Calshot Windsurfing Club is the premier members-only club at Calshot Spit. At high tide, the lagoon is great for beginners & improvers & is a great place for kitesurfing, SUP & kayaking so why not pop along and give us a try!
Calshot Windsurfing Club was founded in the pioneering days of 1980, to open up the wonderful facilities of Calshot Activities Centre and give access to the water all around this amazing location, at a time when the site was not open to the public nearly as much as today!
In the intervening years as part of Calshot Association, we have been a significant factor in not just expanding the Centre’s activities and availability to a much wider variety of day users and members, but like so many other groups on the site, campaigned hard for the Centre’s very existence in the dark days of the early ‘90s, when closure looked very likely. As part of this, the Windsurfing Club has become so much more than when originally started by those of us smitten by the great invention of Windsurfing in 1976!
Don’t forget, the club offers more than just windsurfing. You can also learn kayaking, kitesurfing and stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). Fun as well as serious pursuits for all the family.
The area of water around Calshot on the Southampton side and the Solent is in the main, very shallow, so the sensible larger craft stay away! The Solent’s double high tide works wonderfully well in the large lagoon to the NW (Southampton side) often resulting in 4 to 5 hours of very safe and sheltered water, as well as ‘flat water blasting’ with the best winds from the NE through N to SW, but when the tide is going out (ebbing), it has to do so in 30% to 50% the time it took to come in, so be prepared for this much stronger flow than when its coming in (flooding), especially around the Pier and the Castle areas of the site!
Fortunately, for those wanting shallow water, the Solent side is accessible within half an hour or less after the lagoon becomes too shallow, offering standing depth water over a huge area of sand and shingle, for again 4 or 5 hours – this side favours wind from the SW through South to NE and is also fantastic for the more experienced at high water as well, with the added benefit of the lovely backdrop of the Isle of Wight.
Other benefits include a dedicated launch area for kites, car parking (often right next to the beach) and hot showers, toilets & changing facilities as well as cold water shower/kit wash on the beach outside 24-7 Boardsports.
Calshot Activities Centre has a Café Bar where you can enjoy a wide range of meals or a light snack. Alternatively, just drink in the fabulous view while sipping a soft drink, a cup of tea or coffee or enjoying a glass of wine.
24-7 Boardsports offers 10% off equipment hire, special rates for SUP Tuition and Windsurf Coaching through Jon, as well as ‘in shop’ promotions from time to time (look out for these). Calshot Activities Centre offer special rates for many activities and much, more.
Feel free to look around the site and chat to Jon, or pop into 24-7 Boardsports to see if this could be the club for you. Don’t forget, the club offers more than just Windsurfing, and if you are not already doing one of these great sports, 24-7 Boardsports is the Spring/Summer/Autumn base for a great Kite School called Nomadic Kitesurf, are the original South Coast SUP School (set up in 2006!) with teaching shared between Nomadic/24-7 Boardsports, and have been coaching Windsurfing since almost the very beginning of the sport!
Calshot Activities Centre offer Canoe/Kayak Courses as well as a full range of RYA courses, inc. Sailing, Windsurfing, etc., as well as a huge selection of other activities to engage the whole family.
If you have a youngster keen to Windsurf there is also a great Junior club (The Calshot Flyers) on site which is separate, but affiliated to the Calshot Windsurfing Club
Membership runs from 1st April each year until 31st March the following year.
It is also a good idea to purchase an annual parking permit from the Activities Centre if you come to the site regularly. Boat and windsurf storage facilities, including year-round launching, use of wash-off point and showers and toilets can be purchased from Calshot Activities Centre.
Your privacy is protected by law and Calshot Windsurfing Club respects and adheres to that requirement as set out in our Data Privacy Policy below.
Windsurf Club Data Privacy Policy.pdf.
All members who wish to kitesurf must register for a Kitesurf Assess Pass at Calshot Activities Centre for themselves and participating family members, covered by their club membership.
The Access Pass is critical to ensure that kitesurfing can continue at Calshot safely. Once registered, an Access Pass Tag will be provided which MUST be attached to harnesses.
As with most clubs, the Calshot Windsurfing Club has rules that apply to everyone without exception. Please click on the rules below, read them carefully and contact the Club Representative if you have a query.
Calshot Activities Centre Marine Rules
For information contact:
Club Representative: Jon Popkiss
Telephone: 24-7 Boardsports on 02380 894000
Email: naishuk2@aol.com
Website: www.24-7boardsports.com
Joining the Club is an online process but further information and advice can be given by the club representative.
Club membership is only £12.50 per year. One Windsurfing Club Membership fee covers spouse/partner & children under the age of 18 years and will auto-renew annually unless you cancel.
You can Windsurf, SUP, Canoe or Kayak on a park-and-pay basis. I look forward to meeting and chatting with you so please join us at the Calshot Windsurfing Club.
