Kitesurfing
Born and raised on the UK's south coast, British freestyle champ Tom Bridge is better placed than many to reveal the five best spots to hit in the region.
Having kited since he was seven, the now 20-year-old Tom Bridgehas wins such as the 2013 and 2014 PKRA Youth World Championships under his belt, not to mention a Virgin Kitesurf Junior World Champion win in 2015. More recently, he was named British Freestyle champion in 2017, and this year competed at Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town.
Born into kitesurfing royalty (Tom's mother, Steph Bridge, is a five-time kitesurfing world champ, while older brothers Olly and Guy are also serial winners on the youth and professional circuit), Tom was also brought up around east Devon. So, if you’re wondering where you and your friends should kitesurf on the south coast, who better to ask than the young prodigy?
It’s coming up to the perfect season, according to Bridge – the autumn. “Between September and November, they are the best three months,” he says. “You still get the sun from the summer but you get some of the wind that’s going to come as it goes into winter time."
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1. Exmouth Seafront, Devon
Bridge’s home turf is not only considered one of the best in the south west, but “on a good day, it's probably one of the best places to kite in the UK,” he says. The two-mile sandy beach has parking and lifeguards, and its wide promenade is host to all sorts of foodie places.
Best of all, the kite-surfing culture is perfect for all ages and abilities. “We have loads of young kids here who are just getting into it, and there are just so many good riders to ride with,” says Tom.
“Both my brothers, Olly and Guy, also kite here, and yeah, I would say there must be 80 kite surfs on a hot sunny Sunday in the middle of summer. Lots of people come from other areas. And it’s hugely impacted by tide, so you can go out in pretty light winds if you have the right tide.
2. Bantham Beach, Devon
The costal village’s beach has all the usual mod cons – toilets, lifeguards in season (May-September) and onsite parking, and is a great alternative to Exmouth.
“It’s a bay, and it only works if the wind’s in the west. There are super nice waves – they also have a river mouth, which gets pretty flat, so I can freestyle."
Plus, Tom has a great foodie recommendation: “In Bantham there’s the Gastrobus. They serve fresh food, so you can get really good pastries and burgers."
3. Seafront, Hayling Island
With parking, foodie outlets as well as a kite shop and kite schools, kiters are set for the day at Hayling Island. Complete with a dedicated kitesurfing beach, Tom says it's best in low tide. “At low tide a lot of the sandbanks come up, so that just makes the water super flat,” meaning good conditions for beginners or freestyling.
4. Westford Ho!, North Devon
The amply spaced Westford Ho! is renowned for its golden sands and is an increasingly popular hotspot for kitesurfers. There are shops, toilets and various places to grab a bite after a kiting session.
“It’s just a massive beach, and that works on a westerly wind as well. It gets really windy there, so it’s good for big air and things like that. There’s just heaps of space, it can hold loads of kite surfers.”
5. Gwithian, Cornwall
A popular spot for kitesurfing, the World Land Speedsailing Championships are also often held at Gwithian. There’s a café and beach shop by the car park, and lifeguards in season.
“Gwithian in Cornwall is just a massive beach with huge dunes. The water is really clear and you get huge waves," says Tom.
And here's Tom's favourite spot in the rest of the UK:
Rhosneigr, Wales
Rhosneigr is especially significant for Tom, who landed his first ever 900 off a kicker at the Kite Park League event last year. The sandy, watersports hotspot offers a healthy variety of shops and eateries, but parking can be difficult when busy.
“It’s a super big bay and, with a strong south west wind, it can produce some of the best waves in the country. As you move up the beach you'll find lots of big rock pools which are super fun to kite in, and it is very unique to what you would normally kite in, and can offer some amazing flat water. It’s a very user-friendly beach and an amazing destination for wave riders."
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