Map › USA › Huguenot Memorial Park

Florida · Jacksonville / First Coast · Duval County · Jacksonville / Mayport

Huguenot Memorial Park

also known as Huguenot Park, Mud Hole, The Pond, North Jetty, Big Jetties

lagoonbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Huguenot Memorial Park has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windyunder Typical strength, belowmixed LaunchLarge in total, with a big powdered-sand area near the north point. Around the pond, high tide leaves little room and the soft mud and shells make rigging awkward.access rules on record, below Waterocean, inlet and tidal lagoon28°C in summer · 14 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airport30 minInternational Airport (JAX)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Huguenot Memorial Park gives you ocean, inlet and a tidal lagoon inside one park gate. The Mud Hole, also called the Pond, is the flat shallow piece and the reason new riders come; the inlet has flatwater sections plus current, and the north jetty side takes the ocean surf, usually 1-3 ft.

Wind direction matters less here than which zone you pick: NE and SE are the standard call, and SE, SW, W and NW all get ridden depending on zone and tide.

Skip west wind unless you are experienced and have a kayak, boat or SUP watching you, because it is offshore on the ocean and gusty off the land with long lulls. High tide suits most of the riding areas, though the inlet can also be good on an outgoing tide when the current runs against the wind.

That same outgoing current is what takes a board seaward and drags a downed kite upwind. Winter is the season here, with cold fronts giving 15-30 knots from November through May. Bring booties for the oyster mounds and read the closure board, because nesting shorebirds, high tides and capacity all shut the beach driving down.

The wind

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

Typical strength

15-30 during winter cold fronts

A mix of sea breeze and frontal wind. West is gusty with long lulls. Winter is the best of it.

Winter fronts are the reliable window. The park holds ocean, inlet and lagoon aspects, so it can be ridden on many directions.

Thermal or synoptic

frontal and sea breeze

The quiver, in words

Indicative, worked from the local wind range rather than a gear survey. On the 15 kt bottom end of a winter front a 75-85 kg rider is on 11-12 m, the middle of the range sits around 9 m, and 25-30 kt takes it to 7 m. Summer is thinner sea-breeze wind and turns into foil or big-kite riding.Nobody publishes a size chart for this park.

Direction to shore

NE, E and SE are onshore or cross-onshore on the ocean side. W is offshore on the ocean and gusty off the land, and only advanced riders use it, in the protected parts.

Dominant direction

NE and SE are the standard call; SE, SW, W and NW also get ridden depending on the zone and the tide.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month53
Feb, riders' month49
Mar, riders' month58
Apr, riders' month72
May, riders' month61
Jun58
Jul20
Aug26
Sep37
Oct48
Nov, riders' month58
Dec, riders' month45

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec.

12Jan16°
12Feb16°
12Mar19°
13Apr22°
12May25°
12Jun27°
10Jul30°
10Aug29°
12Sep29°
12Oct25°
12Nov22°
11Dec17°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	53%	11.5 kt	W	13.6°C	16.2°C
Feb	49%	11.7 kt	NNE	15.7°C	16.3°C
Mar	58%	12 kt	SW	18.3°C	18.7°C
Apr	72%	12.8 kt	SE	20.6°C	21.5°C
May	61%	12.1 kt	SSE	23.9°C	25°C
Jun	58%	11.7 kt	SW	26.6°C	27.4°C
Jul	20%	9.6 kt	SSW	27.6°C	29.5°C
Aug	26%	10.4 kt	SW	27.3°C	29.1°C
Sep	37%	11.6 kt	NE	25.6°C	28.5°C
Oct	48%	11.6 kt	NNE	21.5°C	24.7°C
Nov	58%	11.6 kt	NNE	19°C	21.7°C
Dec	45%	11.2 kt	N	14.7°C	17.4°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

ocean, inlet and tidal lagoon

Standing depth

shallow lagoon/pond and shallow spots; ocean and inlet depth vary by tide and channel

Tides

Tide decides which part of the park you ride. The pond wants water in it, so high tide is the window there, and SE, SW, W and NW are lagoon directions at high water.The inlet is better on the outgoing, where the current running against an onshore wind adds power, and N, NE, E and SE all work on that stage. Low water leaves the pond very shallow and puts the oyster mounds within reach.

