Swimming, Sailing etc

Swimming

A popular swimming beach but care is needed as it gently shelves with a strong tide which, from about two hours before until three hours after high water, flows to the west. There are no beach life guards but GAFIRS have a lifeboat station at the east end of the beach.

https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-west-england/hampshire/stokes-bay.htm

Sailing

Stokes Bay Sailing Club offers something for all watersport lovers. Apart from dinghy and catamaran sailing and racing, their members include windsurfers, wing-foilers, swimmers, paddleboarders and kayakers. They also offer boat storage

For more information, visit their website Stokes Bay Sailing Club where there is a live webcam.

SUPs, Kayaking and Windsurfing

The bay is very popular with stand up paddleboarders, kayakers and windurfers but it is worth noting that the tides moves west from about two hours before until three hours after high water, moving east the rest of the time.

Stoked Watersports offering paddleboard hire and other activities:

Paddleboard hire – Stoked Watersports Hire

Slipways

No 2 Battery West Car Park Slipway has a public slipway suitable for windsurfers, kayaks and small sailing dinghies. Pebble Beach Car Park has a public slipway in front of the sailing club suitable for sailing dinghies with hand trolleys only; powered craft are not permitted. Gilkicker Car Park Slipway is a public slipway suitable for motor and sailing boats requiring launching with a car; the west side being reserved for GAFIRS.

Jetskis and Water skis are not permitted to use any of the Stokes Bay slipways

Water Quality

The most recent classification of water quality is Good based on samples taken from 2022 through to 2025.

https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/profile.html?_search=gosport&site=ukj3305-16700

However, after periods of heavy rain, the quality can change for short periods with the notifications from Southern Water to be found at: Rivers and Seas Watch