Everything you need to work out whether it's worth the drive — tide times, the webcam, wind, and what it all actually means once you're standing on the beach. We're on Beach Walk, so this is what we'd tell you if you rang.
Whitstable tide times today
Live times for Whitstable Approaches, the tidal station this stretch of coast is measured from. It covers Whitstable town beach, Tankerton Bay and Seasalter — the difference along the bay is a few minutes at most.
Want the week ahead? Full seven-day tide table for Whitstable Approaches.
Why the tide matters so much here. This is a very shallow, gently shelving bay at the mouth of the Thames Estuary. At low water the sea goes out a long, long way — several hundred metres in places — over a mix of shingle, sand, mud and oyster beds. A spot that's perfect three hours before high water can be bare mud at low tide. Check before you set off, not when you get here.
The two spits: where they actually are
Tankerton Bay has a shingle spit at each end, about a mile apart, and the place names along this stretch overlap enough that even Google's own map labels contradict each other. So here they are by position, which is how we'd point you if you asked in the shop.
- The Street, Whitstable — the long shingle spit running out from the western end of Tankerton Bay, opposite the beach huts. You'll see it listed under both Whitstable and Tankerton; locally it's just The Street and everyone knows where you mean.
- Long Rock, Tankerton — also called Tankerton Point. The other spit, about a mile east at the far end of Tankerton Bay, along from the skate park. Same tide window, completely different character.
The Street, Whitstable — when it works
The Street is covered at high water and emerges as the tide falls. It's the most-asked-about thing on this coast.
Think of it as a window, not a start time. The Street works either side of low water, and how wide that window opens depends on the size of the tide and which way the wind is blowing.
- Spring tide, cross-shore wind: open from about three hours after high water right through to three hours before the next high. That's a solid six-hour window.
- Neap tide, or the wind a little onshore: it tightens to roughly three and a half hours either side — you lose about an hour off the day.
- Either way, the sweet spot is around five hours after high water, when most of the spit is exposed and the water sitting behind it goes properly flat.
Take the high tide time from the table above and count forward from there.
Why springs beat neaps. Same clock, very different amount of beach. On a spring tide — the bigger tides around the new and full moon — the water goes out a good deal further, so more of The Street is exposed and it works properly. That's the day you want. On a neap tide, around the half moon, the water neither comes in as far nor goes out as far, so you see less of the spit and get a shorter window out of it.
The wind moves the water too. A northerly here is onshore, and it pushes water into the bay and holds it there — so on a northerly you'll get less exposure than the tide table on its own suggests, and the window shuts earlier at both ends. A cross-shore wind lets the water drain away properly and you get the full six hours.
So the perfect day here is a north-easterly or a westerly on a spring tide. Get those lining up and The Street is as good as this coast gets.
Long Rock, Tankerton (Tankerton Point)
A mile east, at the far end of Tankerton Bay. It runs on the same tide window as The Street — roughly three hours after high water through to three hours before the next high on a spring with a cross-shore wind, tighter on a neap or a northerly — but it behaves completely differently.
At mid to low tide in a decent breeze the Point throws up small, clean lines of waves. At high water it flips: you get protected water tucked in the pocket behind the shingle, which is the window for anything on a foil.
One warning: at low water the Point is covered in sharp shells. Launch from the beach behind the skate park and walk out — the pebbles there are round and kind to kit, and it's easier as well as safer.
The full spot-by-spot version, with the wind directions that work at each, is in our Whitstable kitesurfing and wing foiling guide.
Walking out on The Street
Same tide, but a word of warning if you're walking rather than riding. The Street is a spit, with water on both sides. The tide doesn't come back at you from one direction — it comes in around you from either side, and the shallow ground behind you floods first. People get cut off on it every single year.
Walk out on a falling tide, keep an eye on the water either side of you, and turn round well before it turns rather than pushing your luck on the way back. Remember the window closes about three hours before the next high water, and sooner on a neap or a northerly. Check the tide table above before you set off — and if you're taking children or a dog out there, give yourself twice the margin you think you need.
Live Whitstable webcam
We used to run a beach webcam. We lost the venue it was mounted at, and it isn't coming back any time soon — sorry, we know a lot of people used it and we still get asked most weeks.
The one to use now is Whitstable Yacht Club's. They're just along the seafront from us and their page carries the live camera, current wind and weather readings and the tides all in one place — honestly a better setup than ours ever was:
▶ Whitstable Yacht Club — live webcam, weather and tides
For a wider view of the coast, meteoblue carries cameras for Seasalter, Herne Bay and Sheerness: meteoblue webcams around Whitstable.
