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Nokomis Beach is located at the southern end of Casey Key, a narrow barrier island in Sarasota County on Florida's Gulf Coast. The area was settled after the Civil War by homesteaders who sailed the shallow bays, and the island's first non-native inhabitants, the Isaac Shumard family, arrived around 1900. The official plat of Casey Key was approved by the US Department of the Interior in 1909. Today, Nokomis Beach retains an "Old Florida" feel with a dirt parking lot, a simple pavilion, and dark, coarse sand that slopes toward the Gulf of Mexico. It borders the North Jetty to the south and is known locally for its Wednesday and Saturday evening drum circles. Recently, the island sustained severe damage from the 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton. For watersports, the spot is increasingly becoming a hub for wing foiling and windsurfing rather than traditional twin-tip kitesurfing, largely due to the lighter wind profile of the Gulf Coast.
Kite Schools(1)Forward Motion Sports LLC
Central Florida Gulf Coast
Learn about
Nokomis Beach Kitesurfing wind conditions
The wind at Nokomis Beach is generally light compared to major kite destinations. The average wind speed across the year hovers between 8.2 and 8.8 mph (about 7 to 7.6 knots). In the summer, specifically July, the average drops to 6.1 mph. Evening winds are particularly light, averaging just 5.3 mph, which creates mirror-smooth water on roughly 31 percent of spring and fall evenings.
Because of these light conditions, Nokomis Beach is heavily favored by wing foilers, foil drivers, and windsurfers who can capitalize on marginal breezes, rather than traditional kitesurfers who need more power. The water state in the Gulf is typically a light chop, though strong frontal systems in the winter can bring larger swells and stronger winds.
body wear
- board shorts
downwinder
- Yes
ride type
- wingfoil
skill level
- beginner
- intermediate
- advanced
- professional
spot type
- ocean
starting area
- sandy beach
water condition
- choppy
- flat water
wind daytime
- all day
wind type
- spotTags.value.windType.Light winds
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Historical Wind Stats for Nokomis Beach Kiteboarding
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Forecast for Nokomis Beach the next days
Infrastructure
Around the Kiteboarding Spot Nokomis Beach
Nokomis Beach is not heavily commercialized. There are no tiki bars or shops directly on the sand. The beach features a simple pavilion with restrooms and a limited dirt parking lot. Just a short drive south toward the North Jetty is Pop's Sunset Grill, which is the main local spot for food and drinks. The shoreline north of the public access is dotted with vintage vacation rentals before giving way to the massive luxury homes that line Casey Key Road. This road is also a famous 5-mile cycling route that winds under a canopy of trees with direct Gulf views.
For watersports instruction, Forward Motion Sports LLC operates in the Casey Key and Venice Island area. They are a Duotone and Foil Drive surf school, specifically focusing on Wing Foil, Foil Drive Assist, and Windsurf lessons. They require online booking at least 48 hours in advance because all sessions are wind-dependent.
camper parking
- Not allowed, but possible
car parking
- Nearby
emergency
- No Emergency Assistatance
has restaurant
- Yes
has toilet
- Yes
has shower
- Yes
Logistics
How to get to Nokomis Beach
Casey Key is located south of Siesta Key and north of Venice Beach. To reach Nokomis Beach, you drive over the Albee Road bridge from the mainland town of Nokomis. The parking at Nokomis Beach is in a rustic dirt lot with limited spaces, so arriving early is critical, especially during the winter season or on drum circle evenings. You need a car to access the beach and navigate the island.
accommodation
- close
public transport
- Mellow
rental cars
- Recommended
Notice
The sand at Nokomis Beach is coarse, dark, and slopes significantly, which makes walking more of a workout and biking on the beach impossible. In the summer, this dark sand gets extremely hot on bare feet. The water temperature fluctuates heavily with the seasons. It peaks in August at an average of 86.7°F (30.4°C), making it feel like bathwater. In the winter, the water drops to an average of 63.9°F (17.7°C) in January, requiring a wetsuit.
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