Airlie Beach – Whitsunday Islands
Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
Sports: Kitesurfing, SUP
Best time to go: May–October
Airlie Beach faces Pioneer Bay on the Queensland coast, at the edge of the Whitsunday Passage and its many islands. The Great Barrier Reef blocks ocean swell, so the water is mostly flat to choppy. From about May to October southeasterly trade winds blow steadily, often moderate to fresh, while the wet summer months bring lighter, more variable winds, heat and the risk of tropical cyclones.
The tidal range is large for the tropics and currents can run strongly through the passages and around headlands, so plan with tide tables, especially when sailing between islands. Marine stingers, including box jellyfish, are present mainly from about November to May, and a full stinger suit is advised; estuarine crocodiles may also be found in the region. Local clubs and schools offer dinghy and keelboat sailing, and the area is also a base for chartering. Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week, both in August, are popular regattas.
Month by month at Airlie Beach – Whitsunday Islands
- January: outside the windy season, waves 0.9 m, water 29°C, air 30°C (nights 25°C), 26 sunny days, 19 rainy days
- February: outside the windy season, waves 0.9 m, water 29°C, air 29°C (nights 25°C), 22 sunny days, 21 rainy days
- March: outside the windy season, waves 0.9 m, water 28°C, air 29°C (nights 25°C), 27 sunny days, 19 rainy days
- April: outside the windy season, waves 1 m, water 27°C, air 27°C (nights 23°C), 27 sunny days, 17 rainy days
- May: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.9 m, water 24°C, air 25°C (nights 20°C), 28 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- June: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.8 m, water 23°C, air 23°C (nights 18°C), 28 sunny days, 9 rainy days
- July: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.8 m, water 22°C, air 22°C (nights 17°C), 28 sunny days, 9 rainy days
- August: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.8 m, water 22°C, air 23°C (nights 18°C), 30 sunny days, 7 rainy days
- September: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.8 m, water 23°C, air 25°C (nights 20°C), 29 sunny days, 7 rainy days
- October: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.7 m, water 26°C, air 27°C (nights 22°C), 30 sunny days, 9 rainy days
- November: outside the windy season, waves 0.7 m, water 28°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), 29 sunny days, 11 rainy days
- December: outside the windy season, waves 0.8 m, water 29°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), 28 sunny days, 16 rainy days
When is the best time to go kitesurfing at Airlie Beach – Whitsunday Islands?
May–October, when it is windy most often.
How warm is the water at Airlie Beach – Whitsunday Islands?
22°C to 29°C over the year: boardshorts, no wetsuit needed in the warmest month, a 3/2 full suit in the coolest.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
More: All spots in Australia · Kitesurfing in Australia · SUP in Australia