Spots › East Sussex
Camber Sands
Iconic long sandy beach near Rye — the spiritual home of UK kitesurfing. Works in ESE through WSW with S–SW the classic directions. Tide is critical: mid to low is the target — absolutely no kiting within 2.5 hours either side of HW, when the beach disappears against the sea wall. Mix of flat sections, bump-and-jump, and small waves depending on wind angle. Can get busy at weekends. Schools: The Kitesurf Centre, Camber Kitesurfing.
🌊 Tide & beach state
🚦 Tide zones (daylight, BST): Red = NO KITING — over high tide the water covers the groynes and the beach goes narrow (no-kiting zone). Green = kite the tide down, through low and back up. Grey = early-morning session.
Sat 18: 05:05–05:25 NO KITING · 05:25–12:35 KITE · 12:35–17:50 NO KITING · 17:50–20:55 KITE
Sun 19: 05:10–06:05 NO KITING · 06:05–13:15 KITE · 13:15–18:25 NO KITING · 18:25–20:50 KITE
Mon 20: 05:10–06:35 NO KITING · 06:35–14:00 KITE · 14:00–19:05 NO KITING · 19:05–20:50 KITE
Tue 21: 05:10–07:10 NO KITING · 07:10–14:45 KITE · 14:45–19:40 NO KITING · 19:40–20:50 KITE
Sun 19: 05:10–06:05 NO KITING · 06:05–13:15 KITE · 13:15–18:25 NO KITING · 18:25–20:50 KITE
Mon 20: 05:10–06:35 NO KITING · 06:35–14:00 KITE · 14:00–19:05 NO KITING · 19:05–20:50 KITE
Tue 21: 05:10–07:10 NO KITING · 07:10–14:45 KITE · 14:45–19:40 NO KITING · 19:40–20:50 KITE
🏖️ Beach access: About 40 m of dry beach available to rig (water has dropped below this height). Reached when the tide falls below ≈5.23 m (chart datum at Dungeness) · provisional (1 report).
Enough beach (BST): Sat 18: 00:00–00:30, 05:25–12:35, 17:50–00:00
Sun 19: 00:00–01:15, 06:05–13:15, 18:25–00:00
Mon 20: 00:00–02:00, 06:35–14:00, 19:05–00:00
Tue 21: 00:00–02:45, 07:10–14:45, 19:40–00:00
Sun 19: 00:00–01:15, 06:05–13:15, 18:25–00:00
Mon 20: 00:00–02:00, 06:35–14:00, 19:05–00:00
Tue 21: 00:00–02:45, 07:10–14:45, 19:40–00:00
⚠️ Groyne-safe tide height not measured yet — groynes may still be partly covered at this level. Log a report when the groyne tops are fully clear.
Built from on-the-beach reports logged by LKSA riders — more reports sharpen these. Tide-only; check wind & daylight too.
📏 Tide heights — next 7 days (chart datum at Dungeness)
| Sun 19 | HW 03:05 7.2m · LW 10:30 1.2m · HW 15:20 7.6m · LW 22:50 1.0m |
| Mon 20 | HW 03:50 7.0m · LW 11:05 1.5m · HW 16:05 7.3m · LW 23:25 1.4m |
| Tue 21 | HW 04:30 6.6m · LW 11:35 1.9m · HW 16:50 6.9m |
| Wed 22 | LW 00:05 1.8m · HW 05:20 6.3m · LW 12:15 2.3m · HW 17:40 6.4m |
| Thu 23 | LW 00:50 2.3m · HW 06:20 5.9m · LW 13:10 2.7m · HW 18:40 6.0m |
| Fri 24 | LW 01:50 2.6m · HW 07:30 5.8m · LW 14:20 2.8m · HW 19:55 5.9m |
Heights vs the measured beach/groyne line ≈5.23 m: green = below (kite window) · red = at/above (NO KITING)
🧭 Wind directions
Camber Sands faces ~SSE. Onshore ESE-through-SW; HARD NO around high water (sea wall). NE–N is offshore over the dunes.
green = works (brightest = side-on) · blue = cross-shore · orange = side-off / unproven (care) · red = offshore, never · grey = excluded locally
Next 7 days at Camber SandsBest of the week: Wed 22 Jul, ~15 kt around 12:00–15:00 BST (viable — a powered-down 12 m session). Also kiteable: Fri 24 Jul (~15 kt). AROME and UKV 2km agree (within ~2 kt) over the next 60 h — confidence good (lead model here: AROME (this spot sits close to France — locals rate it)).
Windguru forecast
7-day forecast
Wind scale:
<10
10–11
12–13
14–15
16–19
20–29
30+ kt ⚠
Multi-model composite: the first 60 hours come from AROME-FR 1.3km and UKV 2km (AROME first, UKV filling its gaps); beyond 60 h the best available of HARM-DK 2km → ICON 2.2km → Zephr-HD 2.6km → IFS-HRES 9km → GFS 13km extends the table to the end of day 7. Temperature blended from GFS. Tides from UKHO Admiralty (BST, 6-day window). Always verify on Windguru.
Sat 18 Jul
HW 02:25 7.5m LW 09:55 1.0m HW 14:35 7.8m LW 22:15 0.7m
Not kiteable today — wind from NNE. Peak 13 kt from NNE is cross-offshore (side-off) at Camber Sands. Working directions here: ESE / SE / SSE / S / SSW / SW ….
