Map›Saint Vincent and the Grenadines›Union Island / Grenadines›Union IslandUnion Island / Grenadines
Union Island
Union Island / Grenadines · Clifton
also known as Kite Beach, Clifton Kite Beach, Frigate
Part of Union Island / Grenadines →
Riding essentials
Season
Dec–Jun
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-25
Character: trade
Room to launch
tight
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
28 °C in summerThe main JT Pro Center/Kite Beach area is flat, clear lagoon water with reef protection
Hazards
11
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jan Feb Mar Dec
Schools
4
named at this spot
From the airport
Connect via Barbados (BGI)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
Not thermal; trade wind can blow day and night during the November-July season.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Frigate, Union Islandno page yet
- Big Sand, Union Islandno page yet
- Mayreau / Salt Whistle Bay
- Tobago Cays
- Palm Island Wave Spotno page yet
- Canouan / Windward Lagoonno page yet
The spot
Kite Beach
Wind and seasons
The wind
locals call it Caribbean trade wind
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
E to ENE, with NE/NNE days possible
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
9-12 m covers the season for a 75-85 kg twin-tip rider: 9 m on the 20-25 kt days that December to February usually deliver, 11-12 m when the trade sits nearer 15-18 kt.Warm tropical air carries less punch than cold-season wind, so riders commonly end up one size larger here than the same reading would need in Europe.A rental pass at the centre covers every kite and board size on site, which is the cheap way around board-bag fees and inter-island baggage limits.
Character
Average strength
about 20 knots on windy days; December-February often 20-25 knots and the rest of the trade-wind season commonly 18-20 knots
Typical strength
15-25
Off-season closure
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month94
- Feb, riders' month89
- Mar, riders' month84
- Apr, riders' month87
- May, riders' month92
- Jun, riders' month95
- Jul85
- Aug52
- Sep42
- Oct58
- Nov83
- Dec, riders' month77
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Dec.
- 94%Jan27°
- 89%Feb27°
- 84%Mar27°
- 87%Apr27°
- 92%May28°
- 95%Jun28°
- 85%Jul28°
- 52%Aug28°
- 42%Sep29°
- 58%Oct29°
- 83%Nov28°
- 77%Dec28°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94% | 100% | 100% | 18 kt | ENE | 07:00 | 26.7 °C | 26.7 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 89% | 98% | 96% | 17.3 kt | ENE | 09:00 | 26.7 °C | 26.7 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 84% | 92% | 89% | 15.8 kt | E | 09:00 | 26.7 °C | 26.7 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 87% | 98% | 97% | 16.1 kt | E | 08:00 | 27.8 °C | 27.2 °C | 60 |
| May | 92% | 100% | 98% | 16.4 kt | E | 11:00 | 28.3 °C | 27.8 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 95% | 100% | 98% | 17.3 kt | E | 11:00 | 28.3 °C | 27.8 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 85% | 94% | 92% | 17.6 kt | E | 10:00 | 28.3 °C | 27.8 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 52% | 92% | 84% | 14.4 kt | E | 10:00 | 28.3 °C | 28.3 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 42% | 65% | 57% | 12.1 kt | E | 08:00 | 28.3 °C | 28.9 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 58% | 74% | 68% | 13.7 kt | E | 11:00 | 28.3 °C | 28.9 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 83% | 100% | 95% | 16.6 kt | E | 11:00 | 27.8 °C | 28.3 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 77% | 95% | 89% | 16 kt | ENE | 11:00 | 27.2 °C | 27.8 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. 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.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Knee-deep in the JT Pro Center lesson area. Riding independently at Kite Beach means holding upwind.
Tides
Small Caribbean tide range. The Clifton Harbor tide forecast borrows Hillsborough, Carriacou data from 14 km away, which showed roughly 0.17-0.51 m on 2026-08-26, so check the lagoon depth on the spot rather than off a table.
Temperature
28 °C summer · 27 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 27–29 °C
Wetsuit
No wetsuit normally needed; water stays around 28 °C year-round, with sun protection or a rash vest recommended rather than neoprene.
