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Middle Caicos · North coast · Leeward, Providenciales

Mudjin Harbour / Half Moon Bay Lagoon

also known as Half Moon Bay Lagoon, Mudjin Harbour Point, Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay south lagoon, Half Moon Bay Kiteboarding, Mudjin Harbour / Half Moon Bay Lagoon (legacy conflated atlas name)

lagoonadvanced onlylow crowds
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Nearby Long Bay Beach 41 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools nameHow windy10-17 kttradeLaunchtightaccess rules on record, belowWaterlagoon29°C in summer · 9 things riders flagLevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level sectionSchools3named at this spotFrom the airportin words under Getting thereInternational Airport (PLS)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

The kite spot in this record is Half Moon Bay Lagoon, the shallow south-side water on the sandbar between Little Water Cay and Water Cay, about a mile off Providenciales. Mudjin Harbour is a different place, a north-coast Middle Caicos beach of cliffs and swell with usually offshore wind, and it should not be ridden off this page.
Half Moon Bay stays flat behind a low dune peninsula even when the trades are up, and the trades are the Turks and Caicos easterlies, E to ESE, 10-17 kt across the islands and 15-18 kt on the better days.
You get there by boat, by jet ski, by kayak, or by kiting up from Leeward Going Through; there are no facilities at the beach and no rescue to call. Tide decides how much room you have. At low tide the lagoon shrinks until 5-6 kites feel like a crowd, at high tide it opens back up.
Riding runs most of the year, with September and October the dead months, June to August strong and winter wind often stronger still. This is protected ground, with rock iguanas on the cay and juvenile lemon sharks and stingrays in the shallows, so stay off the dunes and leave the animals alone; anyone learning belongs at Long Bay instead.

The wind

locals call it easterly to east-southeast trade winds

Direction

beachwater
offshoreE to ESEwind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

trade

Typical strength

12-20 mph, 10-17 kt, is the standard trade range across the islands, with 15-20 kt out of the southeast the usual kiting-season figure and November to May the best stretch. Nothing has been measured inside the Half Moon Bay lagoon itself.

Steady trade-wind riding when the Turks and Caicos pattern is working, and the dune shelter keeps the lagoon flat even in stronger wind. Nobody has documented the wind shadow or the gust behaviour at the launch itself.
Riding happens year-round apart from September and October, when there is little or no wind. June-August is strong and winter wind is often stronger still. November-July is given as the prime stretch and December-March as the most reliable, with July-October the least predictable; December-August also appears as the season, and northern swell for waves is best December-April.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic (ESE trades)

Also on record

12 kt annual mean at Turks and Caicos Northeast Buoy based on observations from 2009-11-01 to 2026-07-31; this is a regional buoy, not an on-spot Half Moon Bay meter.

The quiver, in words

In the usual 15-20 kt trades a 75-85 kg rider sits on 9-12 m; that is indicative sizing from the wind range, not a local measurement. The island advice is to travel with a spread of 8-16 m, because the light end of summer and the strong end of winter both happen.

Direction to shore

The trades come in from the E to ESE. The north beach is directly exposed to them; the south lagoon lies behind a low dune peninsula that shelters it, and that shelter is what keeps the water flat when the wind is up. The exact angle at the lagoon launch, cross-shore or partly offshore, is unconfirmed.

Forecast

Next three days, from Windfinder · full forecast

Month by month

  1. Jan, riders' month81
  2. Feb, riders' month84
  3. Mar, riders' month80
  4. Apr, riders' month84
  5. May, riders' month69
  6. Jun, riders' month77
  7. Jul, riders' month97
  8. Aug, riders' month86
  9. Sep61
  10. Oct49
  11. Nov, riders' month62
  12. Dec, riders' month72

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

  1. 14Jan26°
  2. 14Feb26°
  3. 14Mar26°
  4. 14Apr27°
  5. 13May28°
  6. 13Jun29°
  7. 15Jul30°
  8. 14Aug30°
  9. 12Sep30°
  10. 11Oct30°
  11. 12Nov28°
  12. 13Dec27°

