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Muharraq Governorate · Amwaj Islands, near Tala Island · Muharraq

Amwaj Island

also known as Amwaj Islands, Amwaj Kitesurf Beach, Amwaj Islands Kite Beach, Juzur Amwaj

lagoonadvanced only
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Amwaj Island has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools nameHow windyunder Typical strength, belowmixedLaunchokaccess rules on record, belowWaterlagoon32.7°C in summer · 11 things riders flagLevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section
Schoolsnone named here
From the airport10 minInternational Airport (BAH)

When it fills in

Afternoons are the more reliable window - the modelled record puts usable wind on roughly 21% of afternoons against about 12% of days overall. Winter Shamal events are the exception: they run day and night for two or three days at a stretch and follow no daily cycle.

Amwaj is a man-made island in Muharraq Governorate, northeast of Muharraq Island and about 10 minutes from Bahrain International Airport. The kite lagoon sits behind a breakwater about 250 m offshore, flat and shallow, with small chop once it gets over 20 knots or so, and the water is cleaner than most of Bahrain.
The wind you want is the Shamal, northerly to northwesterly, 15-25 knots on a good day; the southerly breeze is weaker and not worth a trip. It is not reliable.
Wind can blow for a couple of days and then vanish for a week or two; winter is stronger and steadier, summer mostly dead except June and July when the Shamal settles in.
For a lagoon it has a lot of sharp edges: rocks, shells and coral in the water and on the beach, boats, fishing nets, concrete and cars right by the launch, and an older report of dredgers and submerged piping outside the breakwater that nobody has re-checked.
Amwaj is a private residential development; in 2025 riders were reportedly waved through the security post by saying 'Kitesurfing', and the only rule on record is 'Zones'. Rate yourself intermediate or better here unless a school is on the water with you.

The wind

locals call it Shamal for the stronger northerly to northwesterly events

Direction

beachwater
cross-shoreN/NW

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: Afternoons are the more reliable window - the modelled record puts usable wind on roughly 21% of afternoons against about 12% of days overall. Winter Shamal events are the exception: they run day and night for two or three days at a stretch and follow no daily cycle.

Typical strength

15-25 on the better northerly breeze; southerly breeze is normally weaker

Unpredictable. It can blow for a couple of days and then nothing for a week or two; winter is stronger and steadier, and gusts are a regular feature.
Monthly averages sit at 10-11 kt from November through March and fall to 7-9 kt from June to September, so the winter half is the reliable half. The strong days come from Shamal events, which are unevenly spaced: two or three days of wind, then a week or two of nothing.
The year-round mean of about 7.3 kt is dragged down by the dead months and tells you nothing about what a Shamal day looks like.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic

Also on record

7.3

The quiver, in words

Indicative, no local measurement, sized off the monthly averages and the Shamal range for a 75-85 kg rider: 9-10 m on an 18-25 kt Shamal day, 12 m at 15-18 kt, and a light-wind kite or a foil for the 8-11 kt that most months actually deliver. Coming here with only a 9 m means watching the water.

Direction to shore

Northerly wind is side-shore on the west-facing lagoon; exact launch angle unconfirmed.

Dominant direction

N/NW, with SE also reported

Forecast

Next three days, from Windfinder · full forecast

Month by month

  1. Jan, riders' month82
  2. Feb, riders' month88
  3. Mar82
  4. Apr66
  5. May89
  6. Jun, riders' month62
  7. Jul, riders' month65
  8. Aug59
  9. Sep56
  10. Oct58
  11. Nov, riders' month76
  12. Dec, riders' month67

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Nov, Dec.

  1. 15Jan19°
  2. 16Feb19°
  3. 16Mar22°
  4. 13Apr25°
  5. 16May29°
  6. 13Jun33°
  7. 13Jul34°
  8. 12Aug35°
  9. 12Sep34°
  10. 12Oct31°
  11. 14Nov26°
  12. 14Dec21°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

MonthForce 4+KnotsFromAirWater
Jan82%15.3 ktNW18.6°C19.1°C
Feb88%16.2 ktNNW18.8°C19.1°C
Mar82%15.7 ktNNW21°C22°C
Apr66%13.4 ktNW24.3°C25.1°C
May89%15.9 ktNNW28.5°C29°C
Jun62%13.3 ktNW32.3°C32.8°C
Jul65%12.9 ktNW33.9°C34.2°C
Aug59%11.8 ktESE34.6°C35.4°C
Sep56%12.2 ktNNW33.4°C33.9°C
Oct58%12.4 ktNNW30.4°C30.9°C
Nov76%14.4 ktNNW26.2°C26.2°C
Dec67%13.8 ktNW21.1°C21.4°C
modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. 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.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

lagoon

Standing depth

Shallow and flat; how far out you can stand is not documented.

