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Lake Union kitesurf and wingfoil spot
United States · Washington
Overview
Lake Union is a kitesurfing spot on Lake Union, in the heart of downtown Seattle, Washington. This iconic urban lake is famous for its houseboats, Kenmore Air seaplanes, and its view of the Space Needle. The lake connects to Lake Washington via the Ship Canal and to Puget Sound via the Ballard Locks. Despite its modest size, the lake offers kitesurfing conditions with southerly thermal winds in summer. It is a unique spot with a spectacular urban setting.
Spot forecast for Lake Union
Sunrise 07:36 · Sunset 18:12
Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo
Lake Union: when to go?
Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)
98h
in March · 13 rideable days
The season runs from March to May, peaking in March: 11 rideable days a month and 98 hours of usable wind, at 15 °C. The low point is July, at 2 days.
Rideable days per month
Wind strength when it is rideable
When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 87% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 7 °C. The wettest month is November, with 133 mm.
Monthly averages: Lake Union
| Month | Rideable days | Usable wind | Temperature | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.0 | 33 h | 7 °C | 84 mm |
| February | 6.0 | 50 h | 8 °C | 67 mm |
| March | 13.0 | 98 h | 11 °C | 54 mm |
| April | 8.5 | 60 h | 15 °C | 33 mm |
| May | 10.5 | 83 h | 18 °C | 24 mm |
| June | 6.0 | 56 h | 21 °C | 23 mm |
| July | 2.0 | 17 h | 26 °C | 4 mm |
| August | 6.5 | 42 h | 24 °C | 21 mm |
| September | 2.0 | 8 h | 21 °C | 21 mm |
| October | 8.0 | 54 h | 14 °C | 56 mm |
| November | 6.5 | 43 h | 10 °C | 133 mm |
| December | 13.0 | 89 h | 9 °C | 130 mm |
Photo gallery of Lake Union
Ridden here? One photo or video, and the spot comes alive for everyone discovering it.
Technical details of Lake Union spot
The spot works with winds from SSE, S, SSW, SW.
Spot opening date · Required level
- Spot opening date
- Open all year round
- Required level
- Intermediate
On the water
Fresh water from Lake Union, temperate in summer (16-22°C). Shorty or 3/2 wetsuit in summer, 4/3 in spring and fall. Flat and small waterway, ideal for freestyle. Muddy bottom. Southerly thermal winds at 10-18 knots in summer. The lake is small (0.7 km²), riding space is very limited and shared with many other users.
Hazards
Extremely dense boat traffic: seaplanes (takeoff and landing), recreational boats, sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards, tour boats. Kenmore Air seaplane landing paths are a deadly hazard: absolutely avoid them. Very limited riding space on this small urban lake. Houseboats and docks along the shores. Regulated zones to respect. Winds sometimes irregular and gusty in Seattle's urban environment.
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Live
EW8046 Seattle8.1 kmsource noaa
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Live readings from EW8046 Seattle weather station are reserved for Premium members.
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Additional stations
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SEATTLE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE8.1 km
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source noaa
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GW1230 SEATTLE1.9 km
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source noaa
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Webcams near Lake Union
Webcams provided by Windy.com
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