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Canvey Island
Launching from the cafe
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Rigging Area at the cafe.
The Beach, 3 Hours after a
4.6m High Tide
30 Minutes before low tide (5.4m)
The Steps leading down to the beach
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Canvey Island is Situated to the west and
south of Chalkwell, the island’s beaches are right on the deep water
of the Thames where the estuary narrows considerably.
Launching From The café (The Welcome Hut) on the south side of
Canvey The beach faces SSE and the water water is available up to 6
hours either side(all day) on tides on 5mtr or less. As the tide
sizes increase so the tides go out further to approx 100yds and
there is quite thick mud here to wade through.
There are a substantial amount of rocks here which are
covered with broken sea shells and are to be avoided.
As the Thames is a lot narrower here the tidal flows are fast
especially on the big tides, this an advantage when sailing wind
against tide because you can carry out gibe after gibe and loose no
downwind ground, Also a westerly wind against the incoming tide has
apparently the same effect as in the Gorge due to the strong current
of the Thames.
When the tide and wind are in the same direction it is very
difficult to impossible to get back to the launching area for this
reason even the very accomplished local windsurfers stop under these
conditions.
The car park here is £2.00 for all day There are sloped grass
rigging areas and you'll have to take your kit over the sea wall
defences and down steps the other side. At high tide the beach is
covered so launching and landings have to be carried out on the
sloping part of the wall.
After bearing in mind all of the above and picking the right
time and wind direction a great days windsurfing can had at this
location especially on SW or E from blasting in the shallower water
or venturing out towards the main channel were there are big evenly
spaced swells/waves loved by the local wave sailors’.
How to get There
From Canvey Way
1. Head southeast on
Canvey Way/A130
2. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Canvey Rd/A130
Continue to follow A130
Go through 2 roundabouts
3. Turn right at Thorney Bay Rd
4. Continue onto Western Esplanade
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