Map › USA › Pleasure Bay & Dog Beach › Pleasure Bay
Massachusetts · Boston Harbor · Suffolk County · Boston, Massachusetts
Pleasure Bay
also known as P Bay, Castle Island, The Lagoon, South Boston
Nearby Dog Beach 12 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Frontal wind with no daily clock: it comes in with the system rather than at a set hour. In summer the practical window is set by the lifeguards, not the breeze, since you cannot ride while they are on, generally 10 AM to 6 PM.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: Frontal wind with no daily clock: it comes in with the system rather than at a set hour. In summer the practical window is set by the lifeguards, not the breeze, since you cannot ride while they are on, generally 10 AM to 6 PM.
Typical strength
10-20 knots is the average, and very gusty with it. The shadow over the launch corner shifts with direction, so the strength at the water's edge and the strength out in the bay are not the same number.
Thermal or synoptic
frontal
Also on record
One dataset shows 23.2 kt as a climate value for South Boston and Pleasure Bay, but the monthly table behind it was not visible in the crawl. Treat 23.2 kt as indicative only.
The quiver, in words
Indicative, derived from the 10-20 knots that count as the average here rather than from any measurement at the launch: a 75-85 kg rider is on about 12 m at the bottom end, 9-10 m at 15 knots, 7-8 m by 20. Take the smaller of two sizes.The corner you launch from sits in a gusty shadow, and a kite dropped there in light surface wind is hard to get back up.
Direction to shore
The southerly sector is the normal setup inside the bay. Exact onshore or cross-shore labels change around the circular shoreline and are unconfirmed.
Dominant direction
SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan65
- Feb69
- Mar, riders' month72
- Apr, riders' month61
- May, riders' month56
- Jun46
- Jul41
- Aug32
- Sep, riders' month34
- Oct, riders' month37
- Nov, riders' month64
- Dec52
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov.
- 13Jan4°
- 14Feb4°
- 14Mar5°
- 13Apr8°
- 12May14°
- 11Jun18°
- 11Jul20°
- 10Aug20°
- 10Sep20°
- 10Oct15°
- 12Nov10°
- 12Dec6°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 13.1 kt | WNW | -0.1°C | 4.3°C |
| Feb | 69% | 13.5 kt | WNW | 0.7°C | 3.7°C |
| Mar | 72% | 13.5 kt | WNW | 4.4°C | 4.8°C |
| Apr | 61% | 12.6 kt | WNW | 9°C | 8.2°C |
| May | 56% | 11.6 kt | NE | 14.8°C | 13.6°C |
| Jun | 46% | 11 kt | SSW | 19.4°C | 18.2°C |
| Jul | 41% | 10.9 kt | SSW | 24.1°C | 19.9°C |
| Aug | 32% | 10.1 kt | SW | 22°C | 20°C |
| Sep | 34% | 10.1 kt | NE | 18.2°C | 19.7°C |
| Oct | 37% | 10.2 kt | WSW | 13.2°C | 15.3°C |
| Nov | 64% | 12.4 kt | WNW | 7.5°C | 10.2°C |
| Dec | 52% | 11.9 kt | NW | 2.6°C | 6.4°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
bay
Standing depth
Depth is unresolved and left that way. Tidal, and reportedly over head across the bay with shallow water only near the jetty at low tide; shallow, standable flat water is also reported.
Tides
Tidal and enclosed. High, low and incoming tides are all ridden; the beach is tight at high water and the water shallows near the jetty at low. On the outgoing, the flow through the dam-like openings in the wall runs hard enough that the rule is simply to stay away from them.
Temperature
20°C summer · 2°C winter
Wetsuit
Neoprene almost all year, with late July and August sometimes the exception: a normal wetsuit in spring and fall, a shorty in summer, a thick suit in winter.
Currents
Tidal current runs hard through the openings in the wall, worst on the outgoing, and it is strong near the channel too.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: small
Somewhere else
Dog Beach, 12 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
A tight sand and pebble corner at the southwest end of Pleasure Bay, where the beach runs out and the rock wall begins. Get an assisted launch, advanced riders included.
Space
small
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Do not fly trainer kites inside the bay: power lines behind the road, airport approach overhead.
- Ask for an assisted launch and an assisted landing; the southwest corner is tight and gusty.
- Stay clear of the dam-like openings in the wall on an outgoing tide.
- Skip easterly wind unless a current local rider confirms the legal and practical situation.
- If no locals are riding, do not be the first one out.
- Send beginners to Revere, Nahant or Nantasket instead.
- No body dragging. It is written into the spot's rules, not a preference.
Getting there
Airport
Boston Logan International Airport
Route
Drive or take a rideshare to Castle Island and Pleasure Bay in South Boston: I-93 to the JFK/UMass exit, then a short walk from the parking to the bay. Transit plus a walk works for spectators; with kite gear you want a car.
Transfer
15 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Sleep in South Boston, the Seaport, downtown Boston or near Logan Airport. Nothing kite-specific is listed.
No-wind days
Castle Island and Fort Independence, the Harborwalk, the South Boston beaches, the Boston waterfront, and the downtown museums and restaurants.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Pleasure Bay?
March-May and September-November are listed as best, with May-October realistically possible; summer access is limited by lifeguards and beach traffic.
Is it suitable for beginners?
No. Sources describe it as intermediate and expert only, requiring self-rescue, self-landing and the ability to stay upwind.
What is the wind like?
Southerly-sector wind from SE through SW at 10-20 knots is the normal setup, though the southwest-corner launch is very gusty from wind shadow.
Are there rules to know about?
As of 2026, kitesurfing is not allowed while lifeguards are present in summer, generally 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and easterly wind is restricted because the Logan Airport approach runs over the bay.
Last updated: August 2026