The setup

Cocoa Beach has riding locations for all wind directions and the area is a prime kiting destination. The main spot is known as the ‘520 slick’ in the Bicentennial Memorial Park which lies on the south side of the 520 Causeway in the Banana River. This shallow, flat water spot has a grassy rigging area and can be ridden in any direction, but works best in a northerly. Head there in summer when the thermals come in as it usually blows stronger than on the coast.

The water is pretty shallow except in the clearly marked boat channels. The bottom is silty but with a few sharp rocks and shells, so booties are a good idea when kiting there. It’s also the natural habitat for dolphins and manatees so there are some interesting locals around!

On the coast you’ll find waves of various sizes but typically no bigger than waist to shoulder height, except in winter when hurricanes whip up the bigger swells. If it’s too big, you can always cruise up to Jetty Park where the waves will be smaller and more spread out and downwinders are popular among the locals as you can use the public bus / trolley system to travel back up the coast.

Cocoa Beach is also a great place to learn due to the warm, flat water in the river.