Image courtesy of Albert Torelló at Flickr.com
When you think about some of the best kitesurfing locations in North America you immediately think about South Florida, since it sets itself apart due to its warm water and consistent trade winds along 1350 miles of shoreline to choose from for year round riding. If you're looking for a relatively affordable kitesurfing destination, South Florida should be on your radar.
Florida is surrounded by the fast moving warm waters of the Gulfstream to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. The State is almost 450 miles long north to south, about 365 miles at the widest point tapering down to roughly 50 miles at the narrowest. Within the South Florida kiteboarding community, kitesurfers have the opportunity to choose from a variety of conditions in order to have an epic riding experience. From the Jupiter shorebreak to the beautiful flat waters of the Keys, your options are fairly wide.
In the Keys you can find 1,500 square miles of warm, shallow water where you can just take your pick of launch. Heading up the Gulf Coast will allow you to explore countless sandbars scattered among many lightly populated zones. You could hit stretches of coast that perhaps have never been kited before, just adding wind to your kitesurfing expedition.
When should you to go?
In South Florida, you can find stronger winds for kiteboarding between the months of October and May. From May to September thermal winds can motivate riders to go on a riding sessions in afternoons at times throughout Florida. The thermal winds can be a bit lighter in speed but frequently easy to ride all the same. Florida’s tropical-like systems can bring surfing conditions at times during the summer and fall but they can also frequently bring violent storms. Hurricane season runs from July to September - if you're looking for ideal storm riding conditions, South Florida can be one of the best places to catch giant swell and strong winds.
Where should you to go?
Florida is surrounded by the fast moving warm waters of the Gulfstream to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. The State is almost 450 miles long north to south, about 365 miles at the widest point tapering down to roughly 50 miles at the narrowest. Within the South Florida kiteboarding community, kitesurfers have the opportunity to choose from a variety of conditions in order to have an epic riding experience. From the Jupiter shorebreak to the beautiful flat waters of the Keys, your options are fairly wide.
In the Keys you can find 1,500 square miles of warm, shallow water where you can just take your pick of launch. Heading up the Gulf Coast will allow you to explore countless sandbars scattered among many lightly populated zones. You could hit stretches of coast that perhaps have never been kited before, just adding wind to your kitesurfing expedition.
When should you to go?
In South Florida, you can find stronger winds for kiteboarding between the months of October and May. From May to September thermal winds can motivate riders to go on a riding sessions in afternoons at times throughout Florida. The thermal winds can be a bit lighter in speed but frequently easy to ride all the same. Florida’s tropical-like systems can bring surfing conditions at times during the summer and fall but they can also frequently bring violent storms. Hurricane season runs from July to September - if you're looking for ideal storm riding conditions, South Florida can be one of the best places to catch giant swell and strong winds.
Where should you to go?
Image courtesy of bertknot at Flickr.com
Let’s take a tour around a few of the kitesurfing spots in South Florida:
Florida Panhandle
The area is famous for its huge white-sand beaches that can be crowded at times. The Panhandle has a variety of launches on the Gulf of Mexico to the south, with waves and calmer conditions on shallow water inside the barrier islands. It can be hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter with strong cold fronts.
Marco Island
This is a great kiteboarding spot for open water riding plus limited space within sheltered shallow calm water area. The first lagoon is a bird sanctuary so all local kiteboarders should not only respect this area but also protect it. You will need to take a long walk to the riding area, and since there are no trash cans, you should bring a plastic bag for your trash as well. This is an area for Intermediate to advanced riders.
Crandon Park
This spot offers a huge riding area full of shallow clear blue water with some exposed sandbars at low tide. The setup area can be small during high tide, but shallow water makes it a good spot to walk out a little way to launch. This area has rules and requires certification and personal insurance.
Matheson Hammock
It is among the top-rated flat-water spots along the Eastern U.S. seaboard, providing the ultimate mix of warm. It has mostly shallow water within a very small rocky beach launch with kiteboarding areas. This launch can get extremely crowded on weekends. Riding here is very regulated by the park.
Flats of Miami
Must be only reached by boat. You will find lots of open space, with mainly grass and sand flats and calm smooth water. Be careful navigating shallows and be careful of damaging grass beds within this Federal Monument. It is generally a bit windier than on the shore - a nice place to kite that takes you away from the crowds of beach goers. The water is smooth and the area is large making it perfect for beginners and everyone else.
Jupiter/Juno Kitebeach
The wind tends to be a bit stronger and more consistent than most other kitesurfing spots on the Southwest coast of Florida. The added bonus of being almost above the lateral line of the Bahamas helps increase swell size and consistency. Jupiter has some of the best wave-riding conditions you'll ever encounter. Kite beach in Jupiter, Florida is where the annual Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion takes. The waves can be powerful and the wind is mostly on-shore here. It is a great spot for beginners.
Anne’s Beach, Islamorada
Calm clear blue shallow water riding area. Some hard bottom and sand bars. Designated and well-regulated launch area, restrictions apply. You'll kiteboard in beautiful flat-water conditions throughout the keys. This one of a few natural beaches in the Keys. It is a good option for Beginner Kiteboarders.
Florida Panhandle
The area is famous for its huge white-sand beaches that can be crowded at times. The Panhandle has a variety of launches on the Gulf of Mexico to the south, with waves and calmer conditions on shallow water inside the barrier islands. It can be hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter with strong cold fronts.
Marco Island
This is a great kiteboarding spot for open water riding plus limited space within sheltered shallow calm water area. The first lagoon is a bird sanctuary so all local kiteboarders should not only respect this area but also protect it. You will need to take a long walk to the riding area, and since there are no trash cans, you should bring a plastic bag for your trash as well. This is an area for Intermediate to advanced riders.
Crandon Park
This spot offers a huge riding area full of shallow clear blue water with some exposed sandbars at low tide. The setup area can be small during high tide, but shallow water makes it a good spot to walk out a little way to launch. This area has rules and requires certification and personal insurance.
Matheson Hammock
It is among the top-rated flat-water spots along the Eastern U.S. seaboard, providing the ultimate mix of warm. It has mostly shallow water within a very small rocky beach launch with kiteboarding areas. This launch can get extremely crowded on weekends. Riding here is very regulated by the park.
Flats of Miami
Must be only reached by boat. You will find lots of open space, with mainly grass and sand flats and calm smooth water. Be careful navigating shallows and be careful of damaging grass beds within this Federal Monument. It is generally a bit windier than on the shore - a nice place to kite that takes you away from the crowds of beach goers. The water is smooth and the area is large making it perfect for beginners and everyone else.
Jupiter/Juno Kitebeach
The wind tends to be a bit stronger and more consistent than most other kitesurfing spots on the Southwest coast of Florida. The added bonus of being almost above the lateral line of the Bahamas helps increase swell size and consistency. Jupiter has some of the best wave-riding conditions you'll ever encounter. Kite beach in Jupiter, Florida is where the annual Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion takes. The waves can be powerful and the wind is mostly on-shore here. It is a great spot for beginners.
Anne’s Beach, Islamorada
Calm clear blue shallow water riding area. Some hard bottom and sand bars. Designated and well-regulated launch area, restrictions apply. You'll kiteboard in beautiful flat-water conditions throughout the keys. This one of a few natural beaches in the Keys. It is a good option for Beginner Kiteboarders.