Wide sandy beach facing the Solent — famous for watersports, kitesurfing, and the birthplace of windsurfing.
West Beach is the main sandy beach on the western side of Hayling Island, stretching for several miles and overlooking the eastern end of the Solent. It is one of the most popular beaches on the Hampshire coast — wide, sandy, and with excellent conditions for watersports including kitesurfing, windsurfing, and paddleboarding.
The beach is backed by a long promenade with beach huts, a café, and parking. The water quality is generally good, and the beach has received Blue Flag status in recent years. The shallow shelving sand makes it suitable for families with young children at low tide, while the reliable south-westerly winds that funnel through the Solent make it world-class for wind-powered sports.
Hayling Island Sailing Club, one of the largest sailing clubs in the south of England, sits on the eastern side of the island facing across Chichester Harbour. It was at West Beach where Peter Chilvers is widely credited with inventing the windsurfer in 1958, as a child growing up on the island.
Access to West Beach is via Beach Road from Mengham or West Lane from Hayling Island town. There is paid parking in the beach car parks, which fill quickly during summer weekends and school holidays.