🏴 Bournemouth - Between the Piers
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Best directionSW
Wind speed6–12kt
SeasonYear Round
Skill levelIntermediate
WaterChop
Local spot - if it is windy there will be people kiting here. Reported wind direction: West, South West, South East, East | Submitted by: Marc
View live 5-day wind forecast →Good to know
Getting thereLaunch & Landing Zones: To prevent gear entanglement and protect swimmers, look out for the black and white chequered flags deployed by the RNLI Lifeguards. These flags indicate the designated launch and recovery lanes for wind/kitesurfers.
Foiling Depth: The sand bottom slopes gradually. While great for wading, wing foilers using a standard 75cm–85cm mast will need to walk out a fair distance past the shorebreak before mounting the board to avoid striking the bottom.
Proximity to Poole: If the open ocean swell between the piers gets too messy, the world-renowned flatwater of Poole Harbour (Whitley Lake) is just 15 minutes west and serves as the primary local teaching ground.
HazardsThe Piers & Wind Shadow: Bournemouth Pier creates severe wind shadows and turbulent, gusty pockets directly downwind of the structure. Give the pier pilings a wide berth to avoid being pushed into them by structural rip currents or dropping your wing/kite.
Pier Safety Zones: Pier landing stages are structurally failing; never navigate under or directly next to the pier under any circumstances.Summer Exclusion (The Red/Yellow Flags): During the peak season, you are strictly prohibited from flying kites, wings, or sailing inside the red and yellow flagged swim zones.
Beach Bystanders: Setting up lines or pumping up large wings on the promenade or busy sand stretches during the summer can be highly hazardous due to heavy pedestrian foot traffic
Best time of dayBest Wind Directions: The ideal wind setups are West-Southwest (WSW) or East-Southeast (ESE). These create perfect cross-shore or side-onshore conditions, allowing you to tack back and forth parallel to the beach safely. Pure South winds blow directly onshore, making it difficult to clear the shorebreak. Avoid North winds entirely, as they are completely offshore, gusty, and will blow you out into the English Channel.
Best Season: Autumn and winter offer the most reliable, heavy depressions that bring the required 15+ knots for kiting and winging.
Tide States: It can be ridden at all tides, but mid-tide is often favored to balance water depth for foils while retaining enough dry beach area to safely lay out kite lines.