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Florida Gulf + Keys · St. Pete Beach · Pinellas County

Pass-a-Grille Beach

also known as PAG, The Grill, Long Key / Pass-a-Grille Beach

advanced onlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

Nearby Skyway Beach 6 km · Fort Desoto Park 9 km · Lassing Park 12 km · Picnic Island Park 25 km · Cypress Point Park 34 km · Dunedin Causeway 40 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy3 ktsmixed LaunchMedium overall beach launch, but practical setup space varies with beachgoers, parking access and swim areas.access rules on record, below Watergulf beach30°C in summer · 12 things riders flag LevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools3named at this spot From the airport45 minTampa International Airport (TPA)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Pass-a-Grille Beach is the open Gulf of Mexico end of St. Pete Beach, so the water deepens fast and the whole thing behaves like an ocean launch rather than a Tampa Bay flat. NW, W and SW are the directions that work; on an easterly, take the gear to another St. Petersburg launch, because side-off here means the Gulf.

The sandy access near 21st-22nd Ave is small, and how much of it you get depends on the swim zones and the beachgoers. Riders come for twintip freeride, kitefoil, wing foil, big air and the mellow wind-driven waves, not for a first lesson.

Nobody is coming to get you: no dedicated kite rescue is on record, and the local rule of thumb is to stay inside the distance you can swim back. It is quieter than Skyway and Fort De Soto for kites, and still a public beach shared with swimmers, surfers, skimboarders and jet skis.

October through May is when it blows, and there is more beach then.

The wind

Direction

onshoreNW

Character

mixed

Typical strength

The nearest station, Saint Pete Beach, carries an old average of 3 kts from NE built on 2008-2016 observations, and no current statistics are published for the spot. Indicative only.

Best on safe side-onshore to onshore westerly directions; avoid easterly or side-off winds on this open Gulf launch.

January-May and October-December are the best months, and there is more open beach in those months.

Thermal or synoptic

thermal and frontal

Direction to shore

W is onshore on the Gulf beach; NW and SW are generally side-onshore.

Dominant direction

NW, W, SW

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month63
Feb, riders' month52
Mar, riders' month65
Apr, riders' month66
May, riders' month51
Jun43
Jul18
Aug25
Sep32
Oct, riders' month46
Nov, riders' month53
Dec, riders' month43

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

12Jan17°
12Feb19°
13Mar23°
13Apr25°
11May28°
11Jun30°
9Jul32°
11Aug32°
11Sep30°
12Oct26°
12Nov23°
11Dec19°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	63%	12.4 kt	NNW	16.2°C	17.1°C
Feb	52%	11.5 kt	NNE	17.9°C	18.9°C
Mar	65%	12.6 kt	S	21.1°C	23°C
Apr	66%	13.1 kt	E	23°C	24.8°C
May	51%	11.3 kt	WNW	25.8°C	28°C
Jun	43%	10.9 kt	WSW	27.4°C	30°C
Jul	18%	9 kt	SSE	28.8°C	32°C
Aug	25%	10.5 kt	E	28.5°C	31.6°C
Sep	32%	10.9 kt	ENE	27.1°C	30.4°C
Oct	46%	11.9 kt	NE	23.7°C	26.2°C
Nov	53%	11.5 kt	NE	21.4°C	23.2°C
Dec	43%	11.3 kt	NE	17.4°C	19°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

gulf beach

Standing depth

No; the Gulf gets deep fast at this beach.

Tides

Tide reportedly makes no difference to the riding at Long Key / Pass-a-Grille Beach. Check the day anyway for how wide the beach is and where the swim zone sits.

Temperature

30°C summer · 21°C winter

Wetsuit

Summer water is warm enough for boardshorts and a rash vest; winter averages stay comfortable, but a shorty or a light full suit earns its place after a cold front. These are averages, not a forecast.

17–32°C water

Open Gulf of Mexico water: it deepens quickly, there is a small shorebreak, and the wind puts up chop and mellow waves. That depth is why the foilers and the wing riders use it.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced

Not one of St. Petersburg's shallow beginner beaches. The water gets deep fast, so self-rescue is the baseline skill here. Elsewhere it is rated for any level, and that conflict is unresolved.

The scene

What riders come here for

wavesbig airkite foilwing foilfreeride

Quieter than Skyway and Fort De Soto, with fewer kites in the air. It is still a popular public beach.

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: Medium overall beach launch, but practical setup space varies with beachgoers, parking access and swim areas.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Skyway Beach, 6 km

Skyway Beach Fort Desoto Park Lassing Park

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

Rescue

No dedicated kite rescue is on record. Do not kite farther out than you are willing to swim back, and know your self-rescue.

Launch

Small sandy Gulf access near 21st-22nd Ave. Walk north up the shoreline to get clear of beachgoers before you pump.

Space

Medium overall beach launch, but practical setup space varies with beachgoers, parking access and swim areas.

Rules & access

2026: Do not kite inside designated swim areas or marked buoy boundaries; give beachgoers space, avoid crowded setup areas and keep downwind clearance when launching and landing.

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

Rider tips

Walk north along the shoreline from the 21st-22nd Ave access when the sand in front of it is full.
Ride the westerlies: W onshore, NW and SW side-onshore. On an east wind, drive to another Tampa Bay launch.
Never rig or ride inside the marked swim areas or the buoy lines.
Do not go farther out than you can swim back; the bottom drops away quickly.
Keep the downwind side clear when you launch and land. Most people on this beach are not kiters.

Getting there

Airport

Tampa International Airport (TPA) or St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

Route

From Tampa Airport or St. Pete-Clearwater Airport: I-275 to Exit 17, then the Pinellas Bayway and Gulf Boulevard down to Pass-a-Grille Way.

Transfer

45 min

Cost level

medium-high

Staying

Beach hotels, condos and vacation rentals in Pass-a-Grille and St. Pete Beach, with plenty more lodging a short drive up the barrier islands.

No-wind days

Pass-a-Grille restaurants and bars, the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, a sunset walk on the sand, or a drive to Fort De Soto, downtown St. Petersburg and the other St. Pete-Clearwater beaches.

FAQ

When is the best time to kite here?

November through May, plus October, are listed as the best months.

Is Pass-a-Grille Beach suitable for beginners?

No. A local operator says it is not one of St. Petersburg's shallow beginner locations, since the Gulf gets deep fast off this beach.

What is the wind like?

NW, W and SW are the safe working directions; easterly or side-offshore wind should be avoided in favor of other St. Petersburg launches.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

As of 2026, kiting is not allowed inside designated swim areas or marked buoy boundaries, and riders must keep clear of beachgoers when launching and landing.

Last updated: August 2026