THE DUCKPOND
This is right next to our shop so you can use the web cam and weather station on this site to check out the conditions. The 'Duck Pond' as it is affectionately known is an area of the Exe estuary which is dry at low tide and mostly waist deep at high tide. It's great for beginners and intermediates, and advanced sailors love it too for freestlye or when the seafront is lumpy. It's sailable 1-2 hours either side of high tide; if the water level is low, watch out for the shallow parts as, even though it is a sandy bottom, you can still have a nasty crash or damage your fin. You can park alongside the grass, which is good for rigging on. It is possible to carry your kit down the sea wall into the water, but the easiest way is to use the slipway at the end of the road.
Wind: Works best in NW and N, other directions are offshore or gusty such as W and SW
How to get there: Come in to Exmouth on the A376, at the first roundabout take the second exit, at the next roundabout shortly afterwards, take the third exit, then bear left into the car park. Park next to the grass.
Facilities: Pay and display car park (ticket machine at entrance), toilets (at entrance), Edge Watersports shop, takeaway food nearby in town centre
THE SEAFRONT
Exmouth seafront provides a whole range of conditions from flat water blasting to waves depending on the wind direction and tide state. The ebb tide flows very quickly especially during the last few hours on spring tides when it all flows in the channel next to the beach when the sandbars are dry. This is something to be careful of, but can turn a moderate southerly into full on planing conditions with the wind against tide effect. There are extensive sandbars just offshore which, as the tide goes down, mean that you get flat water on the inside and waves on the outside. The waves are always best at mid to low tides - once the sandbar is covered they start to get a bit messy. E winds are cross off and bring a swell which provides down-the-line waves. SE through to SSW also give good wave conditions, whereas the swell will start to flatten off when it goes round to the SW or W, but if you catch it, that gives down-the-line waves too. A SSW is the optimum to get dead flat speed conditions behind the sandbar at low tide. NW and NNW gives flat water blasting on the incoming tide, although it is also possible to go when the tide is still going out if you quickly cross the channel and sail the other side of the sand bar.
Wind: Works best in E, SE, SW, NW, NNW
How to get there: Come in to Exmouth on the A376 and follow the signs for the seafront, turn left on the seafront and cross a mini roundabout, drive past the inshore lifeboat station on the left and shortly afterwards turn left into the car park. Try to park at the far end so you can rig on the grass. Cross the road and walk down the sandy beach to launch.
Facilities: Car park, tap for rinsing gear, cafes, toilets 200m, Edge shop 1 mile
DAWLISH WARREN
This little-used location is outside the estuary on the opposite side to Exmouth. Dawlish Warren is both the name of the sand spit that forms a barrier to the sea on the western entrance to the estuary, and of the village and tourist resort next to it. There is a 150m walk from the car park to the beach; the best approach is to stack your rig components on your board, carry the whole lot and rig up on the beach or slipway. Don't let this deter you as it is a good spot and the walk is over a wooden boardwalk so relatively easy. At low tide, unlike Exmouth, the waves are relatively close to the beach - there's never a long walk to the water; it's probably best sailed at low to mid tides. This is the closest decent spot to Exmouth that can be sailed in a NE when the wind will be cross-shore from the left with relatively small waves. E winds bring a sizeable swell and good down-the-line wavesailing. SE is onshore, then S is cross-on from the right. SSW is a cracking direction with good sized waves. SW is slightly cross-off; it is sailable, but gusty close in, still with some nice waves to be sailed.
In the summer months there is a lifeguard on duty and a swimmers-only area is set up at the western end of the beach, although it's not very far to walk along the beach before you can launch. The Warren is a nature reserve with some lovely walks to be had.
Wind: Good for SW, S, SE, NE; really good for SSW, E
How to get there: From Exeter follow the A379 and turn left after Starcross, once in Dawlish Warren, on the sharp right-hand bend, turn left, go under the narrow bridge then park towards the far end of the car park (buy a ticket) to make the walk to the beach as short as possible.
Facilities: This is a mini-seaside resort so everything you could possibly want.
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