Best time to kitesurf San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue

The best time to kitesurf at San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue is April–September, the well-known local wind season, with water around 15°C.

San Mateo, California, United States

Sports: Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling, Windsurfing

Best time to go: April–September

San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue wind & wave forecast

Coyote Point Recreation Area and the Third Avenue launch at Seal Point lie about 2.5 km apart on the San Mateo shore of San Francisco Bay, just south of San Francisco International Airport. Coyote Point is a long-established windsurf spot with a grassy rigging area and a pebble beach. Kiters mostly use Third Avenue, where the launch areas are the upper launch on the mud flats and the beach launch below the car park, and the windsurf corridor is kept clear.

In spring and summer the sea breeze is pulled through the gap in the coastal hills and blows across the bay from the west and north-west, often strong. The airport weather station, 5 km away, records 15 knots or more on about three days in four in April, nearly nine in ten from May to August and six in ten in September, but only one to three in ten from November to February. The water is choppy, flatter close to the shore.

The tide decides a lot: Coyote Point has plenty of space at low tide but a tricky kite launch at high tide; at Third Avenue a low tide leaves a wide area of mud in the wind shadow, while a rising tide can push you onto the rocks. Slippery mud and rocks lie just under the surface, so wear booties, and watch for the navigation pylons downwind of the Coyote Point launch. The water is about 12 °C in winter and 16 to 17 °C in late summer: a 4/3 or 5/4 most of the year.

Month by month at San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue

January: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 13°C, air 14°C (nights 8°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 24 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 8; a day can have both
February: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 13°C, air 14°C (nights 8°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 23 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 9; a day can have both
March: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 28 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 10; a day can have both
April: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 14°C, air 16°C (nights 10°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 4; a day can have both
May: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.5 m, water 14°C, air 18°C (nights 11°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
June: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 15°C, air 19°C (nights 12°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, almost no rain
July: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 16°C, air 20°C (nights 14°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, almost no rain
August: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 17°C, air 21°C (nights 15°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, almost no rain
September: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 17°C, air 22°C (nights 15°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
October: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 0.4 m, water 16°C, air 21°C (nights 14°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
November: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 0.5 m, water 14°C, air 16°C (nights 11°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 26 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 8; a day can have both
December: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 13°C, air 13°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 21 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 11; a day can have both

Kitesurfing in the USA: April, May, June, July, August, September

When is the best time to go kitesurfing, wingfoiling & windsurfing at San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue?

April–September, the well-known local wind season (weather models underestimate the local winds here).

How warm is the water at San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue?

13°C to 17°C over the year: a 4/3 full suit in the warmest month, a 5/4 with hood, boots and gloves in the coolest.

How windy is San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue?

About 19 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in March.

Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).

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Spots near San Mateo – Coyote Point / Third Avenue

Mavericks – Half Moon Bay (19 km)
Alameda – Crown Beach (20 km)
San Francisco Bay – Crissy Field (28 km)
Sherman Island – Sacramento Delta (68 km)
Santa Cruz – Cowell's (74 km)
Bodega Bay – Doran Beach (102 km)
Morro Bay (279 km)

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