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

MonthForce 4+KnotsFromAirWater
Jan81%13.5 ktE25.2°C26.4°C
Feb84%14.3 ktE24.6°C25.7°C
Mar80%14.2 ktE25.4°C26.2°C
Apr84%14.2 ktE25.8°C26.7°C
May69%12.5 ktESE26.8°C28°C
Jun77%13.1 ktESE28.3°C29.1°C
Jul97%15.2 ktE29.1°C29.5°C
Aug86%13.9 ktE29.3°C29.8°C
Sep61%12.3 ktE29.2°C30.4°C
Oct49%11 ktE28.6°C30.2°C
Nov62%12.3 ktE26.8°C28.4°C
Dec72%13.1 ktE25.5°C27.2°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

Mostly very shallow in the south lagoon: as of 2026, rarely deeper than knee height, though parts of Half Moon Bay are reportedly waist-deep.

Tides

The range is small, roughly 0.6-1 m (1.9-3 ft) between high and low on a twice-daily cycle, but the lagoon is shallow enough that it still decides how much room you get: fairly small at low water, substantially bigger at high. It is largely the infilled former Donna Cut, where water movement had stopped by 1999.

Temperature

29°C summer · 26°C winter

Wetsuit

No wetsuit needed. Boardshorts or a rash vest and serious sun cover; Turks and Caicos water sits at about 26 C in winter and 29 C in summer.

Currents

Unconfirmed for kiting inside the lagoon. The kayak or paddleboard crossing from Leeward depends on current and tide.

26–30°C water
The kite water is the sheltered lagoon on the south side of Half Moon Bay, not Mudjin Harbour. It holds flat behind a low dune peninsula even when the wind is up, glassy at its best. The north beach on the ocean side gets chop, beach traffic and boat-tour visitors.
The lagoon sits inside a protected nature area with rock iguanas and shallow-water wildlife, so keep off the dunes and do not disturb the animals.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced
Half Moon Bay is a real flat-water spot, but you reach it by boat, on a guided safari, or by riding upwind from Leeward Going Through. It is labelled all-levels in broad destination write-ups, while newcomers get pointed to Long Bay instead; the conservative atlas rating is intermediate and advanced unless a school brings boat or jet-ski support.

The scene

What riders come here for

experienced riderslagoon explorationflat-water freeridefreestyleprivate kite safarisecluded Caicos Cays sessionexperienced riders with boat support
Secluded next to Long Bay, but not empty: Half Moon Bay is a standard boat-tour stop for beachgoers and iguana visits, so early is better. At low tide even a handful of kites fills the lagoon.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: tight

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Long Bay Beach, 41 km

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

No fixed rescue service. A kite safari or a lesson can come with boat or jet-ski support, and Big Blue Collective runs a Half Moon Bay Safari and uses jet-ski assistance on its Long Bay lessons, but an independent rider should assume nobody is coming.

Launch

A remote sandbar and lagoon launch at Half Moon Bay, normally reached by boat, jet ski, kayak or paddleboard from Leeward, or by kiting up from Leeward Going Through. Nothing is built there. Low tide shrinks the usable lagoon, and more than 5-6 kites feels crowded once it does.

Space

tight

Hazards riders report 9

  • Remote location, rugged coastline
  • no rescue/infrastructure reported
  • Legacy atlas name conflates two different places: Half Moon Bay Lagoon near Little Water Cay/Water Cay and Mudjin Harbour on Middle Caicos.
  • Boat-only or kite-in access; self-rescue and return logistics matter if the wind drops.
  • Low tide can make the lagoon small and crowded with 5-6 kites.
  • Boat traffic and beach-tour visitors around Half Moon Bay, especially later in the day.
  • Protected rock iguana habitat and dunes; stay off sensitive areas and follow National Trust rules.
  • Shallow wildlife lagoon with juvenile lemon sharks, stingrays, starfish, conch and seagrass; do not harass or feed wildlife.
  • Mudjin Harbour, if you ride there instead of Half Moon Bay: offshore wind, rough breaking waves against cliffs, and a nasty hike back over ironshore if you get blown downwind.
Rules & access
2026: there are no laws or regulations against kiteboarding on any beach in the country. Half Moon Bay sits inside Princess Alexandra National Park and a National Trust protected area, and independent admission is $10 cash (2026). 2026 National Trust rules at Little Water Cay: stay on the trails and boardwalks, no dogs or cats, do not disturb or feed the iguanas, keep noise down, no smoking, pack out your rubbish. Feeding the iguanas carries heavy fines and a possible jail term (2026), and touching the wildlife and littering are also prohibited. No fishing and no taking conch or lobster inside the National Parks (2026).

