Kite spot on water · United States
Alki
Riders have kited it in N, S.
- Works in
- N, S
- Nearest airport
- BFIKing County International Airport - Boeing Field, 10 km
Forecast and webcams
Before you go
Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.
Webcams nearby
Live images from cameras within 25 km of the spot. Click to open the camera on Windy.com.
Webcams: Windy.com
Tips for this spot
- Offshore wind carries you away from land. Do not ride it without a rescue boat.
- When a storm is coming, get out of the water and land the kite at once. Gusts before a storm are violent and a kite overhead is the highest point around.
- New spot: ask locals about shallows, currents and where people launch.
On site
Wind and riding area
worksno reports
Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.
Pparking
From riders
What you need to know
Watch out for
- Downwind there is about 1/4 mile of beach followed by 1/4 mile of walkway just above the high-tide line; the southern launch areas are rocky.community map
- There is a lot of open water north of Alki Point, making any gear failure or emergency there dangerous.community map
- Wind near the shore is often lighter than 100-200 yards upwind, making it harder to get off the beach.community map
Where to launch
- In south wind, you can launch just south of Alki Point and by the pool in Lincoln Park, but the beaches there are rocky.community map
- Usual launch is at the NE end of the beach (first end when arriving from West Seattle Bridge).community map
Parking
- Car park about 550 m from the spot.OpenStreetMap
Getting there
- From I-5, take Spokane St west across the West Seattle Bridge, exit right, turn right, and follow Harbor Ave / Alki Ave for about 3 miles.community map
Riders' tips
- If the Alki Point sensor reads around 20, it is barely rideable near shore on a 16-20m kite, but there is plenty of wind further out.community map
In riders' own words
- „Alki beach in West Seattle can sometimes work as a north wind launch... launch just south of Alki point and near the Lincoln park pool on south winds“
- „If there are 4 kiteboarders out it is one of the busiest days of the year. There is about 1/4 mile of beach down wind“
- „The usual launch is near the NE end of the beach, the first end you get to driving there from the West Seattle bridge.“
- „It is also possible to launch just south of Alki point and near the Lincoln park pool on south winds and a couple places between, but they are all rocky beaches“
- „OpenStreetMap way/1002177057“
- „To get there take Spokane street west from I-5. Go over the West Seattle bridge. Exit on the right and turn right and follow the road“
- „There is about 1/4 mile of beach down wind, and beyond that another 1/4 mile of sidewalk just a bit higher than high tide water“
- „The wind is often lighter near shore than 100-200 yards upwind, which makes it hard to get off the beach and into the kiteable wind.“
- „The wind is usually stronger near the point, but there is allot of open water north of there so the break down scenario is not good.“
- „If the Alki point wind sensor reads around 20, it is likely barely kiteable with 16-20M kite off the beach, but well powered farther out.“
Photos from the area
senapa, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Elias Gayles from USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wind by month
When it blows
Average wind speed 10 m above ground from NASA POWER (MERRA-2, 2001–2025). The model works on a grid of roughly 50 km; on hills and by the water the wind is often stronger and gustier.
windiest monthsaverage wind in knots, NASA POWER; below the month in m/s
Values by month
| January | 4.7 knots · 2.4 m/s |
|---|---|
| February | 4.4 knots · 2.3 m/s |
| March | 4.8 knots · 2.5 m/s |
| April | 4.1 knots · 2.1 m/s |
| May | 3.4 knots · 1.7 m/s |
| June | 3.2 knots · 1.6 m/s |
| July | 2.9 knots · 1.5 m/s |
| August | 3.1 knots · 1.6 m/s |
| September | 3.5 knots · 1.8 m/s |
| October | 4.1 knots · 2.1 m/s |
| November | 4.8 knots · 2.5 m/s |
| December | 4.7 knots · 2.4 m/s |
Nearby
More spots within 60 km
Been there?
Add what you know
Parking changed, a new ban, a new obstacle in the water? Tell us, we will check it and update the page.
Sources: Community map “USA NW Kite Spots” (Google My Maps). Wind NASA POWER, airports OurAirports, photos Wikimedia Commons (author and licence with each photo). As of 17 October 2026. These are riders' reports; local rules change, so look around before you ride and follow local signs.
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