Yaverland & Sandown, Isle of Wight

Brief intro: Yaverland is situated at the eastern end of Sandown Bay. It is a very popular location for the beginner through to the extreme wave sailor. It offers a wide variety of conditions for the expert, from radical wave sailing to bump and jump and flat water blasting for intermediates.

For the beginner, Yaverland and Sandown can offer calm sheltered conditions, perfect to build confidence. For those sailing at Sandown a good location is to the left of the pier opposite the Beach Garden Café.

At Yaverland the most popular place to sail is opposite the car park. With a south-westerly wind it doesn’t take much breeze to push a swell into the bay, this creates classic jumping ramps on starboard tack and port tack wave riding. If you prefer port tack jumping and starboard tack wave riding an easterly wind is ideal.

Beach faces: South East

Best wind direction: SW (cross shore) Easterly (cross on shore)

Best direction for waves: SW gives port tack riding,

Not good: Northerly / North Westerly / Westerly

Tide: Better on a pushing tide.

What’s on the bottom: Sand

Any hazards? Need to watch at high tide if it is really windy from the S/SW. Especially on springs where the water can break up to and over the sea wall creating a nasty rip. (We locals call this the Rinser, because if you get your launch or landing wrong you will take one hell of a beating and probably get all your kit broken. Good comedy value though!!)

There are also groynes situated along the beach at approximately 100m intervals to stop long shore drift. They can be potentially hazardous if your not comfortable launching and landing in surf. At this state of tide, in windy conditions, a good competency in wave sailing is required.

Shore break can also tend to be dumpy at high tide.

Finally, there is an outfall pipe which stretches out from the beach. This is clearly marked by a post approximately 100m off the shore.

Other water users: kite surfers, a few jet skiers & dinghy sailors in the summer.

Suitability/levels: Beginners to Advanced & hard core wave sailors.

Wipeout factor: On a big day, it can feel quite intimidating sailing out in the rolling and breaking swell. Dumping shore break can punish you and your kit. If you loose your kit in the surf zone be prepared for a long swim as the current can take your gear down the beach.

But generally it’s well manageable to competent windsurfers.

Instruction: Wight Water Adventure Watersports located at Dunroamin Beach in Shanklin have a wide range of Starboard / Tushingham equipment and cater for all levels. Check out www.wightwaters.com or contact surf@wightwaters.com

Kit Hire: YES for beginner to advanced through Wight Waters Adventure Watersports

Friendly factor: Always a decent crowd on a good forecast even in the middle of winter. Can be crowded throughout the summer weekends with kite surfers and other water users.

No wind alternatives: Browns pitch and putt, Dinosaur museum and the Tiger Sanctuary 2 mins down the road from Yaverland

Surfable?: Yes, Sandown is better than Yaverland for surfing. The area opposite the Jolly Sailor pub called White City is very popular with locals on a good swell.

Facilities:

Accommodation: Contact www.islandbreaks.co.uk for all B&B's and hotels and camping

Local hotshots : Jon Metcalfe and Charlie Connelly (currently leading the Triple Crown Freewave Series), Neal Gent, Scott Gardner and his brothers Ross and Aaron Williams

Local knowledge/secrets: north easterlies can provide classic port tack jumping with some good starboard riding.

Extra: Famous for holding the White Air Extreme Festival every October with the UK’s top windsurfers, kitesurfers Zapcat drivers descending on the island for the week

How to get there: Ferry links from Southampton to the Island on Red Funnel Ferries to East Cowes www.redfunnel.co.uk

Follow signs to Newport and pick up the main road to Sandown. Head for the sea front and follow it along to Yaverland car park or Sandown sea front.

Or from Portsmouth to Fishborne on White link ferries www.whitelink.co.uk

Follow signs to Newport and pick up the main road to Sandown as above.

Reporters: John Metcalfe & Charlie Connelly from MetcalfeConnelly Watersports Consultants

Email: info@metcalfeconnelly.com, www.metcalfeconnelly.com

Mobile: +44 (0)7812 194213
Fax: +44 (0)870 7454846

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Photos by: John Carter