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About this spot
The east end of St. Croix, around Cotton Valley Shores outside Christiansted, is where the island's kitesurf instruction happens. Kite St. Croix is based at 24 Cotton Valley Shores with PASA-certified instructors, and the Leading Edge Kite School — which has taught on St. Croix since 2011 — describes its teaching beach as a crescent-shaped bay with side-on wind that creates a natural catch on the downwind side.
The schools chose this shore for a reason: the trade winds blow across it side-onshore, the water inside is flatter than the open coast, and the beach is rarely crowded. Kite St. Croix quotes steady summer winds averaging 15 to 20 knots, and the winter trades from December to March blow most days.
For a first lesson this is the right beach on the island — instruction, boat support and rental all operate from here. Independent riders should still set up where the schools do, because the rest of the east-end shoreline mixes sand with reef and rock.
3-day forecast
Speed / gusts in knots. Colour = rideability for this spot. Bottom row = recommended kite size for your weight — not recommended outside this spot's 12–25 kn range.
Conditions
- Water
- flat, choppy
- Depth
- Sandy shallows inside the bay; reef patches further out
- Seabed
- sand, reef patches
- Skill
- beginner, intermediate
- Beginners
- Beginner friendly
- Wind range
- 12 kn – 25 kn
Access & parking
East of Christiansted along the East End Road; the schools meet students on the beach at Cotton Valley Shores.
Parking: Beachside parking near the schools' meeting point.
Amenities
- Two kitesurf schools based on this shore, one with PASA-certified instructors
- Boat-supported lessons and supervised riding available
- Side-onshore trade winds and a natural downwind catch
- Flat water inside the bay, uncrowded beach
Needs local verification: Sources: Kite St. Croix (based at 24 Cotton Valley Shores, Christiansted; PASA-certified instructors; steady summer winds averaging 15–20 kn; flat-water and wave locations for all abilities), the Leading Edge Kite School (teaching on St. Croix since 2011; crescent-shaped teaching beach with side-on wind and a natural downwind catch; wind typically blowing all day December–March) and the official Visit USVI tourism site listing the school. The exact teaching-beach pin is approximate — the schools name the area, not a coordinate. Needs local verification.
Local hazards
- Reef patches outside the teaching bay — stay in the schools' area on your first visits
- Southerly and westerly winds blow offshore here — do not ride them without a boat
- Winter rain squalls can arrive quickly on the trade-wind days