Balnarring is located on Western Port Bay on the Mornington Peninsula approximately 85km (1 hour drive) from Melbourne.

This spot works in S, SE, SW and W with clean wind across a large fetch of water. The sailing is on a wide open cove of flat water and  can be super flat in a low tide and SW breeze.

At the western end of the bay there is a big reef with smooth water inside the reef whilst at the eastern end there are a number of moorings for various fishing boats and the yacht club.

Due to the relatively protected and shallow water it is a fabulous spot for first-timers and people progressing.

The curved bay allows for a number of launching attempts before you run out of room where you can just walk back up the beach.  If you bail or self rescue you should easily be able to get back to the beach.

This spot really is a great alternative to West St Kilda Beach if you want to get away from the crowds.

Access & Launching

There is parking behind the Westernport Yacht Club and sandy trails either side of the club perimeter. The walk to the beach is about 150 metres.

Parks Victoria have identified a ‘Shared Windsports Zone’ to the East (left) of the Westernport Yacht Club. The zone is marked with yellow buoys. They ask all Kiteboarders to rig and launch to the East (left) of the Yacht Club and abide by maritime law that includes: vessels may not travel at more than 5 knots within 50m of a swimmer or mooring or within 200m of shore (except within the Shared Windsports Zone).

Please respect these rules to ensure kiteboarding can continue at Balnarring.

Hazards

Be aware of rocky reef each end of the beach lurking just below the surface. Also don’t sail too close to the moorings particularly if you are on a foil. Be aware of other sailing craft in the area.

Nearby Services

There is a BBQ area and public toilets next to the main beach car park. Balnarring village is just a couple of kilometres away and has a great bakery and some other takeaway shops.

Other Info

Unfortunately the beach here is not dog friendly so if your pooch usually comes with you this spot may not be suitable.