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Westward Ho!

A big Atlantic beach with small waves and flat sections between them — and an eight-metre tidal range that dictates everything.

Bideford Bay · DevonDirections

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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
Torridge Council's Wind Sports Zone at the far north end of the beach, beyond Sandymere, reached through Northam Burrows Country Park. The pebble ridge means a long walk with kit at some states of tide.
Wind
SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW · NNW · N winds work here.
Tide
Only ride from about two hours either side of high water onwards — at high tide there is no beach below the pebble ridge.

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.

  • Only ride around two hours away from high tide onwards. At the top of the tide the sea is against the pebble ridge and there is nowhere to launch.
  • Nearly eight metres of tidal range on springs. The beach you walked out across will not be there when you come back.
  • The Taw–Torridge bar to the east is a serious piece of water. Stay west of the estuary.
  • The pebble ridge is an awkward walk with kit and is not kind to gear.

Conditions

NESW
  • Best
  • Works
  • Offshore
Works in
SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW, N
Best in
W, NW, N
Offshore (careful)
NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE
Wind quality
moderate
Water
Mixed
Depth
mixed
Best tide
Low to mid
Spring range
7.9 m

Tide rule

Only ride from about two hours either side of high water onwards — at high tide there is no beach below the pebble ridge. Very large tidal range; the water moves a long way, fast.

Sea breeze · May–Aug

Beginner
Workable
Intermediate
Ideal
Advanced
Good

Hazards

Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.

  • high

    current The Taw–Torridge estuary and its bar lie to the east — strong streams and a notorious shifting bar.

  • medium

    rocks The pebble ridge itself, plus rock and clay ledges exposed at low water.

  • medium

    tidal cutoff Nearly eight metres of spring range means the water covers ground very quickly.

Access & rules

Launch
Torridge Council's Wind Sports Zone at the far north end of the beach, beyond Sandymere, reached through Northam Burrows Country Park. The pebble ridge means a long walk with kit at some states of tide.
Permit
Not required
Insurance
Third-party liability expected
Tuition
Permitted
Facilities
toilets, cafe, shop, pub

Parking

  • Westward Ho! seafront car parks

    paid

Seasonal restrictions

  • Jun–Aug

    RNLI bathing zones in peak season.

Safety

Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.

Lifeguards
Seasonal RNLI cover.
RNLI
Appledore RNLI
Nearest A&E
North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple (~25 min)
Water quality
Designated bathing water — good

The spot

Westward Ho! is a long, Atlantic-facing beach in Bideford Bay, backed by a substantial pebble ridge. The water offers little waves with flat sections between them, which makes it more approachable than the full-power beaches further north.

The tide runs the show. Spring range here approaches eight metres, and at high water the sea reaches the pebble ridge leaving nowhere to launch. The local rule is to ride from about two hours away from high tide onwards. To the east lies the Taw–Torridge estuary and its notorious shifting bar — stay well clear of it.

Nearby alternatives

Other launches around Bideford Bay, with different conditions.

  • Saunton Sands

    Space — one of the largest continuous sand beaches in England.

Sources

Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.

Confidence: medium · 2 independent sources · status needs-review · updated 2026-09-07

Verify locally. Coordinates 51.0548, -4.2302. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.