Where to wing foil in Poole?
Jamie ZieglerPoole, a world-class watersports hotspot for windsurfing, got big in the early 80s. Recently, with the popularity of wing foiling, is it still a good spot, or have foilers had to reach out to other locations?
Well, to be honest, it probably depends on your experience.
Here's a quick overview map of our local area to help distinguish the wing foiling spots:
Beginner
If it is your first time trying out the wing foil vibe, you want to be somewhere where, if you drift downwind, you have a safe catchment. That has got to be the ol’ classic — Poole Harbour (Whitley Lake).The heaven for beginner watersports. (Unless it is low tide or an offshore breeze).
As mentioned in the blog about tides in Poole Harbour, there can be huge fluctuations, meaning it won’t be possible at low tide. In addition, if the wind is coming from NE–SE, it will be offshore, which is not ideal as you will most likely be swept toward the busy shipping channel. So as a beginner, pick your battles — check the forecast and go out in the harbour at mid to high tide, with a wind direction from S through to N, and happy learning!!.
Once you’ve spent some sessions mastering getting up onto the foil and riding confidently both upwind and downwind, this opens up more options.
Intermediate
Hamworthy Park is a fairly popular one. About a 20-minute drive from Whitley Lake and still in the harbour. This is a great spot if the tide is fairly low or the wind is coming SE or NW, which will give you a cross-shore breeze. The SE also works well from East Dorset Sailing Club, making it a good cross-shore spot. It’s flat but can be a bit gusty — and again, you’ll need the tide on your side.
If the tide is low and you're desperate to get out, Branksome Dene Chine is a popular spot, mainly in the summer when the prevailing wind is SW, bringing a lovely cross-shore wind. The reason this isn’t a beginner spot is that it is exposed to the sea. This means there can be swell or more wind chop than in the harbour. There’s also a shore break, which can be challenging to get past and puts you and your kit at risk of damage. So if you're not intermediate, I don't recommend. You’ll usually find it flatter in the summer months, which is ideal for intermediates, and there are more people on the beach, which means safety!
Advanced
This spot works cross-shore in a southerly direction with a bit of west in it. From here, there is a magical spot called Hook Sands, roughly 250m offshore, sitting next to the channel (boats even get stuck on it in summer). Waves build and break here, making it a slightly more difficult but very fun place to ride. Only go here if you're advanced and already know how to ride waves.
Exploration
Poole is an extremely underrated area to explore, and there’s no better way to do it than on foil. There are heaps of upwind opportunities:
- Whitley Lake up to Arne and back in a north-westerly direction
- Branksome Dene up to Sandbanks in a south/south-westerly direction
- Or even around Brownsea Island
Of course, this is only if you have the right kit (a suitable board, wing, and a lifty foil), as well as a phone or radio, and you’ve told someone your plan.You must be confident riding upwind and downwind, tacking and gybing, and fully aware of the weather conditions.