Map › USA › 520 Slick & Jetty Park › Jetty Park
Florida · Cape Canaveral / Space Coast · Brevard County · Cape Canaveral
Jetty Park
also known as Cape Canaveral Jetty Park, Jetty Park Beach
Nearby 520 Slick 7 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
Typical strength
15-30 on winter cold fronts across the region, with the smooth days riders count on sitting in the upper teens to low twenties. No measurement at this launch.
Thermal or synoptic
frontal and sea breeze
The quiver, in words
Nothing is published for this beach. Across the Florida windy season the usable days sit in the upper teens to low twenties, which is a 9 m for a 75-85 kg rider, an 8 m when a front really fills in, and 12-14 m for the lighter spring southerlies and the summer sea breeze. Indicative regional sizing, not a local measurement.
Direction to shore
On this east-facing beach, E and ENE are onshore to cross-onshore, NE and SE side-onshore, and S sideshore. That is an atlas inference from the published directions and the shoreline orientation, not a local statement.
Dominant direction
ENE, NE, E, SSE, SE and S are the good kiting directions. N, NNW and NE are the ones called out for winging.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month71
- Feb, riders' month67
- Mar, riders' month73
- Apr, riders' month77
- May, riders' month67
- Jun67
- Jul41
- Aug49
- Sep39
- Oct61
- Nov, riders' month70
- Dec, riders' month62
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.
- 13Jan20°
- 13Feb20°
- 14Mar22°
- 14Apr24°
- 12May27°
- 12Jun29°
- 11Jul30°
- 12Aug30°
- 11Sep30°
- 13Oct27°
- 14Nov24°
- 13Dec21°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71% | 13 kt | NW | 17.7°C | 19.6°C |
| Feb | 67% | 13.3 kt | NNW | 19.3°C | 19.7°C |
| Mar | 73% | 13.6 kt | SSE | 21.5°C | 21.9°C |
| Apr | 77% | 13.8 kt | SE | 22.8°C | 23.9°C |
| May | 67% | 12.2 kt | SE | 25.4°C | 26.5°C |
| Jun | 67% | 12.2 kt | SSW | 26.8°C | 28.5°C |
| Jul | 41% | 10.7 kt | SSE | 28.2°C | 29.6°C |
| Aug | 49% | 11.6 kt | SSW | 28.2°C | 29.6°C |
| Sep | 39% | 11.2 kt | E | 26.9°C | 29.8°C |
| Oct | 61% | 13 kt | ENE | 24.6°C | 26.5°C |
| Nov | 70% | 13.6 kt | N | 22.3°C | 23.8°C |
| Dec | 62% | 12.6 kt | NNW | 18.9°C | 20.7°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
Atlantic beach and jetty
Standing depth
Shallower near the jetty than on the open beaches either side, but no standing-depth zone is confirmed.
Tides
Semidiurnal, two highs and two lows a day. The Trident Pier gauge just north of the park gives a mean range of about 1.0 m, and about 1.2 m from higher high to lower low, so the beach widens noticeably toward low water.
Temperature
28°C summer · 20°C winter
Wetsuit
Rash vest or no neoprene in warm water; winter can be cool enough for light neoprene on colder days.
Currents
No spot-specific current is confirmed. The fixed features to plan around are the Port Canaveral inlet, the fishing pier and the jetty.
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
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Wide sandy beach at low tide with a large parking area, but usable kite space shrinks when the beach is populated.
Somewhere else
520 Slick, 7 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Launch from the public beach, outside the lifeguard and swim zone and clear of the crowd. Three numbered beach accesses cross the dune from the day-use parking: 1 and 2 are at the north end behind the beachside pavilion, the playground and the lifeguard office, close to the 1,200-foot pier, and 3 is the southern one with the overflow lot behind it. You cannot get in at all without a pre-purchased parking pass.
Space
Wide sandy beach at low tide with a large parking area, but usable kite space shrinks when the beach is populated.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Buy the Port Canaveral parking pass before you drive in, and check the current system first.
- Ride low tide for the launch room.
- Stay out of the lifeguard and swim zone, rigging included.
- Wait for ENE: that is the direction where the jetty flattens the chop and organizes the waves.
- Lifeguards are on 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and they are not kite rescue.
- If the beach is packed, take another Space Coast launch instead of squeezing in.
- Beach access 3, at the south end, is the one away from the pier, the playground and the lifeguard office.
- The gate takes neither cash nor cards. A dated day pass bought online is also the only thing that gets you in once the park fills.
Getting there
Airport
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) or Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Route
Drive to Cape Canaveral and come in on Jetty Park Road. About an hour by road from either Melbourne Orlando (64 km) or Orlando International (76 km). Buy the parking pass online before you set off: the entrance booth takes no cash or cards, and a day pass is tied to a date.
Transfer
60 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Jetty Park has a campground, and hotels/rentals are available in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
No-wind days
Surfing, pier fishing, beach day, cruise-ship watching, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, Banana River paddling, and local foil/e-foil lessons.
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Jetty Park?
November through May is best, when late-fall and winter cold fronts bring strong northerly wind and larger wind swell to Florida's east coast.
Is Jetty Park suitable for beginners?
No, it's better treated as an intermediate-plus ocean spot because of the lifeguard zone, shorebreak, pier, jetty and weekend crowds; beginners should use a school-selected flatwater site instead.
What is the wind like?
Good directions include ENE, NE, E, SSE, SE and S; ENE is the best-documented setup because the jetty reduces chop and organizes waves on that direction.
Are there rules or fees?
As of 2026, Jetty Park is open daily 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and parking requires a pre-purchased or annual pass, with riders required to stay out of the lifeguard area.
What hazards should riders know about?
The fishing pier, rock jetty, shorebreak and weekend crowds are the main hazards, along with nearby Port Canaveral inlet traffic.
Last updated: August 2026