Best time to kitesurf Shark Bay – Denham

The best time to kitesurf at Shark Bay – Denham is January, with about 29 windy days a month (15+ knots) and water around 26°C.

Denham, Western Australia, Australia

Sports: Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling

Best time to go: January

Denham is the only town on the Peron Peninsula in Shark Bay, a World Heritage Area on the coast of Western Australia about 820 km north of Perth: a nine-hour drive on sealed roads, or about two hours' flight to Shark Bay airport near Monkey Mia. There are caravan parks, shops and holiday houses in town.

The main flat-water spot is Little Lagoon, a round, shallow lagoon with a sandy shore a few kilometres north of Denham, linked to the bay by a narrow creek. The water is flat and warm and mostly shallow, which also suits riders who are still finding their feet, though the wind can be gusty near the shore where it comes over the land, so set off towards the middle. Along the coast from Denham there are more flat and choppy spots for most wind directions, and long downwinders, for example from Eagle Bluff back to town, often with turtles, rays and sharks below. Big Lagoon in Francois Peron National Park is another flat-water spot but needs a four-wheel drive.

The windy season runs from about October to April, when a strong south to south-west wind blows on most days and can reach 25 to 30 knots, so bring a small kite. Stonefish live in the shallows, especially around the creek mouth of Little Lagoon: wear booties and shuffle your feet. Shark Bay is a marine park, so ask at the visitor centre in Denham about protected zones. There are no lifeguards or kite schools in town; kite safaris with guides come up from Geraldton a few times a season. The water is about 18 °C in July and 27 °C in February, so a shorty or a 3/2 is enough in summer. Denham has a small health centre; bigger hospitals are in Carnarvon and Geraldton.

Month by month at Shark Bay – Denham

January: 29 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 17 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 26°C, air 34°C (nights 23°C), 31 sunny days, 0 rainy days
February: 23 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 15 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 27°C, air 35°C (nights 24°C), 28 sunny days, 1 rainy day
March: 24 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 15 knots, waves 0.3 m, water 26°C, air 34°C (nights 23°C), 30 sunny days, 2 rainy days
April: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.4 m, water 24°C, air 30°C (nights 20°C), 29 sunny days, 1 rainy day
May: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 22°C, air 27°C (nights 17°C), 29 sunny days, 2 rainy days
June: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 15°C), 27 sunny days, 6 rainy days
July: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 18°C, air 22°C (nights 13°C), 27 sunny days, 4 rainy days
August: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 19°C, air 23°C (nights 14°C), 29 sunny days, 4 rainy days
September: 21 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 14 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 20°C, air 25°C (nights 16°C), 29 sunny days, 2 rainy days
October: 26 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 15 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 22°C, air 27°C (nights 17°C), 31 sunny days, 1 rainy day
November: 25 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 15 knots, waves 0.5 m, water 24°C, air 29°C (nights 19°C), 30 sunny days, 1 rainy day
December: 26 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 16 knots, waves 0.4 m, water 26°C, air 32°C (nights 21°C), 31 sunny days, 1 rainy day