Jekyll Island Kite Beach & Saint Simons Island East Beach

Jekyll Island Kite BeachSaint Simons Island East Beach

1. Jekyll Island Kite Beach

   ocean · beginner ok

   Jekyll Island Kite Beach is a quarter-mile of Atlantic sand by the old Blackbeard's access, running north to the Jekyll Island Club Pavilion.

   intermediateadvanced

   In seasonMar to Sep

   The model here carries the month's average wind rather than a count of windy days: it reaches 13.3 kt in April, the strongest month it models for this spot.

   Jekyll Island Kite Beach: the long version, the launch and the rules

   More on Jekyll Island Kite Beach

   At low tide a sandbar reaches out about 1/4 mile and holds shallow water behind it, and that is where the training and the first sessions happen. NNE through ENE is the working wind, onshore to cross-onshore on this east-facing beach, while the south tip takes S and SW. March through September is the window, with the afternoon sea breeze most likely from late spring into summer; fall and winter are quieter on both wind and people. The catch is tide. At the highest tide there is barely any beach left, and what remains puts you between the dunes and the walkers and cyclists. Summer sessions come with thunderstorms building over the island, so keep an eye up even when the breeze is clean. Nobody has published a kite-size guide or an average wind speed for this launch.

   Getting on the water

   Kite Beach is the 1/4 mile from the Blackbeard's access stairs north to the Jekyll Island Club Pavilion. Come in off Beachview Drive near the old Blackbeard's site; the Great Dunes Park ramp is the other way in.

   If it goes wrong

   No lifeguards and no kite rescue on this beach. Emergencies go to 911: say you are on Jekyll Island and give the number of the beach crossover you came in at, because the crossovers are numbered so a location can be passed to the dispatcher. Sandbars carry a standing caution here.

   Room to rig

   Plenty of room except near the highest tide, when too little sand is left for traction kiting beside the dunes and the other beach users.

   Rules and access

   2025 Jekyll Island Authority beach rules ban motorized vehicles, fires, fireworks, glass, overnight camping, metal detectors and walking into the dunes; take care on the sandbars and leave turtle nests alone. Kiteboarders can launch at almost any tide except the highest, and traction kiting at high tide is discouraged because of the dunes and the other beach users (2010 guidance). Every vehicle pays to enter the island: since 1 July 2023 that is $10 a day, $15 for vehicles over 8 feet, $100 for an annual pass, plus a $5 surcharge on designated event days.

   Everything on Jekyll Island Kite Beach

2. 

   Saint Simons Island East Beach

   ocean and lagoon · beginner ok

   East Beach faces the Atlantic on the ocean side of St.

   intermediateadvanced

   In seasonno month named for this spot

   1. JanJ10
   2. FebF23
   3. MarM23
   4. AprA25
   5. MayM29
   6. JunJ20
   7. JulJ8
   8. AugA15
   9. SepS23
   10. OctO24
   11. NovN18
   12. DecD21

   modelled: days with three hours in a row at 12 kt or more, between 06:00 and 19:00 local

   Saint Simons Island East Beach: the long version, the launch and the rules

   More on Saint Simons Island East Beach

   Simons Island, and the kiting happens at the north end, around Goulds Inlet and Kitelake. The tide decides what you ride. On the outgoing, ponds and long flat strips open up over the sandbars and it becomes a speed spot; on the incoming, rollers and breakers come through and it turns into bump and jump. Winter wind is N-NE off the fronts, summer wind is S-SE-SW sea breeze that fills in late afternoon, roughly 9-22 kt converted from a reported 10-25 mph range. Park at the Historic Coast Guard Station, then walk a few hundred yards north on the hard-packed sand to get clear of the denser beach traffic. Summer water sits at 27-29°C and the coldest winter water at 17-21°C, so shorts or a spring suit cover most of the year and a 3/2 mm full suit covers the rest. The inlet is the thing to respect: tidal flow runs through it, nobody has published a current speed, and a rider who cannot hold ground upwind should stay south of it.

   Getting on the water

   Park at the old Coast Guard Station / East Beach access and walk a few hundred yards north on the beach to the kite area near Goulds Inlet and Kitelake.

   If it goes wrong

   Rescue is claimed as a spot feature, but no operator or operating details are confirmed. Assume self-rescue.

   Room to rig

   Big sandy beach with hard-packed sand. Coast Guard Station access has public parking, restrooms and a summer concession.

   Rules and access

   2025: the St. Simons Surf Sailors, windsurfers, catamaran sailors, land sailors and kiteboarders agreed to launch only safely and away from people and other sailors, with no shoulder hopping, no beach dummies, and adherence to PASA training and safety rules. Dogs are restricted on St. Simons beaches between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 9:00am to 6:00pm.

   Everything on Saint Simons Island East Beach

• Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (~45 min)
• Jacksonville International (~60 min)
• Savannah/Hilton Head International (~75 min / ~155km from the Jekyll kite beach)

Kite bag rules for your airline

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Known for USA:Southwest AirlinesDelta / American / United

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

1. Jekyll has room and few crowds most of the time, but high tide can shrink the launch enough to matter.

   majority×3 riders

2. Saint Simons' East Beach is more varied than it looks on a map: sandbars, inlet water, flat strips, rollers, and breakers change with tide.

   majority×3 riders

3. This is warm-water, public-beach kiting more than a kite-camp circuit; schools and access exist, but public rider chatter is scattered.

   majority×3 riders

4. Wind reliability looks season-and-system dependent, with sea breezes and fronts mentioned more than daily guaranteed trade-wind rhythm.

   majority×3 riders

• The Jekyll Island Club operated 1888-1942 as an exclusive winter retreat for America's wealthy elite (membership capped at 100, shares originally $600 each).
• In 1910, a secret meeting of influential financiers on Jekyll Island helped plan the Federal Reserve System.

What we could not settle. Ride here? These are the gaps worth filling.

• Is 'Jekyll Island Kite Beach & Saint Simons Island East Beach' the name riders actually use for this area?
• Is there a webcam or a wind station at Jekyll Island Kite Beach or East Beach?