Cardigan Bay Watersports opened on 1st July 2003 as a community development project of New Quay’s development company, Cei Dev Ltd. Start-up funds were provided from the EU Objective 1 initiative with a grant from Sport Lot to pay for the building, boats, equipment and to pump-prime the enterprise for three years.
Ceredigion County Council provided the site for the Centre and boat compound. CBW became a Registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee in 2006, taking over the running and management independent of Cei Dev in April 2007.
New Quay’s sheltered water is a natural home for water based activities. The Centre provides high quality experiences and a good range of up to date equipment. The Centre has developed a range of activities and training programmes to meet the needs of a wide variety of users, including schools, clubs, businesses and a range of residents and visitors to the area.
Initial offerings were sailing and kayaking. Later windsurfing, keelboat sailing and powerboat training were added to the portfolio. Paddleboards were first offered in 2012 as were paddleboard lessons and paddle-aerobics classes. In 2015 we added high-energy activities: wakeboarding, water-skiing and catamaran sailing.
In 2022 the exciting new sport of wingsurfing was added, and we continue to keep a close eye on watersports developments in order to offer the latest.
The Centre has been fortunate in attracting grants and donations from the following:
Welsh European Funding Office, SportsLot, Sport Wales / Sports Match Cymru, Welsh Assembly Government, Ceredigion Community Chest, Ceredigion Community Grant Scheme, Ceredigion Social Enterprise Growth Fund, South West Wales Local Investment Fund, NatWest Community Force, Pentwyn Trust, VCT Charitable Trust, Reardon Smith Charitable Trust, Maureen Lilian Trust, Gwalch Glas Trust, The Whirlwind Trust, The Sir John Fisher Foundation, RL Wales Limited, Innovis Limited, Pugh Computers Limited, Coastal Communities Fund, Sported.
Cardigan Bay Watersports has become an established member of the watersports scene in Wales. It has a continuing collaboration with New Quay Yacht Club and provides training opportunities for nearby clubs such as Tresaith Mariners and Aberystwyth University sailing club. It became an early provider of the RYA On-Board sailing development scheme in Wales and has a strong relationship with RYA Cymru.
The current management team has a strong vision for the expansion and development of watersports in New Quay, thereby continuing to contribute to the social and economic well-being of the area and providing first-class recreational facilities in the wonderful environment that is Cardigan Bay.