Flat to choppy water. Tidal beach, so water will be shallow depending on tides. Lots of sandbars creating nice flat water. Look out for currents in the bay channel. St Andrews does get waves and swell too. It needs a low pressure off in the East for a while but it does get swell from time to time (3-5 ft). Waves are ok, but never clean enough for proper surfing (head down to the harbor beach for this).
Long sandy beach all the way along the St. Andrews golf course. Lots of space. Can be dangerously busy in high summer though, so please be careful launching and landing kites. Huge at low tide. Fine, hard packed sand. Few obstacles. Perfect. Also, a large grass area for parking and sand-free pumping and pack-up. Consequently, West Sands has a substantial kitelandboarding and buggying community.
Best in North winds, but many directions work on the north end of the beach, since it is a tip into the St. Andrews Bay. St Andrews can benefit from an onshore sea breeze effect on warmer summers days as it sticks out into the North Sea with water on three sides. Can be excellent but prevailing winds are often offshore. St Andrews is best in anything from a Northeasterly to a Southeasterly. When it blows onshore, or sideonshore, it blows well and clean. If it is blowing offshore, we all pack up and drive twenty minutes South to Shell Bay, near Elie, where the wind is onshore.
From Edinburgh up north on M90, then Northeast on A92 and A91 towards St. Andrews. Follow signs to the golf course and get to the ocean road (West Sands Road) and drive up north to the end. Drive all the way down the beach road and park on the grassy area at the end. Parking charge in summer (1GBP). There is also a bus station in the town itself.
Stay out of the river estuary and lagoon at the North end of the beach even though it looks butter flat and tempting to kitesurfers. Flying here puts you in the landing line for Leuchars Airforce Base and also in the firing line from the Nature Reserve folks (the lagoon area is a bird sanctuary). Don't fly in these areas or we risk loosing the use of the beach for all kite use (and you just may get taken out by a Tornado jet! There is a well established, very large 'Kite Zone' at the far North end of West Sands defined by two flags, outside of which you cannot kitesurf.
08-08-20 Unknown: NE 20mph + gives you world class conditions and if you catch the tide right you can get perfect shollow flat spots at the mouth of the esturay. This does not happen often at all.
06-03-26 Tim: Can be excellent but prevailing winds are often offshore. Waves are ok, but never clean enough for propper surfing (head down to the harbour beach for this). Popular spot and friendly locals. Drive all the way down the beach road and park on the grassy area at the end. Parking charge in summer (1GBP).
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