Local Kitesurfing Spots – southcentralkiteboarders

Local Kite-surfing Spots

Welcome and introduction: The Southcentral Area is pristine and unrestricted at present. Please keep it this way by kiting safe, launching well away from others, kiting well away from other water and beach users, using a safety leash, and having membership with KSA. This website assumes you have KSA membership, (If interstate / international then your local membership) have taken kitesurfing lessons or are a competent kitesurfer and water person. You kitesurf at your own risk. The following information is to help you find our spots and kite there safely. Please say hello and join the group, that’s the best way to keep our coast safe and free for all. If there are surf clubs and flags set up keep away from them, in in doubt ask the Surflifesaver where to keep clear of.

Christies Beach: EXPERIENCED – PRO LEVEL KITERS IN NORTH WINDS: Not kited generally at all, not recommended, cliffs and beach goers and swirling winds. It is possible to kite from the beach across to the reef in the bay in a stronger north wind, however this is for experienced kiters only and always kite the morning north wind as it is likely to drop out after lunch and leave you swimming with your kite in the afternoon. If you drift then you can head towards rocks after a long body drag over the ocean floor. Launching is in front of rocks in higher tide so that is quite dangerous. Keep away from the surf club flags – summer this is a no go spot as there are too many beach goers

Port Noarulunga: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: Lovers lane – Esplanade end, Lumpy water, small waves, nice beach, good in southerly to westerly wind, lock your stuff up, prime theft spot. Note: commonly there are Surfclub swimming flags here, do not pass through them, regardless of how far out to sea you are. They are prohibited for us. This area seems to attact a lot of choppy water with the gap in the reef – so be prepared to bounced around a lot best in SW to W winds

South Port: NOVICE – ADVANCED: River outlet at the south of Port Noarlunga, access over the walkway to the surf club, great beach, long walk, keep clear of the beach goers and when the club are there get right away from them, always surfers of mixed ability. Best in west or NW wind when no one is around as its kite conditions only. Note: commonly there are Surfclub swimming flags here, do not pass through them, regardless of how far out to sea you are. They are prohibited for us. Busy beach goers spot and often there are surf life saving competitions with the local surf club, if this is the case keep down wind of them.
THE MID COAST – SEAFORD / U-TURNS: INTERMEDIATE – ADVANCED – PRO there are any number of awesome little waves here. This is a heavily surfed for small waves. When surfers are on the waves steer clear of them and they will be in groups so that’s easy. It is tempting to get into the line up but don’t. There are plenty of waves for kiters for most of the year and when surfing crowded there is access to many waves along this stretch. Try seaford bay and U-turns area, there will be surfers on these breaks but you can have it all in between. On stormy days you will have it to yourself, take care in winter when there is no beach and therefore no way of launching so forget it. Sea breezes are fickle and will let you down around 4pm onwards turing offshore and dropping out. Frontal weater patters offer more consistency but a good SW pattern will lead to a nice long sea breeze pattern for that day in summer. At seaford look out for rocks the beach here can be savage and just under the water in some spots is a rocky reef. Seaford and U-turn are the 2 spots mostly kited in SW W and NW NNW winds – any wind with a touch of East is not recommended. you need some tide to cover the reefs before you can kite; when the tides are too high the beach can go missing which is normally in winter or large storms. If there is no beach then launching can be impossible and therefore not recommended. There are times on the mid coast when you simply cannot kite due to storm winds and you are essentially right next to a cliff so DO NOT kite!
Moana: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: Moana has a reserve ban for all vessels from the club to third ave, we have not seen it policed but that’s your risk. Best option is north down the stairs and kite the waves or south on the beach (you can drive on the beach during summer season – check the sign on the way onto the beach in case its closed). Most of the year you can kite here with some beach when other beaches are washed up. During peak summer there are hundreds of people all over it and sea breezes all along the mid coast are fickle. Take care, if there are too many people, just forget it. Note: commonly there are Surfclub swimming flags here, (normally directly out the front of the Surfclub) do not pass through them, regardless of how far out to sea you are. They are prohibited for us. Best winds are SSW SW W NW – full North wind can be off shore and unkiteable. Remember if its busy with people and swimmers then find somewhere else to kite.
Maslins: not kited – head to the southern end if you like nude bathing, whatever floats your board
Port Willunga: INTERMEDIATE – ADVANCED – PRO: Northerly wind spot on strong N to NW wind, great spot for most of the year when a north pattern is pumping. In summer sea breeze is useless here and there will be a Bondi / Hawaii class packed beach so avoid it. There will even be people packing it out when the weather sucks in a determination to be on the beach no matter what. This beach is a hallowed ground for the locals and they can be very sensitive about it, however mostly in very strong north winds its cleared out of people.
Snapper Point: NOVICE (WITH ADVANCED SUPPORT) – ADVANCED – PRO: Snapper point is one of the world class flat water and small wave spots in all of the whole of South Australia. It is however, tide dependent and needs a local tide of 1.2m and up before your twintip will clear the rocks. The area is 400m by 600m of perfect flat reef most of which you can stand on except for the rocks that dot the area. You need to check the rocks at the shore which are extremely sharp and hungry but when they are covered and then you are good to go. Have a launcher and lander, best in southern to northerly wind but usually weather pattern dependent, seabreezes can be dodgy. Also in summer the tides are often not usuable and its just a bit flat rock. If you want to kite here go out with the locals and get to know the spot, you will know kitesurfing like you never dreamed when its on. Snapper also is quite light on beach users as its not swimmer friendly. Lock you car up as its a long way out of sight. Best Winds: S SW W NW N – never kite in SE winds – Novices to be with advanced riders especially with southerly winds or you can be drifting out to sea. Note that in winter tides you can run out of beach and be pushed up against the cliff – conditions change here each season as the winter storms move sand around making it really nice to beach launch or really hard due to rocks and no sand.

