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Kitesurfing in California

9 spots · 1 destination · 8 schools

San Francisco Bay's thermal spots - 3rd Avenue, Alameda Crown Beach, Coyote Point - run reliable W-to-NW wind from spring into September, with Alameda the easiest launch and Coyote Point more constrained.

Spots with a rule9a permit, a zone or a closed season in the recordBeginner spots3where the record says a beginner can rideSeasonMarch to Octobersomewhere in the regionWindsnone namednamed by two or more of its spots

Ocean Beach and Waddell Creek up the coast are a different sport: exposed surf, rip currents and shifting sandbars for advanced riders only, while San Diego's Fiesta Island sits at the other extreme, a light-wind flat-water lesson bay inside Mission Bay.

California holds 9 kitesurf spots in our atlas, grouped into 1 destination. Riding here is mostly waves. The season runs March to October. 3 of them suits beginners. 8 schools operate in the region. The busiest areas are San Francisco Bay.

When you may ride

the rules these spots carry, with the year on each

Crissy FieldSan Francisco Bay2025The 2025 NPS Golden Gate National Recreation Area Superintendent's Compendium (approved 30 Dec 2025, in force in 2026) defines kitesurfing/kiteboarding as falling under surfing regulations, closes the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area to vessels including kite boards and windsurfing boards to 300 ft offshore, prohibits glass containers on Crissy Field beach/north of the promenade, closes Crissy Field East Beach parking from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and requires NPS authorization/CUA for commercial activity in the park.
The 2025 NPS Golden Gate National Recreation Area Superintendent's Compendium (approved 30 Dec 2025, in force in 2026) defines kitesurfing/kiteboarding as falling under surfing regulations, closes the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area to vessels including kite boards and windsurfing boards to 300 ft offshore, prohibits glass containers on Crissy Field beach/north of the promenade, closes Crissy Field East Beach parking from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and requires NPS authorization/CUA for commercial activity in the park.

The whole rule, on the Crissy Field page

Sherman IslandSan Francisco Bay2026As of 2026, Sherman Island County Park is open year-round sunrise to sunset.
As of 2026, Sherman Island County Park is open year-round sunrise to sunset.

The whole rule, on the Sherman Island page

3rd AvenueSan Francisco Bay / San Mateo20262026: launch only in the designated areas, the upper mud flats or the beach below the parking lot. The mud flats are the only place a kite may be flown on land, and even there keep 150 ft from other people and objects.
2026: launch only in the designated areas, the upper mud flats or the beach below the parking lot. The mud flats are the only place a kite may be flown on land, and even there keep 150 ft from other people and objects.

The whole rule, on the 3rd Avenue page

Alameda Crown BeachEast Bay / Alameda20262026: kites launch and land only at The Shack/Boardsports California and at Shell Gate Beach.
2026: kites launch and land only at The Shack/Boardsports California and at Shell Gate Beach.

The whole rule, on the Alameda Crown Beach page

Coyote PointSan Francisco Bay / San Mateo County2026has a date window2026: Coyote is an expert-only kite launch.
2026: Coyote is an expert-only kite launch.

The whole rule, on the Coyote Point page

Fiesta IslandSan Diego / Mission Bay20252025: San Diego Municipal Code section 63.25.72 makes it unlawful to use a hang glider, para-sail, ski-kite or similar device capable of lifting a person from the water or land anywhere in Mission Bay Park without a special permit from the Director; the code defines a ski kite as a kite used to elevate a person by a tow line, wording that predates kiteboarding and has never been rewritten for it.
2025: San Diego Municipal Code section 63.25.72 makes it unlawful to use a hang glider, para-sail, ski-kite or similar device capable of lifting a person from the water or land anywhere in Mission Bay Park without a special permit from the Director; the code defines a ski kite as a kite used to elevate a person by a tow line, wording that predates kiteboarding and has never been rewritten for it.

The whole rule, on the Fiesta Island page

Long Beach (Belmont Shore)Southern California2026As of 2026 the city treats kitesurfers as vessels, so boating and navigation rules apply.
As of 2026 the city treats kitesurfers as vessels, so boating and navigation rules apply.

The whole rule, on the Long Beach (Belmont Shore) page

Ocean BeachSan Francisco20252025: in the Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Protection Area, from Stairwell 21 to Sloat Boulevard and 1,000 feet offshore, dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet from July 1 through May 15. Local practice is to keep kites out of the dune and plover areas, stay on the main beach and give wave riders priority.
2025: in the Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Protection Area, from Stairwell 21 to Sloat Boulevard and 1,000 feet offshore, dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet from July 1 through May 15. Local practice is to keep kites out of the dune and plover areas, stay on the main beach and give wave riders priority.

The whole rule, on the Ocean Beach page

Waddell CreekSanta Cruz Coast20262026: no dogs in any part of Rancho del Oso or on Waddell State Beach, no drones, model aircraft, UAS or gliders anywhere in the park, and a permit is required for professional or commercial photography and filming.
2026: no dogs in any part of Rancho del Oso or on Waddell State Beach, no drones, model aircraft, UAS or gliders anywhere in the park, and a permit is required for professional or commercial photography and filming.

The whole rule, on the Waddell Creek page

Each block is the opening of the record's own rule, kept in its own words. Where two postings do not line up, both are kept and neither is picked for you.

The winds here

what the spot records call the wind, and the knots they quote

No wind is named across this region

Fewer than two of its spots give the wind a local name. Each spot page carries its own directions and knots.

The spots this region is known for

tier 1 of the 9 spots here

Crissy FieldSherman Island

Destinations in California

San Francisco Baybeginner-friendlybuzzing sceneno car needed6 spots · 8 schools

All spots in California

3rd AvenuebayAlameda Crown Beachbay · beginner okCoyote PointbayCrissy FieldmixedFiesta Islandbay · beginner okLong Beach (Belmont Shore)mixed · beginner okOcean BeachoceanSherman IslandmixedWaddell Creekocean

Regions come from OpenStreetMap administrative boundaries; each spot page carries the record behind it. This list runs A to Z; the block above it is the tier order.

Last updated September 2026