Merritt Island · Banana River

Kelly Park

Sandy walk-in launch, shallow lagoon, and the easiest place on the Space Coast to have your first good day.

At a glance

Also known asKelly Park East, Merritt Island
Best windE, ESE, SE, S — clean across the open lagoon
Also worksNE works, but it is not the best day here
AvoidN — gusty and inconsistent here
WaterBanana River lagoon. Shallow sandy entry, deepens gradually.
DisciplinesKite · Wing · Foil · eFoil
Skill levelAll levels — the area's primary teaching venue
LaunchSandy beach, walk-in
ParkingFree. Ample, including trailer parking. Grass setup area.
FacilitiesRestrooms available

The rundown

Kelly Park is where Good Breeze teaches, and that’s the strongest recommendation any spot on this list can get. When an east or southeast sea breeze fills in — which is most spring and summer afternoons — the wind comes across miles of open lagoon before it reaches you, so it arrives smooth and steady with none of the mechanical gustiness you get at causeway spots.

The launch is a genuine sandy beach with a grass area behind it for pumping and rigging. You walk in. There’s no technical gap to thread, no mangrove line, no water launch requirement. For anyone learning — kite, wing, or foil — that alone changes the day.

The water starts shallow and stays friendly for a long way out before it deepens. Shallow enough to stand and reset, deep enough that you’re not dragging a foil. It’s the combination that makes it the default teaching spot on this coast.

North wind is the one to skip. It comes over land and structure and turns inconsistent — you’ll spend the session getting lofted and dropped. Save it for the 520 Slick, which is fifteen minutes away and loves exactly that direction.

Who it's for

Beginners: The best spot on the Space Coast to start. Take a lesson here.

Intermediate: Reliable sea-breeze sessions and room to work on transitions.

Advanced: Great foil laps, and light-wind foiling on marginal summer days.

Hazards

  • Rocks and moored boats near the launch corridor — know where they are before you go
  • Mixed users: paddleboarders, kayakers, windsurfers and swimmers share this water
  • Manatees. Give them room — it's federal law, not just courtesy
  • Boat traffic from the ramp. Larger craft have right of way.
  • Lessons in progress — ride downwind of instructors and students

Wind swung?

Wind went north → 520 Slick
Wind went south → Jaques
Want ocean → Jetty Park

New here?

This is where Good Breeze teaches. Shallow, sandy, forgiving — the right place for day one.

Book a lesson → or call 321.302.5663

Getting there

2504–2526 N Banana River Dr, Merritt Island FL 32952 — Kelly Park East — east end of the SR 528 Causeway.