Point Clear
Sheltered flatwater inside the Colne — the calm alternative to the open Essex beaches.
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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
- Shallow sheltered flats inside the mouth of the Colne, with a sea wall and slipway access.
- Wind
- SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW 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.
- Sheltered estuary flatwater — the calm alternative to the open Clacton beaches.
- Mud at low water, and a lot of it. Mid tide is the window.
- Shared with Brightlingsea sailing traffic across the channel.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
- Best in
- SW, WSW, W
- Offshore (careful)
- ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S
- Wind quality
- moderate
- Water
- Flat
- Depth
- standing
- Best tide
- Mid tide
- Spring range
- 4.7 m
- Beginner
- Good
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Workable
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- medium
current Colne estuary streams and Brightlingsea traffic.
- medium
sharp objects Extensive soft mud and old sea defence structures at low water.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Shallow sheltered flats inside the mouth of the Colne, with a sea wall and slipway access.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe
Parking
- Point Clear / St Osyth beach parking
paid
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Clacton-on-Sea RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Colchester Hospital, Colchester (~30 min)
The spot
Point Clear sits inside the mouth of the River Colne opposite Brightlingsea, offering shallow, sheltered, swell-free water. It is the calm alternative to the open beaches at Clacton and Frinton and is popular with riders from Colchester.
The low-tide mud flats are extensive and soft. Mid tide is the window, and the Colne's own streams plus Brightlingsea's sailing traffic are worth watching for.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- UK Windsurfing beach guide — Point Clear
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Windy.app spot page — Point Clear
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 51.7879, 1.0294. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.