Tynemouth Longsands
Newcastle's beach — accessible, windy, and shared with a very large surf crowd.
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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 below the promenade at the northern end, away from the surf school area.
- Wind
- NNE · NE · ENE · E · ESE · SE · SSE 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.
- Very busy with surfers and surf schools. Ride the northern end and give them room.
- The Tyne entrance is just south — ferries and commercial traffic use it constantly.
- Gusty close to shore in a westerly because of the cliffs and buildings behind.
- Cullercoats and Whitley Bay just north are the quieter alternatives.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE
- Best in
- NE, SE
- Offshore (careful)
- S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW
- Wind quality
- moderate
- Water
- Waves
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 4.6 m
The cliffs and buildings behind make it gusty close in on westerly directions.
- Beginner
- Workable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Good
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
rocks Rock at both ends of the beach and around Tynemouth Priory.
- high
crowds One of the busiest beaches in the North East, with a large surf school presence.
- medium
shipping The Tyne entrance is immediately south, with ferry and commercial traffic.
- medium
wind shadow Cliffs and buildings behind cause turbulence in westerlies.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Sand below the promenade at the northern end, away from the surf school area.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe, shop, pub, changing
Parking
- Longsands / Grand Parade parking
paid
Seasonal restrictions
- May–Sep
Seasonal bathing and surfing zones on the main beach.
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- Seasonal RNLI cover.
- RNLI
- Tynemouth RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields (~10 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — good
The spot
Tynemouth Longsands is the North East's most accessible proper beach, ten minutes from the Metro and backed by a promenade with cafés and shops. It is consistently windy and has a strong watersports culture.
It is also very busy. Surf schools operate here through the season and the beach carries seasonal bathing and surfing zones. Ride the northern end and give the surfers room. The cliffs and buildings behind make the wind gusty close in on westerlies, and the Tyne entrance immediately south carries constant ferry and commercial traffic. Cullercoats and Whitley Bay to the north are the quieter options.
Links & local
Clubs, forums & groups
- North East Kitesurfing Club · club
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- North East Kitesurfing Club — locations
Checked 2026-09-07 · community
- North East Kitesurfing Club — Tynemouth Longsands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- UK Windsurfing beach guide — Tynemouth Longsands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 55.0231, -1.4231. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.