Tides

Incoming tide is the one to ride.

Temperature

32.7°C summer · 19.4°C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts in summer; a shorty or normal wetsuit can be useful in winter, with Manama winter sea temperature averaging about 19.4 C.

19–35°C water
Flat, shallow water behind a long breakwater about 250 m offshore; small chop shows up above roughly 20 knots. Cleaner than most of Bahrain's water. The lagoon is artificial and sits inside a residential development, which limits both the circulation and where you can walk in.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced
The beginner question is unresolved; with rocks, shells, boat traffic and a possible construction zone around the launch, treat it as intermediate and above.

The scene

What riders come here for

freestyleflat-water ridingfoiling in lighter winds
Evenings and weekends the public beach is reportedly packed, with kites out daily at Amwaj Kite Beach; other reports show nobody on the beach at all. Current crowd level unconfirmed.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

No school names this spot

Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.

On your own

Room to launch: ok

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No lifeguard, no kite rescue and no rescue boat on the lagoon; help is whoever else is on the beach. Coast Guard is 994 and the general emergency number is 999. Inside the breakwater the water is shallow and the wall sits about 250 m out, so a self-rescue and a walk in is the usual recovery.

Launch

Medium sandy beach on the man-made Amwaj Islands: dredged seabed with small shells and rocks, plenty of launch space, and road access alongside the beach.

Space

ok

Hazards riders report 11

  • ships/boat traffic
  • fishing nets
  • coral, rocks and stones both in the water and on the beach
  • active construction zone with dredgers and submerged piping outside the breakwater
  • ships and boat traffic
  • coral
  • rocks, stones and shells in the water and on the beach
  • concrete, road and cars near the launch
  • active construction zone reported, including dredgers outside the breakwater, submerged piping and possible construction material around the launch
  • breakwater structures and restricted lagoon geometry
  • possible residential access restrictions
Rules & access
2025: the only rule on record is 'Zones'. Riders reportedly got through the Amwaj security post by saying 'Kitesurfing'. Amwaj is a private residential development, so access and zones can change without notice; ask on the day.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

  • Ride the incoming tide; that is the tide that works here.
  • Walk the launch before you pump up: the dredged sand is full of shells and rocks that will cut a kite you drag.
  • Say 'Kitesurfing' at the Amwaj security post; that got riders through in 2025, but it is a residential development and access can change.
  • Ignore the 7.3 kt year-round average; sessions are short Shamal windows, so watch for the northerly days and the gust warnings.
  • Bring a shorty or a full suit in winter; the sea is about 19.4 C.
  • Aim for the afternoon on a non-Shamal day. That is when the breeze is most likely to be worth rigging for.
  • Bring the big kite. Most months average 8 to 11 kt, and a foil turns a dead-looking day into a session.
  • There is no rescue cover. Save the Coast Guard number, 994, and do not ride alone downwind of the breakwater.

Getting there

Airport

Bahrain International Airport (BAH)

Route

From Manama, cross the Muharraq bridges, follow the highway to the Amwaj junction, pass the security post and keep going round Amwaj until the beach appears near the first bridge. About 10 minutes from the airport.

Transfer

10 min

Staying

Hotels on and around Amwaj Islands run into the hundreds, and Manama is a short drive.

No-wind days

Kayaking, SUP and the marina on Amwaj; scuba and pearl diving elsewhere in Bahrain, plus Bahrain Bay and Al Dar for water activities.

Photos

Aerial view of the man-made Amwaj Islands surrounded by shallow turquoise lagoon water off Muharraq
Alhaddadm at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kitesurf Amwaj Island?

January, February, June, July, November and December are the best months, since winter wind is stronger and more constant while summer is often quiet except for the June-July Shamal.

Is Amwaj Island suitable for beginners?

Sources disagree on beginner suitability, and because of reported rocks, shells, boat traffic and construction hazards, the conservative recommendation is intermediate riders and above.

What is the wind like at Amwaj Island?

Better northerly Shamal days bring 15-25 knots, while the southerly breeze is normally weaker; overall wind is unpredictable and can disappear for a week or two even in the stronger months.

What hazards should kitesurfers know about at Amwaj Island?

Hazards include boat traffic, fishing nets, coral and rocks in and around the water, and a reported active construction zone with dredgers and submerged piping outside the breakwater.

How do you get to Amwaj Island?

Drive from Manama over the Muharraq bridges, follow the highway to the Amwaj junction, and continue around the island past the security post until the beach appears near the first bridge.

Last updated: August 2026