Currents
minimal in the protected lagoon
Conditions
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
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: tight
Somewhere else
3 spots nearby
Rescue
+1 784 458 8339+1 784 526 3421
Rescue — full text1 min read
Launch
Primary launch is Kite Beach at Clifton, a small sandy beach just south of Union Island Airport; launch and land toward the water, and new riders register with the centre before launching. The Happy Island bar sits a few hundred metres out in the lagoon and is a normal mid-session stop.A reef with on-shore and side-shore waves is a 10-15 minute upwind ride away for advanced riders. Frigate is usually reached by boat or downwinder, and Big Sand has a limited launch because of rocks.
Rules & access
1 min read
- every new kiteboarder registers at JT Pro Center before launching;
- independent riders must ride comfortably upwind with good kite control;
- launch and land toward the water;
- do not leave the kite at 12 o'clock on the beach;
- respect the airport buoys and harbour limits;
- unsupervised beginners who cannot ride upwind may not kite there.
Grenadines
Marine Park
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Register at JT Pro Center before you launch at Kite Beach, and read the beach sign before you rig.
- Do not ride the main spot on your own unless you can hold upwind. Otherwise take lessons or boat-supported supervision.
- Take the boat-supported downwinder or a school trip to Frigate. The wind there is offshore and the rescue logistics are the whole point.
- Book the guided lagoon downwinder or the full-day multi-spot cruise to Frigate Island, to Mayreau and the Tobago Cays.
- On the Tobago Cays trips, ride only in the permitted zones and follow the rangers and your operator.
- Confirm the 2026 flights, the ferries and the accommodation before you buy the long-haul ticket. The island is still rebuilding after Beryl.
- Base yourself close in. The kite lodging sits 7-10 minutes from the launch.
- Pack sun first: rash vest, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, plenty of water. The neoprene stays home.
- Pack one size up from your home-water habit. The same knots in warm trade wind feel softer than in cold European air.
- Rent on the island rather than fighting board-bag fees and inter-island baggage limits; a pass covers every kite and board size on site.
- Put the hospital (+1 784 458 8339) and the police (+1 784 526 3421) in your phone before the first session. There is no big-island emergency network behind you.
Getting there
Airport
Union Island Airport (UNI/TVSU) at Clifton is the local airport, with daily SVG Air flights. Connect via Barbados (BGI) or Saint Vincent/Argyle (AIA). The airport officially reopened on 2026-05-28 after runway works.
Route
The fastest common route is an international flight to Barbados, then a short SVG Air inter-island flight to Union Island. The cheaper one is flying into Saint Vincent, often overnighting near Argyle Airport, then continuing by SVG Air or ferry. Book or at least check the inter-island leg before the long-haul flight: seats, schedules, board-bag space are all limited.
Transfer
About 5 minutes from Union Island Airport to the Clifton/Kite Beach area; JT Pro Center accommodation is described as about 7-10 minutes from the spot depending on property.
Cost level
high
Staying
Small hotels, villas, suites, kite-focused lodging rather than resort-scale inventory. Mer et Sel Villa & Suites is one of the JT Pro Center options near the spot. Confirm availability while the Beryl recovery continues.
No-wind days
Tobago Cays boat trips and turtle snorkeling, Mayreau/Palm Island trips, diving, snorkeling, Chatham Bay and Big Sand beach days, hiking to Clifton/Fort or Mount Taboi viewpoints, SUP safari, bicycle rental and local taxi tours.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Union Island?
The trade-wind season runs mid-November to July, with December through June most consistent and typically 15-25 knots.
Is Union Island suitable for beginners?
Yes, through supervised private lessons with dinghy support in shallow water; unsupervised beginners who cannot ride upwind are not allowed at Kite Beach.
What are the rules at Kite Beach?
All new riders must register at JT Pro Center before launching, unsupervised riders must ride comfortably upwind, and non-guests pay a US$20 daily amenities fee as of 2026.
Is there a kite school?
JT Pro Center and Happy Kite Grenadines both operate at Union Island, offering lessons, boat safety and dinghy support.
What are the main hazards?
Boat traffic and moorings downwind of the spot, offshore gusty wind at the nearby Frigate sub-spot, and ongoing post-Hurricane-Beryl infrastructure recovery to confirm before travel.
The bigger pictureEverything about Union Island / Grenadines
Last updated: August 2026