Map › USA › Plumb Beach

New York · Brooklyn / Jamaica Bay · Kings County · Brooklyn

Plumb Beach

also known as Plum Beach

beginner-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

Nearby Sandy Hook Bayside 15 km · straight-line distance

SeasonMar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Novthe months riders and schools name How windy10 knotssynoptic Launchmediumaccess rules on record, below Waterbay21.6°C in summer · 12 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedInternational Airport (JFK)

When it fills in

Summer runs on the afternoon sea breeze, and lessons on this beach are set for 2 p.m. for that reason. Spring and autumn are different: the wind comes with the weather system rather than at a set hour, so the forecast matters more than the clock.

Plumb Beach is Brooklyn's kite launch, on the Jamaica Bay shoreline at the entrance to Gerritsen Creek, with the Belt Parkway running right behind the sand. The water is shallow and flat to choppy, which is why Kitesurfing Academy runs lessons here, and there is parking on site, plus restrooms and a kayak launch.

Spring and fall carry the frontal wind: March, April, May, September, October and November. Summer southerlies work too, but the beach fills with walkers and spectators, and this is horseshoe crab habitat.

Tide advice contradicts itself, low tide recommended in one place and higher tide in another, because at low water the mud flats can put several hundred yards between you and the sea. Water quality is the honest catch here, poor often enough that checking the advisory after rain is part of the routine.

Access is east-bound Belt Parkway only, after Exit 9 and before Exit 11, so overshooting costs you a long loop back.

The wind

Direction

onshoreE

Character

synoptic

fills in: Summer runs on the afternoon sea breeze, and lessons on this beach are set for 2 p.m. for that reason. Spring and autumn are different: the wind comes with the weather system rather than at a set hour, so the forecast matters more than the clock.

Typical strength

No wind measurement exists for the launch itself, and the nearest stations either carry no statistics or sit sheltered enough to be meaningless. Coastal stations across the harbour mouth run near 10 knots year round with gusts around 13. That is the average, not the session: what works here are the frontal days well above it. Indicative and regional, no local measurement.

Bay wind, flat to choppy, frontal in character, with a summer southerly sea breeze also in use.

Spring and fall are the best months. Summer works on southerly sea breezes but brings more bystanders and beach users.

Thermal or synoptic

frontal

Direction to shore

S and SW are the local picks. On this north shore of Jamaica Bay they land onshore to side-onshore at the beach.

Dominant direction

E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW

Forecast

Month by month

Jan77
Feb76
Mar, riders' month94
Apr, riders' month89
May, riders' month80
Jun86
Jul77
Aug74
Sep, riders' month62
Oct, riders' month58
Nov, riders' month67
Dec57

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.

15Jan5°
15Feb5°
16Mar7°
16Apr11°
13May16°
14Jun21°
13Jul26°
13Aug25°
12Sep23°
12Oct18°
14Nov12°
13Dec7°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	77%	15.1 kt	W	2°C	5.2°C
Feb	76%	15.1 kt	WNW	2.9°C	5.1°C
Mar	94%	16.1 kt	WNW	6.2°C	6.9°C
Apr	89%	15.5 kt	W	10.7°C	11.1°C
May	80%	13.4 kt	ESE	15.6°C	16.4°C
Jun	86%	14.3 kt	S	20.8°C	21.3°C
Jul	77%	13.3 kt	SSW	24.8°C	26°C
Aug	74%	12.7 kt	SSW	23.8°C	25°C
Sep	62%	12.1 kt	E	20.2°C	22.9°C
Oct	58%	12.1 kt	NNE	14.6°C	17.8°C
Nov	67%	13.8 kt	W	9.3°C	12.4°C
Dec	57%	12.8 kt	W	3.9°C	7.1°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

Waist deep across the lesson area and shallow enough to stand a long way out, which is why the schools put beginners here. At low water the flat drains and the standing ground turns to soft mud, with several hundred yards opening up between the parking and swimmable depth.

