Kiteboarding Location

Our local teaching spot for kiteboarding is on Okaloosa Island, a barrier island in

between Fort Walton Beach and Destin Florida.  On the north side of this

narrow island is Choctawhatchee Bay, and on the south side is the Gulf of Mexico

On the bay side, there is one parking area.  Locally known as Leeside Park,

it is officially Gulf Islands National Seashore Okaloosa Area.  Best is to

walk east along the beach away from the parking area.  All along this

southern side of the bay the water is shallow and clear with a sandy bottom.

It is perfect for learning to kiteboard.  The beauty of this spot is that

there are no condos on this stretch of beach, so the wind is not blocked

from any wind direction.  It can blow smoothly without being swirled around.

Because it is out in the open, this spot works on any wind direction. 

The most reliable wind indications are from WeatherFlow, the company behind

ikitesurf.com.  They maintain wind sensors on Okaloosa Island out in the water on

the bay side.  Access to the real time wind indications requires an iKitesurf subscription.