Continent |
North America |
Country |
Florida (USA) |
Next Big City |
Fort Walton Beach |
Next Town |
Destin |
|
Type: |
Lagoon |
Rider Ability: |
Beginner, Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Rooms, Food, Parking |
Water
Type: |
Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave |
Hazards: |
Ships |
Quality: |
Clean |
Best Tide: |
No information |
The bay side with 100m wide sand bar of waist deep water is also suitable for offshore winds, with caution, sand bar drops off to boating channel, although across the channel are shallows to help recovery, relaunching etc. The channel is more than a "boating channel" it is a commercial shipping channel with substantial amounts of barge traffic. Even the very best local riders stay away from it.
Beach
Type: |
Sand |
Size: |
Small |
Hazards: |
None |
Beach Users: |
None |
Leeside National Park. Between Brooks Bridge, and Destin Bridge, on the barrier Island. Narrow sandy beach for several miles and away from most of the beach crowd.
Weather
Spring:
|
Shorts, Shorty |
Summer:
|
Shorts |
Fall:
|
Shorts, Shorty |
Winter:
|
Shorty, Normal |
25-35°C in the summer, more comfortable in spring, March and April, and fall, October and November. Starts to cool off by end of November, then average 32°C and down to just freezing with wind chill with North winds. Florida is known to have the highest fatality rate in the states from lightning strikes. Being in the water doesn't keep you save.
Wind
Best Months: |
No information |
Wind Type: |
Frontal |
Best Direction: |
SW |
Main Direction: |
N, SW |
NW Florida is usually dominated by stagnant high pressure, resulting in light winds 4-9 kts most of the time. The best most stable winds are from SW and 15 kt good days. Spring and fall bring a few weeks of Northerly winds, with good weather and very ridable 25kts on occasion. The thunderheads sometimes bring some wind, but don't be tempted, better to wait for clear skys.
How to get there
Transport |
Car |
Access
|
Short walk |
From Okaloosa Airport, South to HWY 98, then East towards Destin, just past Brooks Bridge. If you get to Destin bridge, that's too far, turn around and try again. If it's any good that day, you'll see kites and will be easy to find. Easiest parking is at "Gulf Islands National Seashore" just east of the last hotel and gas stations.
Extra information
Pretty much the honor system. Be safe. The Leeside park on the bay side closes at sunset. They are pretty cool about you parking outside the park and you walking in and kiting for early morning and night sessions.
Nightlife