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California · San Francisco Bay / San Mateo · San Mateo County · Foster City
3rd Avenue
also known as Third Avenue, 3rd Ave, 3rd Ave Kiteboarding, Baywinds Park
Nearby Coyote Point 4 km · Alameda Crown Beach 21 km · Ocean Beach 30 km · Crissy Field 31 km · Sherman Island 74 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
afternoon
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: afternoon
Typical strength
18-25
Also on record
18-25
The quiver, in words
8-13 m covers the season. For a 75-85 kg rider that is 9-10 m in a solid 18-22 knot NW afternoon, 8 m or under once it pushes past 25, and 12-13 m on the light early- and late-season days. The split inside the bracket is indicative.
Direction to shore
The shoreline at Baywinds Park runs NW-SE with the bay to the northeast, so the steady NW is side-shore, blowing down the beach toward the San Mateo bridge. That is why the upper launch downwinds onto the lower beach. W comes in side-offshore.SW is close to straight offshore over Foster City, which is where the gusty, shifty feel comes from and why a gear failure on a SW day means swimming upwind. Derived from the shoreline orientation and the launch-to-launch downwind relationship, not from a stated spot figure.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan23
- Feb28
- Mar47
- Apr, riders' month72
- May, riders' month65
- Jun, riders' month72
- Jul, riders' month89
- Aug, riders' month76
- Sep, riders' month60
- Oct32
- Nov12
- Dec3
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 23%Jan12°
- 28%Feb12°
- 47%Mar14°
- 72%Apr16°
- 65%May20°
- 72%Jun22°
- 89%Jul23°
- 76%Aug23°
- 60%Sep22°
- 32%Oct20°
- 12%Nov15°
- 3%Dec13°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23% | 60% | 52% | 12.7 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 10.5°C | 12°C | 62 |
| Feb | 28% | 53% | 47% | 13.5 kt | NW | 17:00 | 10.4°C | 12.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 47% | 84% | 73% | 15.3 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 11°C | 13.5°C | 62 |
| Apr | 72% | 98% | 95% | 16.4 kt | NW | 17:00 | 12.2°C | 16.3°C | 60 |
| May | 65% | 90% | 87% | 15 kt | NW | 16:00 | 14°C | 19.8°C | 62 |
| Jun | 72% | 92% | 87% | 15.9 kt | WNW | 17:00 | 16°C | 21.6°C | 60 |
| Jul | 89% | 98% | 95% | 16.6 kt | NW | 16:00 | 17.3°C | 22.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 76% | 98% | 92% | 16 kt | NW | 16:00 | 17.8°C | 22.6°C | 62 |
| Sep | 60% | 92% | 87% | 15.3 kt | NW | 16:00 | 17.9°C | 22.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 32% | 81% | 65% | 13.2 kt | NW | 16:00 | 16.9°C | 20.4°C | 62 |
| Nov | 12% | 35% | 33% | 10.4 kt | NW | 15:00 | 12.8°C | 15.4°C | 60 |
| Dec | 3% | 29% | 26% | 9 kt | SSE | 15:00 | 10.9°C | 12.9°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
bay
Standing depth
Shallow mud flats and shallow sandbars occur near the launches and at low tide; deep water and stronger swell/current increase toward the channel marker.
Tides
Every tide gets ridden and each one is a different spot. Low water is flat over the bars, with mud and shallow sandbars showing and a few extra small beaches downwind to land on. High water is choppier and takes those beaches away: miss the lower beach and you climb out over slippery rocks.Launching is at its most awkward at high tide.
Temperature
16°C summer · 11°C winter
Wetsuit
A 4/3 and booties. Booties turn up on every local safety list.
Currents
Flood current can carry windsurfers beyond the San Mateo Bridge; current and swell increase significantly in the channel.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
7 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Carpet and turf to rig on, then a long walk to a mud, rock, ramp or beach entry. About 500 m separates the rigging area from the slippery rocky launch.
Somewhere else
Coyote Point, 4 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Launch only from the designated upper mud-flat launch or from the beach below the parking lot. Land only at a designated site: the upper launch, the beach, or the lower beaches.
Space
Carpet and turf to rig on, then a long walk to a mud, rock, ramp or beach entry. About 500 m separates the rigging area from the slippery rocky launch.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Use the upper mud-flat launch until you know the place; the lower beach is the advanced one.
- Wear booties. Slippery ramps, mud flats, submerged obstacles, rocks and sandbars, all of it.
- Read the tide before you rig: high water cuts your exits, low water puts mud and shallow bars in the way.
- Stay close enough to shore to get back from a gear failure, and outside the launch, the traffic and the windsurf corridor.
- Bring 8-13 m. NW is steady, W is usable, SW goes gusty and shifty.
- Know which way the day is blowing before you rig: NW is side-shore down the beach, W is side-offshore, SW is offshore over the city and puts the swim home into the wind.
Getting there
Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Route
3rd Avenue is about 10 minutes south of SFO. Off US-101 take the East 3rd Avenue exit and follow East 3rd along the bay toward Mariner's Point Golf Course and the windsurfing parking lot.
Transfer
10 min
No-wind days
San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley activities; the immediate area has the Bay Trail, golf, and nearby San Mateo/Foster City services.
Photos
FAQ
Is 3rd Avenue suitable for beginners?
No, it is not a beginner teaching beach; the upper mud-flat launch is safer for less experienced riders, but rocks, current and limited exits still call for solid self-rescue skills.
What is the wind like?
Consistent W to NW thermal wind typically blows 18-25 knots through the main season, usually building in the afternoon.
When is the best time to kite?
April through September is the main season, with usable wind reported from March into October.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
Yes, launching is restricted to designated upper mud-flat or beach areas, kites must stay clear of the bike path and windsurfing corridor, and riders must keep set distances from others.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, including The Kite School Foster City, Boardsports California and Kite The Bay.
Last updated: August 2026