The St Lucia boat launch sits at the mouth of the St Lucia estuary on the KwaZulu-Natal coast and is considered one of the more challenging beach launch sites in the region, though statistically it sees fewer capsizes than nearby Cape Vidal or Sodwana Bay.

There is no fixed launch point. The active site shifts depending on tidal conditions and the state of the estuary mouth, with boats typically pushed into the estuary channel before crossing the sandbar to open water.

Launching at low tide is inadvisable due to insufficient depth over the sandbar and strong seaward suction. Alternative launch positions include just north of the mouth toward Ingwe Beach, depending on current conditions.