AINSDALE
Along with many other beaches in the North West, Ainsdale Beach is recognised as one of The UK’s premier beaches for wind sports.
Spanning almost 6 miles, stretching between the towns of Formby and Southport, it’s offers a wide expanse of sandy beach for all wind sports enthusiasts. It has been awarded the International Blue Flag award for beach cleanliness and management on a number of occasions.
WIND DIRECTION
Safe wind directions from SE to NNE allow for riding in a range of conditions.
FORECAST
http://www.mmweather.net/perl/current-site.pl?siteid=1054 – The Oil rig located a couple of miles offshore, tends to be most accurate when there’s some Northerly in the forecast.
Peel Ports have a number of live wind monitors at their ports
Seaforth (Liverpool) – LINK TO LIVE WIND
TIDES / CONDITIONS
Ainsdale can be ridden at all tide states, with plenty of beach left to launch and land even at high tides, with the exception of high tides over 9m where the tide can flood into the beach car park causing hazards 1hr either side of high tide.
Ainsdale has a variety of conditions available;
Low tide can create some flat water with great kickers lining up. You may have a bit of a walk out to the water though!
On the incoming tide it can become choppy, with lagoons opening up at various intervals.
High tide is generally the choppiest state to ride.
The outgoing tide can create some fantastic lagoons, make sure you make the most of them before they disappear! Caution as they can become increasingly shallow as the tide goes out.
HAZARDS
The beach very safe and largely free from hazards however in the summer months it can become busy with beachgoers, it is important to be aware of your surroundings when launching/landing and being vigilant for swimmers.
There are a regular crowd of Chilly Dippers who use the beach during all weathers, so give them a wide birth. There is plenty of beach to go around!
The beach is also used by kite buggies, land boarders and horses.
At high tides over 9m the sea can flood the beach carpark which is marked out with wooden posts, this can become hazardous.
PARKING
Between 1 April – 30th September the beach car park opens, and you can park directly on the beach.
Parking is charged at £10 per day or £30 for the year.
https://www.sefton.gov.uk/around-sefton/coast-countryside/beach-car-parking/
Winter months the car park is closed. There is however plenty of parking on the Coastal Road on the single yellow lines between 30th September and 1 April.
There is some free parking all year round by the Discovery Centre with a short walk through the sand dunes to the beach.
THERE IS A NEW OFF-BEACH CARPARK IN DEVELOPMENT AND DUE TO BE OPENED SOMETIME IN 2022.
FACILITIES
here is no clubhouse or changing rooms at the beach.
There are toilets located at the entrance to the beach on shore road, these are open during summer months.
There is an ice cream van when the suns out and during the busy periods a mobile food truck sells burgers and hotdogs.
The beach has an manned RNLI lifeguard hut during the summer and a marked swimming area to avoid.
The Discovery Centre situated adjacent to the beach and provides local information, a classroom facility, venue for events free cycle hire.
Open during the summer, you are welcome to pop in and see the shell collection and find out what wildlife there is to see and maybe have a go at a family activity.
PERMITS
Kitesurfing at Ainsdale is subject to a permit from Sefton Council. The permit is free and requires you to adhere to a Code of Conduct and hold a valid BKSA insurance policy.
British Kitesports Association – Insurance Policy
https://www.sefton.gov.uk/around-sefton/coast-countryside/kite-zone-permit/
Below is the map denoting the areas permitted for launching/landing and kitesurfing.
https://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/2810/kitezone-summer-map.pdf
https://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/2811/kitezone-winter-map.pdf
