Hayling Tidal Heights

Go to UKHO Easytide for the tidal graphs for the next 7 days for Chichester Harbour.

The best tidal condition for Hayling is low water to mid water. Avoid high water and from 1 hour either side. Spring tides are preferable as more sandbar is exposed and the flat water lasts for longer before the sandbar is covered and the chop appears.

Hayling Tidal Streams

Tidal streams at Hayling can catch you out. See the Kitesurfing Area Map of West Beach for the diagram of the main tidal streams to be aware of. The near lagoon appears relatively benign however there are strong tidal streams running across the front of the beach on both incoming and outgoing tides. There are also very strong tidal streams running North/South along the West of the sandbar. Both these tidal streams are generated by the water moving in and out of Langstone Harbour.

Hayling Spring Tides

The tidal curve picture (top) depicts a typical spring tide.

At Hayling during low water springs there is a lot of sandbar exposed and therefore very little water in the near lagoon. It can become very congested. It will also be very shallow, so beware.

Due to some astronomical quirk, whenever the high water at Portsmouth is at midday (or thereabouts) it will be a Spring tide. Likewise, whenever low water Portsmouth is at midday it will be a Neap tide. This means that at Hayling during springs the best sessions are early morning and in the evening when it is low water. This is fantastic in the summer when the days are long but not so good in the winter when it is too dark to ride.

Hayling Neap Tides

The picture (bottom) displays a typical neap tide at Hayling. This is the opposite of a spring. The near lagoon retains plenty of water and the tidal streams are not as strong as springs.

If low water Portsmouth is around midday, it will be a neap tide. The flat water doesn't last as long as springs, due to the sandbar being exposed much less and for a shorter period.