Little Snapper: INTERMEDIATE – ADVANCED – PRO: very rocky area but there is potential here for kitesurfing when there is less water over snapper, there is wind and there is a packed crowd at Aldinga Beach. kite with a buddy and you should be experienced to kite here. This spot has sketchy launching and its best mid to high tide, there are very shallow rocks all around this area so be wary.
Aldinga Beach: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: Great spot for south to north west wind, very fickle in seabreeze and it will go offshore at the drop of a hat. SW patterns and a full seabreeze before 4.00pm is best or a proper weather pattern of wind. In summer this can be packed out and best avoided. Small waves in summer at best, but for the rest of the year with good winds and no one on the beach its great, you can drive on the beach at summer season but there is a fine during the prohibited season. I have never seen swimming flags on this beach but there is a boat launch on the northern end so look out for boaties, and swimmers all along the beach. Bad weather in SW to W winds are best as the crowds are gone, you can drive onto the beach at certain seasons – check with council or on the beach signs; winter is pretty good to kite here and you can park at the southern carpark of the beach and walk down to the sand.
Normanville: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO. Flat water, best spot for flat water in strong northerlies, the north wind during summer blows harder earlier and longer. Very popular beach goer spot so take care. Almost no real seabreeze, look for patterns of north or west. Walk up the beach and away from the families. Best winds N NW – It will blow earlier, stronger and last longer here, but it will also drop out in the afternoon. If you want to practice freestyle and its a lighter North wind then head here and you might get a surprise but don’t sleep in.
Waitpinga and Parsons: ADVANCED – PRO: Usually not much on offer for kitesurfing, popular heavy wave for surfing but the wind never really seems to get in there even when windy in other locations. If you are there for a surf and the wind kicks you are lucky, very heavy wave and very powerful surf, you must be very competent to kite here.
Kent Reserve: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: One of the best kitesurfing spots in the world, with flat water in the front area to waves out the back for the experienced, this depends on the swell and some days it can be all flat and others pumping with massive swells through the bay. You get to kite across the bay to Granite Island and back and have the Bluff to the south with Wright and Seal island in the bay. Its a very special spot and quite unique. If you are a novice stick to the close shore area over the reef, otherwise kite out and look out for the exposed reefs and you will love this spot. Out the front of the beach there is a flat reef that is fairly safe when covered in water, however in very low tide the reef will dry out and then stick out and it is not safe to kite. Some days there are boats moored in the bay and I have counted 3 kites so far hooked up in the masts. Note: stay well upwind from them, then there is no problem.
The biggest risk at this beach is beach goers, make sure you walk to the southern point and then launch, do not launch in the beach goers as it is quite a wind shadow. Also in light winds you will end up down to the northern end in the wind shadow and your kite will drop out the sky into a picnic lunch, so if in this situation go right downwind and clear the people. they are normally only in a small area so its not hard. Locals here can get pretty upset with stupid kiting, introduce yourself and ask, ask to be launched and landed, we all do it, kitesurfing is NOT a loner sport, if you are a loner find another sport, otherwise enjoy the company of great people. Best in southerly winds to SSW, no good for northerly winds, offshore. There is a 4 knot limit in encounter bay so when close to shore keep away from other water users, also stay away from whales or like the jet skis we will be banned for most of the year. BEST WINDS SSW S SSE SE – summer southeast patters are best. W to SW patterns are no good as they are offshore.
