KITE BOARDING AND WIND SURFING

Kite Boarding and Wind Surfing Around Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island, BC

Victoria and southern Vancouver Island, BC is a paradise for windsurfers and kite boarders. There is a large choice of scenic locations, so it is easy to find a spot with good wind conditions, and with Victoria’s mild climate it all combines to provide some amazing opportunities for sailing, including one of the premier wind surfing destinations in North America at Nitinat Lake, just 2 ½ hours from Victoria. Whether you are a novice or an expert, there is something here for everyone.

Where to Kite Board

Dallas Rd, near Cook St. Only a few minutes from downtown Victoria, the windy conditions and fantastic view of the Olympic Mountains make Dallas Road Beach one of the most popular locations for local as well as visiting kite boarders in Victoria. Some people call this kite beach. This spot is the best in the summer and is intermediate to advanced kiters only.
Island View Beach Is located in Central Saanich on Haro Strait about 15 minutes north of downtown Victoria. It is best with SE or NE winds and is a better option for newer kiters because of the light onshore winds.
Willows Beach is located in Oak Bay, and is a large sandy beach .
Clover Point is a good place to get out that trainer kite for a practice session.
Gordon’s Beach (Muir Creek) is about a 60 minute drive east of Victoria, just past Sooke on the Juan de Fuca Strait.
Nitinat Lake is rated as one of the top windsurfing destinations in North America and is about a 2 1/2 drive from Victoria.  Its geographical location and geology give the lake’s north end remarkably consistent winds throughout the summer. As the sun warms the land in the mornings causing winds to steadily rise, becoming a steady breeze by mid-morning and peaking mid-afternoon, upwards of 30 knots and continuing right through the early evening. Bring your own board or take lessons from the some of the instructional schools located right here.

 For a more complete listing of good windsurfing locations around Victoria, check out their website here:  Island Windsurfers

What to Wear

The ocean surrounding Victoria is very, cold ranging from winter lows of 8ºC or 43.5ºF to highs of 12ºC or 53.5ºF in the summer months. So care should be taken when planning to windsurf and kiteboard here.  Where the appropriate clothing, ie full wetsuits.

At Nitinat, they generally use full wetsuits, but the lake water does warm up during the summer and a shorty wetsuit may be enough.

Kite Boarding Instruction

Ocean Rodeo – Outlet Store

41 Cadillac Ave, Victoria BC, V8Z 1T3
Phone: 888-544-4969
Email: sales@oceanrodeo.com

Gyro Beach Boardshop

Checking the Weather

Check out the Big Wave Dave forum.  It is an active place for both Vancouver Island kiteboarding and windsurfing as well as your source to wind conditions  and web cams at the various beaches.

Website:  Big Wave Dave

Other good wind information can be found at Windfinder.

Website:   Windfinder