Sea · Florida · United States
Smathers Beach
Best for kiting from October to April, with 51 to 61 % kite days. Water 24 to 29 °C.
A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots (gusts up to 45) between 10:00 and 19:00, in daylight. Percentages are the share of such days in each month, counted over 9 years.
- Prime 60 % and more
- Good 40 to 59 %
- Possible 20 to 39 %
- Off under 20 %
- No data hatched
- Ringed: this month
Prime also needs a good month in at least 7 of the 9 years, so one freak year cannot make a month Prime. A month with 60 %+ but fewer good years shows as Good.
Confidence highHourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 55 % Goodabout 17 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 45 %
- Kiteable 55 %
- Too strong 0 %
- Good years
- 6 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
- 10 day trip
- 7 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 18:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 11.6 h
- Water
- 29 °C, boardshorts
- Air
- 28 °Cdaily maximum, 27 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 16 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Smathers Beach averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (55 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 61 | 51 | 58 | 57 | 42 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 55 | 58 | 54 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Possible | Possible | Possible | Possible | Good | Good | Good |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 8 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 8 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 3 of 9 | 1 of 9 | 0 of 9 | 1 of 9 | 1 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 4 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 17 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 17 |
| Daylighth | 10.8 | 11.3 | 12.0 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 13.6 | 13.5 | 13.0 | 12.3 | 11.6 | 11.0 | 10.7 |
| Water°C at the surface | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 24 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 7 of 31 | 5 of 28 | 5 of 31 | 7 of 30 | 12 of 31 | 16 of 30 | 16 of 31 | 18 of 31 | 20 of 30 | 16 of 31 | 8 of 30 | 7 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | shorty | shorty | shorty | shorty | shorts | shorts | shorts | shorts | shorts | shorts | shorts | shorty |
- In January, Smathers Beach averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (61 %). Water 24 °C, shorty. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Smathers Beach averaged 14 kite days out of 28 (51 %). Water 24 °C, shorty. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, Smathers Beach averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 25 °C, shorty. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Smathers Beach averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (57 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Smathers Beach averaged 13 kite days out of 31 (42 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Smathers Beach averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (27 %). Water 30 °C, boardshorts. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Smathers Beach averaged 7 kite days out of 31 (22 %). Water 31 °C, boardshorts. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Smathers Beach averaged 8 kite days out of 31 (26 %). Water 31 °C, boardshorts. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Smathers Beach averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (26 %). Water 31 °C, boardshorts. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Smathers Beach averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (55 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Smathers Beach averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (58 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Smathers Beach averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (54 %). Water 25 °C, shorty. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in December got at least 5 kite days.
Good year: at least half the days of that month were kite days. x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise. Best hours: the hours from 10:00 on when the wind most often reaches 12 to 35 knots. Rain day: 1 mm or more of rain.
Source: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly model wind, 2017 to 2025; water temperature 2023 to 2025. How we count kite days and trip odds
Trip odds at Smathers Beach
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.9 expected
- February6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- March8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.7 expected
- April6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.5 expected
- May4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.0 expected
- June2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.4 expected
- July2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.6 expected
- August2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.7 expected
- September2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.8 expected
- October (now)7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- November7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.5 expected
- December7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Trip odds by start week
Pick your start week and trip length. Each cell: of all trips of that length that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, how many in 10 got at least half their days with kite wind.
Trip odds by start week, 10 day trips, 2017 to 2025
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 5
- 6
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 7
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 5
- 7
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 3
- 2
- 0
- 1
- 1
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 1
- 1
- 3
- 3
- 1
- 1
- 2
- 5
- 5
- 7
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 6
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 8
- 6
Colours as in the kite year: 6 in 10 and more like Prime · 4 to 5 in 10 like Good · 2 to 3 in 10 like Possible · under 2 in 10 like Off · No data hatched (fewer than 30 trips) · Ringed: this week · Raised: your start week
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Source: hourly wind from the ECMWF IFS model via Open-Meteo, 2017 to 2025, kiteCOMPASS method v1. How we count
9 in 10
trips of 10 days starting in week 45 (e.g. 5 to 11 November) got at least 5 kite days in 2017 to 2025 (63 trips).
Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20
about 6.0 kite days expected out of 10
Kite days per trip, 63 trips
Bars right of the line are good trips (5 kite days or more).
How the wind behaves
In January, the windiest month
- Too light 39 %
- Kiteable 61 %
- Too strong 0 %
Too light on 39 %, kiteable on 61 %, too strong on 0 % of days.
