Activities and Adventures in South Padre Island, Texas – Kite Landboarding

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KITE LANDBOARDING BY SOUTH PADRE ISLAND

With more wind, more space, and more variety of terrain, South Padre Island is a premier destination for all kinds of windsurfing, buggy rides, shore sailing, and kite landboarding. In this article you will find information on some of the types of kitesurfing on land, as well as places to kite in South Padre Island, Texas.

Types of kitesurfing on land

For those who prefer to surf the land, not the water, there are plenty of ways to get your fix on South Padre Island. From easy cruises to high-speed runs, air intakes or endless spins in parking lot skating sessions, surfers and sailors use all kinds of different gear and techniques to slice through the wind and ground on South Padre Island.

buggies

Kite Buggies are super fun for all ages and levels of riders, from beginners to adrenaline junkies. Buggies are three-wheeled carts that sit low to the ground, rolling on large tires capable of handling all types of terrain, from parking lot asphalt to beach soft sand and everything in between. Steered with their feet and propelled by the pull of a kite, buggy users are capable of navigating in the lightest of winds, as well as racing across all types of terrain at high speeds, boosting G-force in drifts. and even propelling the air with the pull of the kite.

Off-road skateboards and mountain boards

Off-road skateboards are large skateboards that sit a few inches higher off the ground than regular skateboards, roll on large rubber tires and suspension systems to absorb bumps, and offer high-speed control over rough terrain. Beginners often learn by riding slowly and without using the bindings that advanced riders use to hold their feet to the board. At high speed, offroad skateboards can roll over all types of terrain with the exception of soft sand and mud, and advanced riders can carve, jump, slide, and ride much like their counterparts on the water.

Skateboards and Carve Boards

If you don’t want to get dirty or just prefer to shred smooth pavement, skateboards, longboards and carveboards are fun to ride in parking lots and open paved areas. With just the slightest bit of wind and kite power, riders can carve through concrete endlessly.

SPOTLIGHTS TO MOUNT

ocean beaches

The entire 30 miles of South Padre Island shoreline is great for kitesurfing on land with skateboards and off-road buggies. There are no off-limits areas, although cyclists are advised to avoid crowded beach areas by riding only on the northern edge of town. Ocean beaches offer hard sand close to the water, as well as soft sand further up the beach, and work best in a favorable easterly wind, although you can sail in all wind directions. Riding during low tides offers the most hard sand area and occasionally during very high tides there may not be any exposed hard sand so check the tides and water level before you go.

Bayside Flats (The Laguna Madre Bay Beaches)

On the bay side (west side) of South Padre Island, there are a number of flat, open, hard-packed sandy beaches that offer plenty of space, predominantly flat terrain, but also some interesting dunes and trails around their perimeter. With steady wind and plenty of space, these are some of the best places to landboard in the entire country.

  1. Convention Center Beach: Located next to the South Padre Island Convention Center, the Convention Center beach, also known as the South Flats, is located at 7355 Padre Blvd. It’s a great spot for boating close to the city, though it can be crowded at times. kiters and beach lovers. Wind quality is good, although with light SE winds there may be some turbulence from nearby buildings.
  2. North Floors: Located a few miles north of the developed part of town, and across the street from Beach Access 5, North Flats is a huge, open area of ​​compact, semi-soft sand with numerous hard trails running through it, as well as lots of low dunes to traverse, over and around. Far enough away from buildings, North Flats offers clean wind in all wind directions. North Flats is an area managed by the South Padre Island Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Association, and a parking pass is required to access the area. Passes can be picked up at Air Padre Kiteboarding.
  3. Beyond North Flats:Continuing north from the North Flats are many other sandpit locations, all offering good terrain, open space and adventure for landboarders. Just look to the left as you drive north along the highway, and when you see a good spot, stop and drive!

Parking lots

  1. Convention center: The South Padre Island Convention Center has a nice medium-sized parking lot, perfect for kite skating and buggy riding. The area is fun and most of the pavement is smooth enough for skateboards, although there is only enough room for 3-4 riders at a time. The wind in the Convention Center is generally quite clean and constant.
  2. Walmart: On Highway 100 in the city of Port Isabel, just before crossing the bridge to South Padre Island, there is a Walmart with a very large parking lot perfect for late-night skating sessions. The place works in all wind directions, cyclists just need to watch out for parked cars or occasional traffic. Behind the building it offers good pavement as well as a good amount of grass for off-road skateboards and buggy rides.
  3. Schlitterbahn Water Park: Located on the southern tip of South Padre Island, the Schlitterbahn Water Park and Shrimp Haus Restaurant offer a large and frequently empty parking lot. With palm trees surrounding the lot on all sides, the wind can be a bit tricky, but the space is great.
  4. White Island Park: Isla Blanca County Park is the land at the southern tip of South Padre Island, a day pass is required to enter and can be purchased at the gate. Within the park there are 2 medium sized parking lots which, when not full of cars, make a nice kite skating area. Don’t wrap kite lines around power poles or tourists if you choose to ride in this location.

End of the road

The end of the road is the northernmost end of Padre BLVD. The last 7 miles of the road are undeveloped with nothing but sand dunes on either side. With little traffic, kiters can cruise down the road on skateboards in virtually any direction of the wind, although easterly winds are best.

Major terrestrial grasses, floodplains, and trail systems

For explorers, there’s tons of driveable off-road terrain on the side of Highway 48 between South Padre Island and Brownsville. Although there are numerous places to stop, a good starting point is about halfway through Brownsville on the south side of the freeway. There is a medium sized parking lot, with lights and a boat ramp to access a canal that connects to the ship canal and large lagoons.

lessons and rentals

Kitesurfing of all kinds is incredibly fun, but it’s one of those things you don’t want to try to learn on your own. If you are interested in learning to kitesurf, or already know how to kite and just need some gear for the day, Air Padre Kiteboarding offers the best professional lessons, as well as rentals of buggies, boards, kites and other gear.

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