Massachusetts Kiteboarding: Plymouth Beach on Cape Cod Bay

Lengthy, Often Windy, Terrific in the Non-Summer Months

The small handful of problems with kiteboarding Plymouth Beach, an hour from Boston, are easy to circumvent with a little planning and forethought.

During most of the better kiteboarding months of the year the water can be cold. So plan on at least a shorty if not a farmer john wetsuit, even during the summer, and especially during spring and fall, when conditions at the beach tend to be better. A farmer john topped with a whitewater kayaking drytop is one good idea.

Second problem here are the residents-only and high-fee parking regulations that limit access to the beach during most June, July and August. Kiteboard after 5:00 pm during those months.

If you plan to kiteboard Plymouth Beach during the summer, you'll need a parking permit and a four-wheel drive vehicle. This is a lifeguarded beach, so kiteboarding, windsurfing or launching a sea kayak from the beach are restricted to the lower northern end, where there are also periodic access restrictions during piping plover nesting and hatching season.

Access issues aside, this is a most excellent southwest, southeast and northeast wind kiteboarding beach. Consistent surf and chop roll in on the beach during easterly winds, especially those from the northeast.

Moreover, kiteboard the lower northern half Plymouth Beach and you gain access to the hard breaking surf, steep chop and natural dry sand resting area about a half-mile offshore, enormous Browns Bank.

Brown's Bank, roughly a mile long by half a mile wide, bares its tan flanks at half tide and lower, and creates wonderfully rough conditions two hours on either side of high tide.

The bank is not only a thrilling area to kiteboard, but at low tide provides convenient place step off your board, douse your kite and take a break.

Keep in mind that strong sides to prevail along the northern and western edges of Brown's Bank, especially near the Bug Light, so be sure to bring along your advanced kite boarding surfing skills and tide awareness if you have this destination in mind.