Hove Lagoon & Shoreham Power Station
Beach
Hove Lagoon is just along due West from King Alfreds, Hove and
Brighton, you can't miss it.
Now I'm not reccomending the lagoon as a location to kites or
windsurf on, but rather the beach behind the clubhouse. Though
probably many "hotshots" took their first outings on
the water here!
As well as behind the lagoon, you can take the road behind the
power station and go off the "back" here.
Hove lagoon as a centre runs numerous RYA courses, so if you want
a change and attempt to sail "Cats" etc this is a ggod
place to try.
|
|
| The beach behind the lagoon and club house is good
with not too many typical sea defenses, that said unless you are
a member or there is a special event on, car parking is limited.
That's why most people will drive along behind the docks and sail
at the back of the power station.
It's also further up near the harbour entrance that with a good
swell running you'll get quite a few surfers out. Though this
is not the area to surf as it is too close in to the harbour
wall and in the wind shadow.
Prevailing wind as ever is SW with sea breezes in the summer
months. The beach is preety typical of the other more well known
locations, though the further you move away from the lagoon the
more sea defences exist.
| 
A clue as how to get there, follow this road! |
Looking East back towards King Alfreds and Brighton
| Launching at high tide can be demanding depending on the tides
and wind direction.
Best conditions are a westerly after a couple of days of strong
South Westerlies - that will provide good down the line riding
if the swell is at all decent. I was recently speaking to one
well known S Coast local windsurfer who stated that one of his
best ever sails was behind the lagoon and power station
Looking West from the beach at Hove Lagoon
View of the Harbour arm, known as "Bumholes" by local
surfers - can give a good break.....
|
Looking inland across the lagoon with sailing center in the foreground
The Beach at the back of the Power Station
You will not find major probelms
with currents, though at spring tides there tends to be more of
a rip in the shallows - unlike Worthing, low tide is good as the
tide does not go out to far, leaving plenty of sand and shallow
water providing plenty of small ramps that are either wind or swell
driven.
As in all South Coast shingle locations high tides can be rather
more demanding for launching, again depending on the height of
the tides on any given day, wooden break waters and rock groynes
can make a mess of most equipment and large "dumpers" at
high tide can make launching always interesting! |
A different view of Ocean Sports from the Beach |
Ocean Sports - normal view! |
Should you have a problem out at sea
there's usually plenty of craft out at sea, and if you have to dump your
kit and swim, there's a good chance it will get washed in further down
the coast - but always advise the Coastguard if you abandoned any kit
out at sea!
A few other points, depending on the wind direction you can go coastal
cruising, either west to Worthing & beyond, or East across to Hove & Brighton!
If you want to add your own comments see the link at the top of this
page.
Feb 2003
South Coast Beach Breaks
Hover over any red dot for details
| 
