth of the River Deben, beside the ferry hard and the sailing club. It is a quiet, characterful spot with a strong local sailing culture.
The Deben bar is the thing to understand. It shifts position every year, the ebb through the entrance runs hard, and local pilotage notes are republished annually because the channel genuinely moves. Add the Port of Felixstowe a short way south and it becomes a spot where knowing the water matters more than knowing the wind.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Windfinder — Felixstowe Ferry
Checked 2026-09-07 · coordinates, wind
- Kite & Windsurfing Guide — Felixstowe Ferry
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Kiteforum spot guide — Felixstowe Ferry
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- UK Windsurfing beach guide — Felixstowe Ferry
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Kite Addicts — Felixstowe Ferry
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 51.9808, 1.3899. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.