Watersports
Your Guide to Watersports
Northumberland offers excellent opportunities for watersports all year round. It is great canoeing and kayaking territory and its long stretches of sandy beaches make it a popular destination for kitesurfing, surfing, diving and adventure sports enthusiasts. You can head out to the Farne Islands and dive in the company of grey seals or go inland to Kielder Water and Forest Park, which is Europe's largest man made lake or surf any number of the County's glorious beaches. Below is a breakdown by area of where to visit if you are interested in watersports.
Amble's coastal location makes it perfect for a variety of watersports including sailing, power boating, canoeing and kayaking. The Coquet Shorebase Trust is a charitable organisation based in Amble that provides watersports training and courses for anyone that is interested. They are based close to the harbour and from Amble offer courses in Powerboats, canoeing and kayaking and additionally from nearby Druridge Bay Country Park, windsurfing and sailing. On a Sunday afternoon they have 'Paddling on the Coquet Estuary' where you can enjoy a peaceful tour of the wildlife and scenery from a unique view point or opt for training at whatever level you require. Also based in Amble are Northside Surf School who can arrange surf lessons on a number of nearby beaches including Druridge Bay and Warkworth Bay, just to the North and South of Amble. Recently opened is Northumberland's first and only Kayak and Canoe Shop, North East Kayaks and Paddles, located on Amble's Coquet Enterprise Park. They only sell the best equipment available and everything is tested by them before they sell it.
One of my most exciting childhood memories is coming to Beadnell with school for an activity day that involved raft building, dune sledging and cliff jumping! I will always associate Beadnell with watersports and the stunning, wide, golden sandy beaches make it the perfect location. Beadnell has it's own Sailing Club that has been based in the Village for over 40 years. The harbour itself provides an excellent spot to launch boats from and can get very busy in the summer months. The nearby Farne Islands are a popular destination to sail to from Beadnell. Wakeboarding and Waterskiing is another reason to launch your boat from the harbour and the bay provides excellent conditions. Jetskis can also be launched here and are very popular with visitors.
Surfing and Bodyboarding are extremely popular when there is a decent swell to ride, the bay can produce swells of up to 15ft in size! The middle and South of the bay are generally the best spots for surfing as the North end is more protected by the Harbour. The wide and long beach is also ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing either on the sea or sand. Also using the launching facilities in Beadnell are the many diving and snorkelling clubs in the area. With the close proximity of the Farne Islands, there are a large number of popular dive sites close by including the Somali, a ship that was bombed in 1941.
Budle Bay Various watersports are very popular in Budle Bay in in the summer months. You really would struggle to find a more beautiful spot to enjoy your chosen sport, the natural beauty of the area just shines through. The bay provides very safe, shallow conditions that are particularly good for kite surfing at any level. The tidal lagoon fills up two hours before high tide and is empty two hours after high tide. If you intend to visit the bay please pay attention to the map on the left that clearly marks the area of the bay where watersports of any kind are permitted. Other watersports such as windsurfing and jet skiing are also popular in the bay. Watersports are only permitted during the months of April to October in order to protect the habitat of the thousands of migratory birds.
The beach at Bamburgh is popular place for watersports. Not only does it offer the wonderful views of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, but it is also provides some good waves for surfing through most stages of the tide.
The beach to the North of Seahouses, also known as St Aidan's Beach, is popular place for watersports. Not only does it offer the wonderful views of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, but it is also provides some good waves for surfing near to the harbour and has good conditions on the main beach on a South swell.
Druridge Bay and the Country park are perfectly geared up to host all kinds of watersports activities. The lake provides a good, safe location for sailing (you can launch your own boat from the park's lake) and for windsurfing and canoeing. While the beach lends itself well to surfing and kitesurfing. A local charitable organisation that runs courses in all sorts of watersports, with many activities for the kids in the summer holidays is Coquet Shorebase Trust. They offer Sailing, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, powerboating and raft building courses at a very reasonable price.
Equipment, Activities and Lessons
If you need any equipment to have a go at any watersports then the company to get in touch with is Boards and Bikes. They supply and hire wetsuits, boards and bikes to the Beadnell, Seahouses and Bamburgh area. They will even deliver them to wherever you are staying, be that a B&B, Hotel or caravan. They don't just hire equipment, they also run excellent value lessons on the beaches of Bamburgh, Seahouses and Beadnell. They start from 2 hours and include a full safety brief before allowing you in the water as safely as possible with their skilled and friendly teachers.
Active 4 Seasons offer a kayaking and canoeing coaching, guiding and expedition service and Northside Surf School offer surfing lessons at various beaches in Northumberland. The Coquet Shorebase Trust is a charitable organisation based in Amble that provides watersports training and courses for anyone that is interested. They are based close to the harbour and from Amble offer courses in Powerboats, canoeing and kayaking and additionally from nearby Druridge Bay Country Park, windsurfing and sailing. Recently opened is Northumberland's first and only Kayak and Canoe Shop, North East Kayaks and Paddles, located on Amble's Coquet Enterprise Park. They only sell the best equipment available and everything is tested by them before they sell it. Adventure Northumberland run Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Climbing, Surfing and Coasteering - a variety of activities and courses aimed at all ages and levels.
Sovereign Diving Air Station and Shop
Sovereign Diving provides Air and Nitrox fills after your days diving. Open to all, with the advantage that divers can leave their cylinders and collect them at their convenience. They also hire cylinders for your days diving. The shop is stocked with merchandise for lost, forgotten or broken equipment. They sell anything from masks, reels, clips to o-rings as well as our their brand of Sovereign Diving clothing.