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Rockaway, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km.

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About Rockaway

Known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces NW, so wind from the SE blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing NW. Wind from the NW blows onshore, wind from the SE blows out to sea, and wind from the NE or SW runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 23°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For kitesurfing at beginner level the best months are usually January, February, March and November, with about 2 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

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From Chicago: about 4 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), direct.

    See flights ORD → JFK · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAd
  2. Getting there. 30 min from the airport to Rockaway.

  3. Accommodation.

    No town nearby

    No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km.

  4. Hire and lessons.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Kite spot

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for kite, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

Wind forecast and score for each day at Rockaway
DayScoreWindGustsShoreWater
Sun 18Oct0, poorwind from the north, 9 knots18knside-onflat
Mon 19Oct0, poorwind from the north, 6 knots10knside-onchop
Tue 20Oct0, poorwind from the north, 10 knots14knside-onchop
Wed 21Oct0, poorwind from the north-north-east, 11 knots16knside-onchop
Thu 22Oct0, poorwind from the north-north-west, 6 knots12knonchop
Fri 23Oct0, poorwind from the north, 9 knots16knside-onflat
Sat 24Oct0, poorwind from the north, 7 knots12knside-onflat
Sun 25Oct0, poorwind from the west, 5 knots10knside-onflat
Mon 26Oct0, poorwind from the west, 5 knots11knside-onflat
Tue 27Oct0, poorwind from the north-west, 7 knots10knonflat

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good kite days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan2of 7
  2. Feb2of 7
  3. Mar2of 7
  4. Apr1of 7
  5. May1of 7
  6. Jun0of 7
  7. Jul0of 7
  8. Aug0of 7
  9. Sep1of 7
  10. Oct1of 7
  11. Nov2of 7
  12. Dec2of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for kite. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to JFK, then 30 min by road. About 4h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 10 kn gusting 14, side-onshore. Water: chop.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 11 kn gusting 16, side-onshore. Water: chop.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 6 kn gusting 12, onshore. Water: chop.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 9 kn gusting 16, side-onshore. Water: flat.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 7 kn gusting 12, side-onshore. Water: flat.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to JFK, then 30 min by road. About 4h 40 door to door

Rough cost

About £445–£850 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

  • Flights £135–£280
  • To the UK airport £35–£65
  • Taxi £15–£25
  • Food £260–£480

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