In the world of kiteboarding, the Turks and Caicos Islands are still relatively uncharted waters. Truth be told, the best Turks and Caicos kiteboarding spots hold up with any of the top spots in the Caribbean. They’re some of the best-kept secrets in the kiteboarding world, and absolutely worth exploring.
The Turks and Caicos Islands offer beautiful weather year-round, bathtub-warm water, and surprisingly empty beaches, along with cooling winds that make for the perfect kiteboarding conditions.
Best of all, these waters are perfect for kiteboarders of all skill levels. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or you’re learning to kiteboard for the first time, the conditions make for an unforgettable experience—no matter who’s on the board.
Where to Kiteboard in the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands have an incredible wealth of great spots for kiteboarding or kitesurfing. The best wind conditions tend to be between November and July, which conveniently overlaps with tourist season. Come August, the winds vanish, so don’t expect to get any surfing done in the late summer or early fall.
The water in the Turks and Caicos is always warm, so you can kiteboard right in your bathing suit. The standard kite sizes are 10m and 12m. Let’s take a look at the best locations for kiteboarding:
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Long Bay
Long Bay Beach, in the Caicos Banks, is the best spot for kiteboarding in the Turks and Caicos. Long Bay is located a short five minutes away from Grace Bay, the main tourist spot in Providenciales. Long Bay catches the Easterly trade winds thanks to its east-facing location on the northeastern tip of Provo, which makes it absolutely perfect conditions for first-time learners.
What makes Long Bay so special? The white sand beaches are incredibly soft, and they’re complemented by shallow, waist-deep waters that extend out for what seems like miles. At low tide, the water is only two feet deep, and at high tide, they’re still only as deep as 4.5 feet. These waters are especially forgiving to first-time learners, as they’re so shallow for so far that your instructor can easily accompany you on foot. The water can be choppy at high tide, but it’s incredibly flat at low tide.
When you hear “best spot for kiteboarding in the Turks and Caicos,” your mind may immediately jump to “overcrowded beach,” but that couldn’t be further from reality. Long Bay is still relatively undiscovered, and there’s never many more than 20 kiteboarders strewn across the several -mile beach. Luckily, it’s just busy enough that there’s always someone around to help you get up on the water.
The side-on winds of 15-25 knots and flat waters make it a great spot to ride freestyle and freeride. At Big Blue, we do most of our famous kiteboarding instruction at Long Bay.
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Grace Bay
Grace Bay Beach is also located at the northeast corner of Providenciales, only five minutes from Long Bay. Grace Bay is a step up from difficulty over Long Bay, only offering conditions for more experienced riders.
The crescent shape of the beach actually makes it so that during normal trade winds, the wind is totally dead offshore. But, when northeast wind systems kick in, Grace Bay becomes one of the best kiteboarding spots in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The water is much deeper at Grace Bay—12 feet deep to be exact—so riders here must be experienced enough to ride upwind, and they must also be able to relaunch in overhead deep water. The beach runs seven miles long, so there are always plenty of clear spots to launch from. The water is typically fairly choppy here, making it perfect for chop hopping.
If there’s a swell, then there’s typically an amazing break on the barrier reef, located a mile offshore, which creates perfect kiteboarding conditions. The North Shore reef brings a huge challenge to even the most experienced riders. Note that you’ll definitely need a boat if you want to get that far out and be able to make it back to shore.
If you’re able to catch Grace Bay during its side-on northeast winds, don’t miss the chance!
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North & Middle Caicos Islands
Many riders never make it off Providenciales, but there are many neighboring cays that are perfect for kiteboarding. At Big Blue Collective, we offer Surfaris to the Middle Caicos and North Caicos Islands that let you explore these nearly deserted beaches.
Leaving from Leeward, we explore the Turks and Caicos backcountry, seeing many sights that you’ll never forget. If you’re in the Turks and Caicos and you’d like a truly unique kiteboarding experience, be sure to check out one of our Downwinders or Surfing Safaris.
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Northwest Point
Northwest Point is a little-known beach at the—you guessed it—northwest point of Providenciales. This untrodden beach is completely secluded, giving riders all the open water they could ever need.
Northwest Point has some of the strongest winds of any point on the island. The waters here are home to many sand bars and small waves that also make for great snorkeling. If there’s a swell, there’s a great break on the reef here too.
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Chalk Sound
Chalk Sound has unbelievable turquoise water that always seems to be reserved for the world’s most beautiful locations. Chalk Sound National Park is a sight to behold in southwest Providenciales. This natural lagoon has hundreds of small rocky islands and clear waters.
It can be hard to get up or to launch in Chalk Sound, but once you do, it’s one of the most beautiful kiteboarding spots in the world.
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Turtle Tail
Located on the south coast of Providenciales, Turtle Tail is actually a luxurious residential area with some of the most beautiful ocean views on the island. This peninsula is more difficult to get to than Long Bay and Grace Bay, but once you can get there, it provides buttery-calm waters that are great for any skill level.
Just like Long Bay, Turtle Tail is constantly exposed to the Easterly trade winds, which can make for choppy conditions when the winds are strong, but the shallow Caicos Banks typically make for incredibly calm waters.
Learn more about our kiteboard offerings in the Turks and Caicos here, or get in touch with Big Blue Collective to book your kiteboarding excursion now!