Temperature

28°C summer · 20°C winter

Wetsuit

rash vest/board shorts in summer; winter wetsuit can be helpful, with a 3/2 mm full suit suggested for the coldest mid-February water.

Currents

The outgoing inlet current runs fast. It takes a board seaward and moves a downed kite upwind, which makes relaunch hard.

16–30°C water

Flat-water bowls west of the dunes, the tidal pond known as the Mud Hole, flatwater in the inlet, and ocean waves off the north jetty. Ocean surf typically runs 1-3 ft.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

The pond is forgiving enough for new kitesurfers and the park gets ridden at every level, but offshore wind here is advanced-only and wants rescue support on the water.

The scene

What riders come here for

flatwaterwavesland kitinginlet ridingfreestylefoiltwintip

A busy multi-use Jacksonville park: kiters, beach drivers, campers, surfers, anglers and wildlife stewards all share it. Respect the zones, the birds and everybody else.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

4 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Large in total, with a big powdered-sand area near the north point. Around the pond, high tide leaves little room and the soft mud and shells make rigging awkward.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

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

Rescue

No formal rescue service. Offshore wind here wants a kayak, boat or SUP standing by.

Launch

Big open beach, an ocean launch at the north point, and lagoon or pond options. Beach driving is allowed where open, but cars and seasonal wildlife closures decide where you set up.

Space

Large in total, with a big powdered-sand area near the north point. Around the pond, high tide leaves little room and the soft mud and shells make rigging awkward.

Rules & access

2026: park hours are 6 a.m.-7 p.m. March-November and 6 a.m.-6 p.m. November-March, with Memorial Day-Labor Day hours of 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays; the entrance gate closes one hour before closing. Admission is $3 on foot or by bicycle (2026), $5 per car for up to six people (2026), $1 per additional person (2026), $50.23 per bus (2026), $99.46 for an annual pass (2026), and a military ID or DD214 halves it. Camping is $22.70 a night for a tent and $27.24 for an RV (2026), with a $5.38 pet fee per pet per stay and a three-pet limit. Day-use visitors may not bring dogs, and dogs are not allowed on any shoreline at any time. Beach driving is allowed along most of the seaward shoreline at 5 mph on hardpack sand only, and closes for high tides, capacity, unsafe conditions or nesting shorebirds; the north end of the peninsula is closed to vehicles seasonally for shorebirds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Kiting is allowed in the pond, but stay inside the riding zones, keep out of Zone Six, which is closed to wind sports, keep off the surfer area, and give surfers right of way on a wave. Stay clear of the wildlife ropes and the dunes, and do not fly the kite over people.

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

Rider tips

Wear booties in the pond: oysters, oyster mounds and shells.
Check the closure board before driving on: high tide, capacity, unsafe conditions or nesting shorebirds all close beach driving, and the limit on the sand is 5 mph.
Take a 4-wheel drive for the Atlantic side; the sand there is soft.
Ride west wind only with a buddy and a kayak, boat or SUP on standby.
Stay off the roped wildlife areas and the dunes, and keep the kite away from other people.
Get in early: the entrance gate closes an hour before the park does.

Getting there

Airport

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), about 35 km from the spot

Route

The park entrance is on Heckscher Drive/A1A North, just before Fort George Island and north of the Mayport Jetty; park on the beach only where open and permitted.

Transfer

30 min

Staying

On-site camping is available through JaxParks; Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, and Jacksonville Beach provide hotels and rentals.

No-wind days

camping · surfing · fishing · bird observation · beach day · Jacksonville restaurants and nightlife

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Huguenot Memorial Park?

Winter cold fronts from November through May bring the most consistent wind, generally 15-30 knots, and high tide is commonly recommended for several riding areas.

Is Huguenot Memorial Park good for beginners?

The tidal pond (Mud Hole) is described as forgiving for new kitesurfers, but offshore west winds are considered advanced-only and should be ridden with rescue support.

What is the wind like?

It's a mix of winter frontal wind and sea breeze; NE and SE directions are generally onshore or cross-onshore, while west winds are offshore and gusty.

Are there rules or fees?

In 2026 the park is open 6 a.m. to 6-7 p.m. depending on season, with admission of $3 per pedestrian/cyclist and $5 per vehicle carrying up to six people.

What hazards should riders watch for?

Oysters, shallow and muddy bottom sections, swift outgoing inlet current, and seasonal wildlife closures around the dunes are the main hazards.

Last updated: August 2026