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
18:00
12 kt
21 kt
↓ NNE
—
21°C
19:00
10 kt
18 kt
↙ NE
—
21°C
20:00
13 kt
18 kt
↙ NNE
—
20°C
21:00
10 kt
18 kt
↙ NNE
—
19°C
Sun 19 Jul
HW 03:05 7.2m LW 10:30 1.2m HW 15:20 7.6m LW 22:50 1.0m
Not kiteable today — wind from N. Peak 14 kt from N is offshore (blows straight out to sea) at Camber Sands. Working directions here: ESE / SE / SSE / S / SSW / SW ….
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
06:00
9 kt
16 kt
↓ N
—
14°C
09:00
13 kt
21 kt
↓ N
36%
18°C
12:00
12 kt
21 kt
↓ N
59%
21°C
15:00
11 kt
20 kt
↙ NNE
40%
22°C
18:00
14 kt
22 kt
← ENE
11%
20°C
21:00
12 kt
19 kt
↙ NE
—
17°C
Mon 20 Jul
HW 03:50 7.0m LW 11:05 1.5m HW 16:05 7.3m LW 23:25 1.4m
Marginal — ~12 kt, big kites only. Peak ~12 kt E in the tide window. marginal — big kites (15 m+)/foils — most riders won't get planing; 15 m+/foil specialists only.
Best window detail — 08:04–14:04 BST (UKV 2km hourly)
Hourly UKV 2km wind for the 2-hour tide window (★) plus an hour either side, averaging ~9 kt in the low-tide window.
TimeWindGustDir
08:009 ktg13N
09:00 ★7 ktg11NNE
10:00 ★7 ktg10NNE
11:00 ★5 ktg8NNE
12:00 ★5 ktg8NNE
13:00 ★8 ktg11E
14:00 ★11 ktg14E
15:0010 ktg13E
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
06:00
8 kt
13 kt
↓ N
67%
13°C
09:00
10 kt
16 kt
↙ NNE
29%
19°C
12:00
12 kt
19 kt
← E
4%
22°C
15:00
14 kt
22 kt
← ENE
18%
22°C
18:00
15 kt
22 kt
← ENE
26%
20°C
21:00
9 kt
12 kt
↙ ENE
83%
18°C
Tue 21 Jul
HW 04:30 6.6m LW 11:35 1.9m HW 16:50 6.9m
Not kiteable today — wind from NNE. Peak 12 kt from NNE is cross-offshore (side-off) at Camber Sands. Working directions here: ESE / SE / SSE / S / SSW / SW ….
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
06:00
8 kt
14 kt
↓ N
49%
15°C
09:00
10 kt
17 kt
↙ NE
25%
19°C
12:00
9 kt
16 kt
↙ NNE
23%
21°C
15:00
9 kt
10 kt
↖ SE
26%
20°C
18:00
5 kt
6 kt
↑ S
28%
20°C
21:00
4 kt
6 kt
← ESE
34%
19°C
Wed 22 Jul
LW 00:05 1.8m HW 05:20 6.3m LW 12:15 2.3m HW 17:40 6.4m
Viable session — ~16 kt SW in the green window (13:00–15:00 BST). Working direction (SW) with ~16 kt for 3 h inside the tide window (09:15–15:15 BST around the low tide). viable — a powered-down 12 m session.
Best window detail — 09:17–15:17 BST (UKV 2km hourly)
Hourly UKV 2km wind for the 2-hour tide window (★) plus an hour either side, averaging ~13 kt in the low-tide window.
TimeWindGustDir
10:00 ★4 ktg6SSW
13:00 ★14 ktg19SSW
16:0016 ktg20SW
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
06:00
2 kt
3 kt
↘ NW
99%
14°C
09:00
7 kt
11 kt
↑ S
99%
18°C
12:00
15 kt
19 kt
↗ SSW
96%
18°C
15:00
15 kt
20 kt
↗ SW
100%
20°C
18:00
8 kt
14 kt
↗ WSW
99%
21°C
Thu 23 Jul
LW 00:50 2.3m HW 06:20 5.9m LW 13:10 2.7m HW 18:40 6.0m
Sub-kiteable — peak only 10 kt. Peak wind only 10 kt from NNE in the tide window. Below the kiteable threshold for almost every rider.
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
06:00
8 kt
17 kt
↓ N
51%
14°C
09:00
10 kt
15 kt
↓ NNE
57%
18°C
12:00
5 kt
12 kt
↙ NNE
35%
21°C
15:00
8 kt
10 kt
↑ S
27%
19°C
18:00
8 kt
7 kt
↗ SSW
8%
18°C
Fri 24 Jul
LW 01:50 2.6m HW 07:30 5.8m LW 14:20 2.8m HW 19:55 5.9m
OK session — ~19 kt SW in the green window (16:00–16:00 BST). Working direction (SW) with ~19 kt for 3 h inside the tide window (11:20–17:20 BST around the low tide). an OK session on a 12 m.
Time
Wind
Gust
Dir
Cloud
Temp
07:00
2 kt
5 kt
↗ SW
18%
17°C
10:00
4 kt
9 kt
↑ S
28%
21°C
13:00
9 kt
15 kt
↑ SSW
1%
21°C
16:00
19 kt
17 kt
↗ SW
33%
20°C
19:00
11 kt
16 kt
↗ SW
89%
22°C
Tide times: UKHO Admiralty predictions via Admiralty Tidal API. Times in BST, rounded to nearest 5 min. Wind & temperature: Windguru multi-model composite (AROME-FR + UKV 2km for the first 60 h, then ICON / Zephr-HD / IFS-HRES / GFS out to day 7). Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Important: Forecasts are model-derived and may change. Always verify on Windguru and check local tide tables before you go. LKSA accepts no liability for decisions made based on this forecast.