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United States: characteristic landscape
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kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spots in United States

In the United States, riding changes continent from one coast to the other. A river between two mountain ranges, a strait beneath the Golden Gate, tropical islands, warm lagoons where you can stand miles from shore: every region is a trip in its own right.

1,541 spots listed, across 53 regions. Rideable days are computed from two full years of readings (2024 and 2025), spot by spot.

United States: an overview

A land of wide open spaces, on the water too

The United States is not one board sports country but several. Modern windsurfing was largely invented between California and Hawaii, and Maui is where wave sailing found its testing ground. Kiting, then wing foiling, followed the same path, carried by an industry and an action-sports culture that set the tone everywhere else.

Riding here is very spread out. Riders often live far from the best spots, and many plan their seasons like expeditions: summer in the Columbia Gorge or the California Delta, winter in Florida or Texas, a trip to Hawaii when they can. It is a very mobile community, used to long drives and converted vans.

Conditions you find nowhere else

What sets the country apart is a handful of unique geographic phenomena. In the Columbia River Gorge, the river flows one way while the wind blows the other, funnelled between two mountain ranges: you ride a river like a sea. In the San Francisco Delta, heat in the Central Valley pulls ocean air inland all afternoon. In Texas and North Carolina, vast shallow lagoons stretch behind the sand barriers.

Rules decided spot by spot

Many spots sit inside national parks, state parks or areas close to airports. Each has its own rules: launch zones, hours, entrance fees, wildlife restrictions. Nothing off-putting, but one constant: check locally before you rig.

The best regions

The Columbia River Gorge (Oregon and Washington)

The legendary summer destination. A wide river, cliffs, Mount Hood in the background and a small town devoted entirely to wind sports. Powerful, busy, unique.

San Francisco Bay and the Delta

Sessions beneath the Golden Gate in cold, powerful current, and further inland the winding Delta, where the thermal wind is remarkably reliable. Two worlds an hour's drive apart.

The California coast

Waves, cold water, cliffs and Highway 1. A coast for experienced riders only, spectacular and wild, from Santa Cruz to the south of the state.

Hawaii

Trade winds, reefs, warm water and a special place in board sports history. Maui remains a must, as much for the riding as for the pilgrimage.

The Outer Banks (North Carolina)

A chain of sand islands more than a hundred kilometres long, with the Atlantic on one side and vast flat lagoons on the other. The East Coast benchmark.

The Texas Gulf Coast

The Laguna Madre, a warm, shallow lagoon sheltered by barrier islands. You ride flat water for miles, for much of the year.

Florida

Turquoise water, winter trade winds and a holiday feel. Spots stretch from Miami to the Keys and along the Atlantic coast.

The Pacific Northwest

Around Seattle, Puget Sound offers summer sessions against a backdrop of forests and snow-capped mountains. A very active local scene, still little known outside the region.

By region

The spots not to miss

  • Hood River – Event Site (Oregon)

    Oregon

    The epicentre of riding in the Columbia Gorge. A lawn facing the river, dozens of sails and kites, and a current flowing downstream while the wind blows upstream. Very busy, very technical, unforgettable.

  • Sherman Island (California)

    California

    In the heart of the Sacramento Delta, a low-lying island among reeds and power lines. People come for the reliability of the summer thermal. Deep water, current, and a Californian base-camp atmosphere.

  • Crissy Field, San Francisco

    Californie

    Riding in front of the Golden Gate, in one of the most photographed bays in the world. Fierce current, cold water, shipping traffic: a spot for experienced riders, rewarded with unmatched scenery.

  • Waddell Creek (California)

    Californie

    A beach beside Highway 1, between Santa Cruz and the Big Sur cliffs. Powerful waves, cold water, a wild coastline: a demanding wave spot, and one of the most beautiful on the West Coast.

  • Kanaha, Maui (Hawaii)

    Hawaï

    Maui's kite beach, powered by the trade winds on the north shore. Reef, warm water, sea turtles, and strict rules due to the nearby Kahului airport. A place steeped in board sports history.

  • Canadian Hole, Hatteras (North Carolina)

    Caroline du Nord

    A name left over from the days when Canadian windsurfers came down in droves. A huge, shallow lagoon facing the sunset: one of the most famous flat-water playgrounds in North America.

  • Bird Island Basin, Padre Island (Texas)

    Texas

    Inside a national seashore, a cove of the Laguna Madre where you can stand almost everywhere. Warm, flat water and endless space: a rare spot for progression and speed in the US.

  • South Flats, South Padre Island (Texas)

    Texas

    Shallows as far as the eye can see on the lagoon side, a stone's throw from a lively beach town. Warm, flat water, ideal for learning or stringing tricks together.

  • Crandon Park, Key Biscayne (Florida)

    Florida

    The Miami skyline on one side, turquoise water on the other. Winter trade winds bring easy sessions in a tropical postcard setting.

  • Jupiter Inlet (Florida)

    Florida

    A passage between the Atlantic and the lagoon, between waves and currents. A more technical spot, favoured by riders looking for some swell on Florida's Atlantic coast.

  • Jetty Island (Washington)

    Washington

    A sand island off Everett in Puget Sound, reached by boat. At low tide, a shallow lagoon forms on the landward side: a very local summer spot, with distant mountains as a backdrop.

When to ride

2024-2025 average
Rideable days per month, averaged over the 2024-2025 readings, spot by spot. Regions are ordered by number of spots; the grey figure is that count. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Region J F M A M J J A S O N D
Florida 132 19 22 26 28 29 26 26 24 21 23 20 19
Texas 98 26 26 29 29 29 28 29 27 25 26 26 25
Michigan 95 26 23 27 27 26 25 23 24 20 26 24 27
Washington 92 8 9 14 14 16 14 14 13 10 12 10 11
Massachusetts 76 20 21 25 26 28 26 27 26 23 24 21 20
Oregon 71 12 12 19 22 24 23 25 19 18 15 12 13
California 68 11 15 22 21 23 22 21 21 20 16 11 7
Hawaii 64 8 11 17 13 16 18 19 19 17 17 17 10

The windiest spots

2024-2025 average
Spot Region Rideable days
Outlaw Flats Texas 364 d/yr
Cuttyhunk Harbor Massachusetts 363 d/yr
South Flats / South Padre Island Texas 363 d/yr
25th Street / Long Beach Island New Jersey 362 d/yr
End of the Road Texas 362 d/yr
Lavallette Bayside New Jersey 362 d/yr
North Flats Texas 362 d/yr
North Flats / South Padre Island Texas 362 d/yr
Seaside Park Bayside New Jersey 362 d/yr
Dolphin Cove / South Padre Island Texas 361 d/yr

Average rideable days per year, computed from 2024-2025 readings. A day counts as rideable when it has at least two consecutive hours of wind at 7 knots or more, blowing from a direction that works for the spot.

Good to know

  • Parks and access fees: many spots lie inside national or state parks, with entrance fees, opening hours and designated launch zones. Rules vary from spot to spot.
  • Airports and wildlife: some spots, such as Kanaha on Maui, have restrictions linked to air traffic; others require keeping your distance from turtles, seals or birds.
  • Shallow southern waters: in the Texas and Florida lagoons, shuffle your feet as you walk to move away rays resting on the bottom.
  • Distances: a road trip between two regions is counted in days. Most riders plan their seasons by region rather than chasing wind everywhere.
  • Insurance: medical care is very expensive; travel insurance that covers board sports is strongly recommended.
  • Water temperature: freezing on the Pacific coast and in the Columbia Gorge, warm in Texas, Florida and Hawaii.

All spots

1,541 spots

Sports, by number of spots