Tides

Tide advice conflicts and is left unresolved: low tide is recommended for kitesurfing, while the higher-tide recommendation exists because low water exposes mud flats and can put several hundred yards between the parking and the sea.

Temperature

21.6°C summer · 6.6°C winter

Wetsuit

Cold-water gear outside summer. Summer water near Jamaica and Long Island averages around 21.6 C, winter around 6.6 C.

Currents

Tidal current runs at the mouth of Gerritsen Creek and through the channel, and it counts as a hazard here alongside boat traffic. No measured rates are published for the launch.

5–26°C water

Shoreline of tidal mudflat, low saltmarsh, tidal lagoon, dunes and woodland thickets at the entrance to Gerritsen Creek. The riding water is protected Jamaica Bay, flat to chop, with mud flats at low tide. Water quality is reportedly poor.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Any level rides here and lessons run on the site, but beginners are told to go left past the rocks at low tide because the highway sits close behind the launch.

The scene

What riders come here for

lessonsflat waterfreeridewingfoilwindsurf

An active New York kite scene. In summer the spectators and the kiters crowd the same strip.

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: medium

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Sandy Hook Bayside, 15 km

Sandy Hook Bayside

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

Rescue

No lifeguards and no patrol. Plumb Beach is not a designated swimming beach, and swimming is prohibited across this park wherever lifeguards are not on duty, so an incident here is a 911 call and a wait. The nearest guarded sand is Jacob Riis Park, staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

A kite leash is treated as compulsory here because of how close the Belt Parkway sits behind the sand.

Launch

Beach launch beside the Belt Parkway parking area at Plumb Beach, medium sized, with parking, restrooms and a kayak launch. The highway is very close behind the sand.

Space

medium

Rules & access

2026: Plumb Beach is open daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., co-managed by the National Park Service and NYC Parks, and named as a site for wind-related activities including windsurfing and kiteboarding. No kiteboarding permit and no kite-specific restriction is published; the NYC Parks launch permit covers kayaks, canoes and boats only. Swimming is prohibited park-wide wherever lifeguards are not on duty, and there are none here. Local practice makes a kite leash non-negotiable given the highway behind the launch.

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

Rider tips

Check the water-quality advisory and how much rain fell in the last few days before you get wet.
At low tide expect a long walk over mud and more exposed shells and rocks.
Leave yourself downwind room: the Belt Parkway sits close behind the launch.
Beginners, go left past the rocks at low tide, away from the road.
Bacteria counts here usually sit under the reference threshold and the site reacts only lightly to rain, so check the advisory but do not assume the water is dirty.
Leave yourself downwind room: the Belt Parkway sits close behind the launch, and a leash is not optional here.
In summer the wind is an afternoon thing; the local lesson slot starts at 2 p.m.
Nobody is watching the water. Tell someone you are going out and ride within self-rescue range of the beach.

Getting there

Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Route

Plumb Beach is reachable only from the east-bound Belt Parkway, after Exit 9 and before Exit 11. By transit it is the B44 or B4 bus to Knapp Street and Shore Parkway, then a short walk.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Brooklyn, or anywhere in New York City. No on-site lodging.

No-wind days

Gateway National Recreation Area, the Jamaica Bay paddling access, the Brooklyn beaches, and the rest of New York City.

FAQ

When is the best time to kite Plumb Beach?

Spring and fall, specifically March-May and September-November, are the clearest kite seasons.

Is it suitable for beginners?

The spot is listed for any level and used for lessons, though beginners are told to launch left past the rocks at low tide because the highway sits close behind the beach.

What is the water like?

Shallow, waist-deep Jamaica Bay water ranging from flat to chop, with mud flats exposed at low tide.

Are there schools or lessons available?

Yes, Kitesurfing Academy teaches at Plumb Beach because of its shallow water.

Last updated: August 2026