Middleton: NOICE (NOVICE WAVE RIDERS) – PRO: Wave spot, we usually kite at ‘Rose Steet’ its in between the surfers and the Day street surfers and surfing schools. Go off the main road at Rose street and down to the most eastern carport (of 2) and there will be crew and kites, say hi and get into it. Caution: there is any number of surfers and families trying to surf in the shallows, they will bob up unannounced, try and keep away from them and get out into the waves, that’s why you are there for the solid swells that Middleton offers perfect for kiting, why people stick around in the shallows in flat water trying to run kids over I have no idea, if its so light you can’t ride the waves then head back to Kent. Middleton is best in West to South East winds, but the best winds are SW. Seabreeze can be fickle and usually not enough to kite, best when the pattern is pusing up SW to SE wind and it feeds it in the afternoon. The other wind is the super strong SE pattern, all the surfers hate this wind as it destroys the waves for surfing but we love it, its on and its all ours. Note: commonly there are Surfclub swimming flags here, at Day Street, Chapman street carparks and often surf life saving competitions, do not pass through them, regardless of how far out to sea you are. They are prohibited for us. If you go through a surf lifesaving flag or competition you will have to answer to the entire surf life saving community and the State Government, why bother?
Goolwa: Wave Spot – NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: Goolwa is similar to middleton with waves but they are larger but can be more chopped up in SW winds, SE wind is quite good as the bay wraps around and makes SE wind a bit better side shore. The best thing here is with a 4wd you can drive onto the beach and get away from the Goolwa beach goers who can pack the place out. Get on the beach and head east just a little way and you will see the local crew there. Again, keep out of the main Goolwa carpark swimmers, they only take up about 100m of beach and water so why cram them up. Note: commonly there are Surfclub swimming flags here, do not pass through them, regardless of how far out to sea you are. They are prohibited for us. they are always in front of the car park, head up the beach in a 4wd and get 2-3 ks away and enjoy the freedom. If you dont haev a 4wd walk west on the beach in SE wind and kite there and don’t tack up into the swimming area. If SW wind walk East up the beach and same. If you dont know what direction the wind is move somewhere else. Also try Cliffs at Middleton Where Surfers Parade meets Waikki way, or Tahiti Tce and Tonga Way, there is a good bank usually at ‘Tonga’ and there is always less people there. From Goolwa go to the carpakrs at Boult Street as you can kite in a SE across the front of Tokuremour Reserve and have it usually to yourselves. The best thing about going East along the beach is that the further you go the more side shore the SE wind becomes, so get into it.
Milang: NOVICE (WITH ADVANCED HELP) – PRO nice flat water river water spot with better seabreeze, be careful with boats and jetties etc. – Launching here is on grass which is slippery (NOT like sand) and there are obstacles around so be really careful and I have seen kites hit trees here from careless kite-surfing protocol. totally FLAT
Boggy Lake: NOVICE – PRO: One of the best seabreeze areas in the state. If you have been missing a kite and really want to just get some wind under the belt, head to boggy lake, its 20km west of wellington, there is a gate to enter and make sure you shut it as the farmer is very good to let us use it. This is flat fresh water and over the other side of the bay is glass flat water, its a novelty fun time, sea breeze kicks usually around 4pm when there is any southerly pattern in summer, its almost guaranteed wind. Avoid it in NE N and NW and even W wind, its really a sea breeze spot. Launching on Grass so watch the slip hazard. Oh yeah did I mention snakes??
GOOLWA LAKE: NO! The Goolwa lake is NOT recommended for kitesurfing, its gusty, full of hard objects, has multiple water and beach users and generally is very dangerous, we do not kite it and do not recommend it. Let me warn you – I gave warning to a young lady who chose to ignore my warning and she launched her kite and got dragged over the rocks at the boat ramp luckily slamming her kite into the water before hitting the boat ramp obstacles. DO NOT KITE HERE.

SUGARS BEACH: NOVICE – ADVANCED – PRO: Sugars Beach at the (Hindmarsh Island) Coorong River mouth is also another popular spot, however technically being a National Park reserve kitesurfing is technically not a permitted activity, if you kite there then you take this risk. We have seen a lot of kiting here lately without problems and so at present it seems to be going okay. Best in SW S SE winds and you will need some tide over the beach – mid to high tide, you may get there in summer and think its just a sandy beach – check the tides.

MORGAN BEACH CAPE JERVIS: ADVANCED TO PRO – north wind beach with lots of rocks and other foul cliffs and basically an obstacle course. It can have some swell but it does not really break very well. As its so far away its rarely kited and offers no real attraction except for novelty. Beach conditions change every year so it has to be assessed regularly. Best Winds are N NNW – southerlies are out of the question. the rest of Cape Jervis is not kiteable as its just rocks and no beach. When you look at google Earth you will see the rocky coast and it really has nothing to offer the kitesurfer.