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

Rider tips

  • Go on a kite safari or with boat support unless you already know the Leeward Going Through route and can self-rescue.
  • Get there early. Half Moon Bay is a standard boat-tour stop for beachgoers and iguana visits.
  • Check the tide before you commit: high tide opens the lagoon up, low tide packs everyone into a small one.
  • Carry your own water, reef-safe sunscreen and footwear for hot sand and rough ground; there is nothing at the beach.
  • Stay out of the navigation route near Leeward Going Through and give the boat traffic a wide berth.
  • Do not feed or chase the iguanas or the marine life, and take your rubbish back with you.
  • Do not use this page as a Mudjin Harbour guide; Mudjin is a separate and rougher place on Middle Caicos.
  • The kayak crossing from Leeward is about 1.3 miles and the ESE trade decides which leg is the hard one, so work out the return before you paddle out.
  • Bring the spread of kites rather than one size: 8-16 m covers the year here, and there is nothing to swap on the sandbar.

Getting there

Airport

Providenciales International Airport (PLS) for Half Moon Bay access; North Caicos Airport (NCA) is closest to Mudjin Harbour but is not the practical main international gateway.

Route

For the Half Moon Bay Lagoon spot, start on Providenciales at Leeward or the Leeward-area marinas, then take a boat, a jet ski, a kayak or SUP, or kite up from Leeward Going Through when the wind allows. For Mudjin Harbour, take the Providenciales to North Caicos passenger ferry, rent a car and drive over the North-Middle Caicos causeway.

Transfer

Half Moon Bay: about 5 minutes by boat from Leeward Marina, 15 minutes by boat from Grace Bay, or 20-30 minutes by kayak from Leeward, as of 2026. Mudjin Harbour: 30-minute Providenciales-North Caicos ferry plus drive; allow at least 45 minutes from Sandy Point/North Caicos to Mudjin Harbour.

Cost level

high

Staying

For Half Moon Bay, stay on Providenciales, especially Leeward, Grace Bay, Long Bay, or near Blue Haven/Leeward-area marinas. For Mudjin Harbour, Dragon Cay Resort is the only resort-style accommodation on Middle Caicos.

No-wind days

Half Moon Bay boat tours, Little Water Cay/Iguana Island, snorkeling, SUP/kayak in the mangroves, e-foiling on Providenciales, Grace Bay beaches, Mudjin Harbour sightseeing, Conch Bar Caves, Indian Cave, and North/Middle Caicos day trips.

Photos

Dragon Cay
Tim Sackton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is Half Moon Bay suitable for beginners?

Not recommended for beginners; access is by boat, kite safari, or an upwind ride, and it is rated for intermediate and advanced riders unless a school provides support.

What is the wind like?

Easterly to east-southeast trade winds drive the spot, typically in the 10-17 knot range, with flat water possible even in stronger wind thanks to dune shelter.

When is the best time to kite?

Riding is possible year-round except September and October, with November-July considered prime and December-March the most reliable.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

The lagoon sits inside a National Trust-managed protected area with a listed $10 admission fee, and rules require staying on trails and not disturbing wildlife.

What hazards should riders know about?

Low tide can shrink the lagoon so a handful of kites feels crowded, there are no facilities or fixed rescue, and boat traffic increases later in the day.

Also in season in NovemberProvidenciales

Last updated: August 2026