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Lesson 1.4

How and where do I read wind forecasts?

Introduction

Kitesurfing is an extreme water sport that depends on wind conditions. Finding out the wind speed in advance is essential to determine whether it is safe and feasible to go kitesurfing. In this article we will discuss how to read the number of knots (a commonly used unit of wind speed) on popular tools such as Windfinder and Windguru.

1. How do I determine the wind speed?

Before we get into how to read knots on Windfinder and Windguru, it's important to understand what knots actually are. For water sports, knotting is generally used instead of Beaufort. This is because knots indicate much more specifically how strong the wind is blowing. A knot is a unit of speed used in the nautical and aviation industries. One knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is approximately 1,852 kilometers per hour.

For reference, if there is little or no wind you are talking about 0-10 knots. From 10 – 14 knots there is a 'breeze' and from 18 knots it really blows. 

2. How many knots do I need for kitesurfing?

This depends on your weight and level. 

For example, if you weigh 50kg you will easily be able to sail away at 12 knots. For someone weighing 90kg this will be very difficult unless they are using a very large size kite. 

We have here's a handy table made for where you can read which size kite you need for which wind force/number of knots.

3. Where can I read the wind forecasts?

Although there are numerous tools available online to read detailed wind forecasts, the GoShaka team prefers the following two:

Wind Guru

Windguru is a popular tool that provides detailed wind forecasts for kitesurfers and other water sports enthusiasts. Learn how to read the number of knots on Windguru here:

  1. Visit the Windguru website (www.windguru.cz) or open the mobile app.
  2. Find the desired location for your kitesurfing session.
  3. You will see a table with predicted wind speeds and directions for the coming days.
    Tip: The top number is the average number of knots, the bottom is the maximum in the flurry. 
  4. View the model (the table) of Arome 1.3 and HARM-NL 2.5KM for the most accurate predictions.
    Tip: For kite spots on the coast you can check CS+ for a better prediction!
  5. Find the specific time you want to kitesurf in the table.
  6. Look at the corresponding value in the column with the unit “kts”. This is the number of knots predicted at that time.
  7. Please note: If all the different models deviate significantly from each other, the predictions are less certain than if the different models predict approximately the same thing! It remains a prediction, it is never the absolute truth.
Wind Guru
Windguru explanation

Windfinder

Windfinder is a popular online tool and mobile app that provides detailed wind forecasts for various locations around the world. To read the number of knots on Windfinder, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Windfinder website (www.windfinder.com) or open the mobile app.
  2. Find the desired location where you want to kitesurf.
  3. You will see a graph with wind speeds and directions for the coming days.
  4. Note the unit of wind speed. This is usually represented as “kts” (knots), which corresponds to knots.
  5. Look at the graph and search for the desired time at which you want to go kitesurfing.
  6. Read the corresponding value on the vertical axis of the graph. This is the number of knots (kts) predicted at that specific time.

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