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Belize District · Caye Caulker

The Split, Caye Caulker

also known as Caye Caulker (The Split)

lagoonbeginner-friendlylow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

Nearby Boca del Rio / San Pedro 21 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy15-18 ktmixed Launchsmallaccess rules on record, below Waterlagoon29.6°C in summer · 11 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airport75 minInternational Airport (BZE)

When it fills in

There is no thermal fill-in to wait for; this is trade wind. On a windy day it is already in by morning, and in winter and spring the morning is usually the strongest part of it, with 20+ kt before the average settles back to 15-18 kt. Exact start and stop hours are not published locally.

The Split is the kite launch at the north end of Caye Caulker, a small patch of sand on the east side next to the Lazy Lizard.

The lagoon in front is the point: clear, 1-3 ft deep for roughly 300 m out, flat to choppy, with the barrier reef somewhere between 500 m and 1 km offshore depending on who you ask.

The trade blows NE to SE, side-onshore to onshore on this side, 15-18 knots in winter and spring with 20+ knot mornings, and drops to 10-16 knots in summer. February and June are the best months; the wider window runs November to July.

The launch is the catch: tight, onshore, with cement walls and mangroves behind it and water taxis coming through the channel, so get someone to walk you out for a water launch the first time.

Rescue is listed for the spot, but one rider found little support and no more than five kiters all visit, so ask the operator before you go out alone. Ride the low and falling tide; the current between the islands can run against the wind. Shorts most of the year, a 2 mm shorty for long December-February sessions.

The wind

locals call it Caribbean trade winds

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: There is no thermal fill-in to wait for; this is trade wind. On a windy day it is already in by morning, and in winter and spring the morning is usually the strongest part of it, with 20+ kt before the average settles back to 15-18 kt. Exact start and stop hours are not published locally.

Typical strength

15-18 kt in winter and spring, with 20+ kt mornings; 10-16 kt in summer.

Steady trade-wind days most of the season; autumn is the lighter stretch.

The core window is February-July, with February and June the best months. December-June is the winter/spring windy stretch and summer is lighter; November-July is workable at the edges.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic

Also on record

The quiver, in words

No local school publishes a quiver. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider, worked back from the published wind range rather than a local size chart: 10-12 m for the 15-18 kt winter and spring average, 8 m for the 20+ kt mornings, 12 m and up through the 10-16 kt summer.An 8 m carried one rider through most of a late-April to mid-May stay.

Direction to shore

Mostly side-onshore to onshore on the east-side lagoon; west lagoon can be offshore.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month98
Feb, riders' month96
Mar, riders' month100
Apr, riders' month99
May, riders' month94
Jun, riders' month98
Jul, riders' month97
Aug95
Sep79
Oct86
Nov, riders' month83
Dec, riders' month96

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, Nov, Dec.

17Jan27°
17Feb27°
17Mar28°
17Apr29°
17May30°
16Jun31°
17Jul30°
14Aug31°
13Sep31°
15Oct30°
15Nov29°
17Dec27°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	98%	16.6 kt	ESE	25.8°C	27.1°C
Feb	96%	17 kt	E	25.6°C	26.8°C
Mar	100%	17 kt	E	26.6°C	28°C
Apr	99%	16.8 kt	E	27.2°C	28.5°C
May	94%	16.5 kt	E	28.1°C	29.9°C
Jun	98%	16.4 kt	E	28.4°C	30.8°C
Jul	97%	16.5 kt	E	28.4°C	30.1°C
Aug	95%	14.2 kt	E	28.4°C	30.8°C
Sep	79%	13.1 kt	E	28.5°C	31.2°C
Oct	86%	14.8 kt	E	27.9°C	30.2°C
Nov	83%	15.1 kt	NE	27°C	28.6°C
Dec	96%	17.1 kt	ENE	26°C	27.4°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

lagoon

Standing depth

About 1-3 ft for roughly 300 m out from shore.

Tides

Low and falling tide is best. On some tides the current between the islands runs against the wind.

Temperature

29.6°C summer · 26.7°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts. A 2 mm shorty helps on long December-February sessions.

Currents

tidal current between the islands, sometimes opposite the wind

27–31°C water

Big clear shallow lagoon, flat to choppy inside the reef. The barrier reef is somewhere between 500 m and 1 km out; the figures disagree.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Shallow water makes it a beginner lagoon, but the launch by The Split is tight, onshore and busy with obstacles and boats, so beginners should launch with school help.

The scene

What riders come here for

all-level ridingsocial/beach-bar sceneflat-water lagoon ridinglearning with assistancewarm-water freeridesocial Split scenesnorkeling and no-wind island days

Backpacker island. The beach bars at The Split are busy and the water is not; often no more than five kiters out.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: small

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Boca del Rio / San Pedro, 21 km

Boca del Rio / San Pedro

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

Rescue

Rescue is listed among the spot's facilities, but one visit found little support on the ground and rarely more than five kiters out to lend a hand. The single operator on the island advertises kite, wing, windsurf and SUP but describes no rescue boat anywhere. Confirm before you count on it.

Launch

Small sandy patch on the east side by The Split and the Lazy Lizard. The shore is tight enough that an assisted water launch is often the way in.

Space

small

Rules & access

2026: the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve sits on the reef in front of the island. Its regulations contain no kite-specific rule; the only watersports restriction in the reserve is a ban on water-skiing and jet-skiing in the Conservation Zone. No enforceable kite restriction is known inside or outside the reserve.

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

Rider tips

Ride the low and falling tide; on other tides the current between the islands can set against the wind.
Look down the channel before you launch: water taxis come through The Split and their wakes cross the launch area.
Get a hand for the first launch. The beach is small and onshore with cement walls and mangroves behind it; an assisted water launch is the normal way in.
Ask Kite Belize whether a rescue boat exists before riding out alone; nothing on their site says so. They open 8:30 am-5:30 pm and want bookings 1-2 days ahead.
Shorts and sun cream most of the year; pack a 2 mm shorty for long December-February sessions.
Pack small: 20+ knot mornings are normal in winter and spring, and an 8 m saw use from late April to mid-May.
Look up as well as down the beach before you fly a kite: there are palm trees and overhead power lines behind the sand.
Ride the morning in winter and spring. That is when the 20+ kt shows up, and the afternoon usually eases back into the mid teens.
Shorts and sun cream most of the year; the water sits near 27 C in January and February and close to 30 C by late summer, so a 2 mm shorty is for wind chill on long sessions rather than for cold water.
Pack repellent for the mangrove side; the sand flies there bite.

Getting there

Airport

Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), Belize City

Route

Fly into Belize City, get to the marine terminal, and take the water taxi to Caye Caulker; the same boats run on to San Pedro.

Transfer

75 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Small hotels and hostels; there is no big all-inclusive resort on the island.

No-wind days

snorkeling at nearby reefs · diving/snorkeling tours · paddleboarding · kayaking · bike/walk the traffic-light island roads · Split Beach bars

Photos

The split, Caye Caulker, Belize - panoramio — James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at The Split?

Local guides list February through July as the season, with February and June often cited as the windiest months, though wind can run from November through July.

Is The Split suitable for beginners?

The shallow lagoon is beginner-friendly, but the launch near The Split can be tight with onshore wind and boat traffic, so beginners should use school assistance.

What is the wind like?

NE to SE trade winds typically blow 15-18 knots in winter and spring, sometimes topping 20 knots in the morning, and 10-16 knots in summer.

What hazards should I know about?

Water-taxi traffic, boat wakes, shoreline obstacles and tidal current between the islands are the main hazards near the launch.

Last updated: August 2026