Walney Island, Earnse Bay

This long island off Barrow-in-Furness boasts two spots: 'Earnse Bay’ in the north and 'South End’ further down. Both are very gently shelving sandy beaches that sit fully exposed to the Irish Sea, yet although the tidal range is quite large, the currents aren't so bad. The few hours around mid-tide are best, in anything from south to north-westerly winds. Both spots only see windswell, better suited to jumping than riding, but it can get big in strong southerly or north-westerly winds. The waves are steeper and break closer to shore at South End, but Earnse is the more attractive beach and offers a large grass area for rigging. If no-one's windsurfing here, the locals are probably on Roa Island.