Aries on the Bay / Virginia / United States

This spot is right on a sheltered part of the Chesapeake Bay and is a good place for people to learn or those with experience to practice. It is right next to a major city and as such all the facilities you would want are close by.

The beach is clean white sand, long and fairly wide with plenty of room for everybody.  It can get busy but not really crowded in summer, and this being a southern state temperatures reach the high 20s in midsummer and range between 15 and 20° C in fall and spring.

The best time to be here is between March and May or September to November when the winds are coming from the north-east or the east and can be anything from 10 to 35 knots.  Midsummer tends to have light winds that are not very consistent at all so this time is probably best avoided.  The water here will be either choppy or giving some small waves depending on how strong the wind is.

Parking is available on any of the nearby streets and none of them are more than a couple of minutes walk from the beach.  There aren't any public facilities on the beach itself but the town of Bayville is right behind it and for a big city feel the centre of Norfolk is only a few minutes drive away.

There are no hazards on the beach, but once you are on the water you will just have to keep an eye out for swimmers, especially during summer.