Best hours: 10:00 to 17:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind direction varies, most often N (0°).
Kitesurfing at Smathers Beach: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Smathers Beach?
The best months are October to April: from 2017 to 2025, 51 to 61 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Smathers Beach windy in October?
Yes, often. 55 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 17 days in a typical October. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Smathers Beach?
The water ranges from 24 °C in January to 31 °C in July. In October it is about 29 °C (wetsuit: boardshorts).
How many kite days does Smathers Beach get in a year?
About 163 days a year were kite days from 2017 to 2025, out of 365. A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn.
Live forecast
The numbers above are long term averages. The forecast shows the next days.
Live forecast from Windy
The forecast map for Smathers Beach comes from windy.com (Windyty SE, Prague, Czech Republic) and opens right here on this page. Once you load it, your browser contacts Windy, which receives your IP address and may set its own cookies. Nothing is loaded before you click.
Spot facts
- Region
- Florida
- Country
- United States
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- Key West International Airport (EYW), 1 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC-04:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 24.5523, -81.7670
- Model
- ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Conditions, checked against kite guides
Water state, flat areas, waves and whether schools teach here, from kite sources, not from satellite images.
Not yet checked against kite guides. We research spot conditions one by one and show only what a kite source says.
Nearby kite spots in Florida
Kite days in October, % of days
- Matecumbe Key
United States · 2 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
53 %Kite days by month at Matecumbe Key: Jan 57 %, Feb 50 %, Mar 56 %, Apr 57 %, May 40 %, Jun 24 %, Jul 20 %, Aug 27 %, Sep 25 %, Oct 53 %, Nov 52 %, Dec 54 % - Dry Tortugas
United States · 3 points more kite days than Smathers Beach in October
58 %Kite days by month at Dry Tortugas: Jan 66 %, Feb 55 %, Mar 59 %, Apr 56 %, May 42 %, Jun 26 %, Jul 20 %, Aug 24 %, Sep 24 %, Oct 58 %, Nov 62 %, Dec 58 % - Islamorada Flats
United States · 1 point more kite days than Smathers Beach in October
56 %Kite days by month at Islamorada Flats: Jan 54 %, Feb 49 %, Mar 58 %, Apr 61 %, May 41 %, Jun 27 %, Jul 22 %, Aug 27 %, Sep 27 %, Oct 56 %, Nov 50 %, Dec 51 % - Marco Island
United States · 37 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
18 %Kite days by month at Marco Island: Jan 24 %, Feb 17 %, Mar 30 %, Apr 31 %, May 17 %, Jun 8 %, Jul 3 %, Aug 7 %, Sep 10 %, Oct 18 %, Nov 18 %, Dec 21 % - Matheson Hammock
United States · 17 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
38 %Kite days by month at Matheson Hammock: Jan 39 %, Feb 40 %, Mar 48 %, Apr 49 %, May 36 %, Jun 12 %, Jul 7 %, Aug 12 %, Sep 16 %, Oct 38 %, Nov 32 %, Dec 34 % - Miami Flats
United States · 9 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
46 %Kite days by month at Miami Flats: Jan 45 %, Feb 45 %, Mar 54 %, Apr 55 %, May 43 %, Jun 18 %, Jul 12 %, Aug 17 %, Sep 20 %, Oct 46 %, Nov 39 %, Dec 42 % - Crandon Beach
United States · 3 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
52 %Kite days by month at Crandon Beach: Jan 52 %, Feb 52 %, Mar 59 %, Apr 61 %, May 50 %, Jun 24 %, Jul 17 %, Aug 22 %, Sep 23 %, Oct 52 %, Nov 49 %, Dec 51 % - South Fort Myers Beach
United States · 33 points fewer kite days than Smathers Beach in October
22 %Kite days by month at South Fort Myers Beach: Jan 25 %, Feb 24 %, Mar 39 %, Apr 37 %, May 28 %, Jun 8 %, Jul 4 %, Aug 7 %, Sep 13 %, Oct 22 %, Nov 22 %, Dec 18 %
Plan your trip
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kiteCOMPASS · method k3h-10to19-v1 · 2017 to 2025
Model wind: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025. Water temperature: 2023 to 2025. Kite day: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 55 % of days at Smathers Beach met the kiteCOMPASS kite day rule: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn (ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025). https://kitecompass.app/spot/smathers-beach
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.