Boardseeker Windsufing Magazine

What's going on with the ridiculous situation at W Wittering? Not only am I charged a fiver to park my van at the beach, but then some trumped-up locals try to hit me up for ?12.50 to go sailing... good luck to them, but needless to say no cash was forthcoming! It's a sad day when windsurfers are trying to charge others to go sailing; it goes against the whole ethos of the sport. The wind and the waves are free and need to stay that way.

Hi Stuart. The Club ("2 Xs" shop) may own or lease a patch of land near the car park entrance,but I once found that the beaches going back about 3 breakwaters from their launching beach can also be good at half tide for waist deepintermediate stuff, if that is what you are looking for. To access the West witt car park length of beach, I parked at Jolliffe road at East wittering and sailed in an onshore south/south-westerly at mid tide down to West witt. (that was in my pre-intermediate days on a force 4) Unfortunately, unless you dont mind humping your kit to where Joliffe rd meets the sea,there is (as @ August last year), only enough parking space for 3 cars at the very end(which is the most convenient). So I guess a weekday would be preferable.
You would turn right at the end of the access road to the West witt car park and once you have driven past "cakham Tower"(a big Martello tower on the right), its the first on the right.
Yours, Art.

thanks Art, I'll sail there next time and save my cash for the pub!

hi, i work at the windsurf club at west wittering, the reason for the charge is that the land that the club is on is leased from west wittering estate, the estate is private property, if we wernt there you would NOT be able to windsurf there as the beach is also private, the charge also covers the rescue in the form of a jet ski and quad bike,then it also covers the hot showers and tea and coffee. cheers james

West wittering beach is a privaletly owned beach owned by the locals who bought it 50 years ago to stop it being developed,like hayling east wittering ,bracklesham etc.

West wittering has always beeen a busy beach for swimmers and over a season they will get 1 million visitors up to 15,000 on on a busy day.11 years ago windsurfing was going to get banned unless a management system was introduced .

The windsurf club has been down there since 82 and the management system is paid for by its members,and the club charges people who are not members to sail which includes rescue cover approx cost (10 k) plus staff ,new changing rooms and showers ?100,000.The place is pretty nice down there and without the club certain local individauls would have there way there would be NO windsurfing access at all.We have invested a lot of money to develop new RRD Ezzy windsurf test centre ,there is broadband access for members, tuition,hire and the place is manned 7 days a week by trained staff from march 1 untill oct 30.

Its shame you feel it is expensive but that is the way it is,unfortunalty conservation of privatly owned beaches costs big money the land value at west wittering beach must be over ?40 mill ,were lucky that we have had the chance to keep windsurfing and kiting from the beach.