Wind forecast
▶ Windy.com — Whitstable. It's what most of the locals actually use. Look at wind direction as much as strength; on this coast direction decides everything.
It depends what you're going out on
There isn't one right answer to "is it good today?" — it depends entirely on your kit, which way the wind is blowing and where you are along the bay.
- Paddleboarding, swimming, kayaking: you want light wind. Read the safety note below first — it's the important bit.
- Kitesurfing, wing foiling, kite foiling: see our Whitstable riding guide, which goes through it spot by spot with the wind directions that work at each.
- Windsurfing and sailing: different again — give us a ring and we'll tell you honestly.
The safety bit — offshore wind
A southerly here blows off the land and out to sea. This is the single most important thing to understand about this coast, and it matters differently depending on what you're on.
On a paddleboard, in a kayak or swimming: an offshore wind is genuinely dangerous. It'll feel calm and inviting by the beach and then push you steadily out, and paddling back against it is far harder than it looks. If the wind is coming off the land, don't go out.
On a wing: manageable — worst case you can paddle a wing board back in.
On a kite: a different calculation. Have a problem in an offshore wind and you're heading out to sea, not back to the beach. Experienced riders get great sessions out of it. If you're not experienced, save your southerly days for the south coast where the same wind is onshore.
One other local hazard worth knowing: there are oyster racks east of Whitstable harbour that you can hit at anything below high water.
Or just ring us
We're on Beach Walk, right by the water, and we can see it out of the window. Tell us what you're planning to go out on and we'll tell you straight whether it's worth the drive. 01227 276566. We'd rather you had a good day than sold you something.
Open Monday to Saturday 09:30–17:00, and Sunday 10:00–13:00 through the summer.
If you do come down and something's split, torn or seized up, we keep kite and wing repair gear in stock, along with wetsuits, boots, gloves and changing robes for when you get out. Fancy making the most of a flat, light-wind day? Have a look at our paddle boards — we've written up why we stock Sandbanks if you want the honest version.
FAQ
What time is high tide at Whitstable today?
Today's high and low water times for Whitstable Approaches are in the live table at the top of this page, updated daily. Whitstable Approaches is the tidal station used for the whole bay, so the same times apply to Whitstable town beach, Tankerton Bay and Seasalter to within a few minutes.
Where is The Street at Whitstable, and where is Long Rock?
They're two separate shingle spits at opposite ends of Tankerton Bay, about a mile apart. The Street runs out from the western end of the bay, opposite the beach huts, and is usually listed under Whitstable although you'll also see it filed under Tankerton. Long Rock — also called Tankerton Point — is at the eastern end, along from the skate park. The place names along this stretch overlap, so it's easier to go by position than by town.
What tide does The Street at Whitstable work on?
The Street works either side of low water, so it's a window rather than a start time. On a spring tide with a cross-shore wind it's open from about three hours after high water right through to three hours before the next high — around six hours. On a neap tide, or with the wind a little onshore, it tightens to roughly three and a half hours either side. It's at its best around five hours after high water, when most of the spit is exposed and the water behind it goes flat. A northerly is onshore here and holds water in the bay, so the ideal day is a north-easterly or a westerly on a spring tide. Long Rock at the other end of the bay runs on the same window.
When can you walk out on The Street?
The Street is covered at high water and emerges as the tide falls, so it's walkable from roughly three hours after high water until about three hours before the next high, and most exposed around five hours after. That window is shorter on a neap tide or a northerly wind. Because it's a spit with water on both sides, the tide floods in around you rather than back at you from one direction, and people are cut off on it every year. Walk out on a falling tide, watch the water on both sides, and head back well before it turns.
Is there a Whitstable beach webcam?
Yes — Whitstable Yacht Club runs a live webcam on the seafront, alongside current weather readings and tide times. Board-Worx used to run its own beach webcam but lost the venue it was mounted at, and it is not currently expected to return.
Is it safe to paddleboard at Whitstable?
On a light-wind day, yes — it's a shallow, gently shelving beach. The thing to watch is wind direction: a southerly here blows off the land and out to sea, and on a paddleboard that is genuinely dangerous. It will feel calm at the beach and then push you out, and paddling back against it is much harder than it looks. If the wind is coming off the land, don't go out.
How do I find out if conditions are good at Whitstable today?
Check the tide times above, look at the Whitstable Yacht Club webcam and weather readings, and check wind speed and direction on Windy. If you want a straight answer for what you're actually planning to do, ring Board-Worx on 01227 276566 — we're on Beach Walk and we can see the water.