Continent |
Europe |
Country |
Scotland (UK) |
Next Big City |
Edinburgh |
Next Town |
Elie |
|
Type: |
Ocean |
Rider Ability: |
Beginner, Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Toilet |
Water
Type: |
Shallow, Flat, Chop |
Hazards: |
No information |
Quality: |
Dirty |
Best Tide: |
Coming tide, Falling tide |
Stinking piles of seaweed which seem to use this beach as their last meeting point, waist high chop and the rumored nearby raw sewage outlet which means you can find yourself sailing by the occasional used sanitary product. Best sailed an hour either side of high tide due to aforementioned launching issues, due to the ever shifting sands Largo Bay presents all sorts of conditions, from flat water lagoons for those lovely speed runs to waist high chop/waves to use as ramps or even begin your wave riding career.
Beach
Type: |
Sand |
Size: |
Tidal |
Hazards: |
None |
Beach Users: |
None |
Sand for miles, a bit of shell on the high tide mark, hence the name. No real launch space at high tide.
Weather
Spring:
|
Normal |
Summer:
|
Shorty, Normal |
Fall:
|
Normal |
Winter:
|
Thick |
Wetsuit all year round, winter is for the brave but is sailed all year.
Wind
Best Months: |
March, April, May, September, October, November |
Wind Type: |
Frontal |
Best Direction: |
SW |
Main Direction: |
SW |
Mainly SW winds. The beach can be sailed from West to Southeast winds but SW is best.
How to get there
Transport |
Car |
Access
|
Medium walk |
Car only. From Edinburgh airport head over the Forth Road Bridge then take the Kirkcaldy Road until the end, right at large round about, left at the next and left at the next now going along the coast road to Leven and upper Largo. Through both villages until a left hand turn to Elie. Approx. 2 miles along you will see the sign Shell Bay caravan park on left. Turn left and go all the way through the park until you see the kites. Actually it is the bay beyond Shell Bay. Arriving through the Shell Bay Caravan park (hence the confusion over the actual name of the bay) please make your way to the park reception and ask for a day pass, these cost £1 and permit you to use the toilets and other campsite facilities. Then make your way to the furthest point of the caravan park from reception where you will see a gap in the trees. Park and change here before making your way through the gap and into Largo Bay itself.
Extra information
1£ to the park for all day visitors. If the wind is from the north go to St Andrews, about 20 min away up north, so you can get sailing in any wind and get some waves. Not the most pleasant of places due to build up of stinking kelp on the shore and a nearby sewer outfall. The local riders are all really friendly and make sure everyone is made to feel welcome.
Nightlife
Ship Inn in Elie. Great pub with food and drink.