How much wind do you need to kiteboard?

How Much Wind do You Need to Kiteboard?

Typically, you need at least twelve to thirteen knots of wind to kiteboard. This will also depend on the area that you are kiting in. Make sure you check the forecast to see what the consistent wind speed will be and if there will be any gusts of wind. Before going out always check the forecast to see if the wind direction will change during the time you are kiteboarding.

What Size Kite do You Need to Kiteboard?

Again, this is all dependent on the wind that you will be kiting in. However, newer kites have increased with wind range making it easier to kite in almost any amount of wind. Check to see what your brand says about the wind range for your kite and compare that to your location. If you are traveling to a new location and the forecast does not look consistent we recommend bringing more than one kite. If you do not have more than one kite, search your area to see if they have a kiteshop that will rent you gear. If it is a super spotty forecast but you really want to go kiteboarding, we recommend looking at i kitesurf and the local news. 

How Much Wind do You Need For Foil Kites?

If you have a race foil kite that does not need to be inflated your wind range is even larger. The minimum wind speed that you can kite in is six to seven miles per hour. However, this does not take into consideration the rider's weight. They have a range of large sizes of kites but they do not get nearly as small as the inflatable kites. This is because once they get to a certain size they need more support, and foiling in extreme amounts of wind would be too much. The tricky thing with the tubeless kites is that once you get them in the water it is very unlikely that you can get them back into the sky. This is because the kite does not have structure to be within the wind window to relaunch. In addition, this will be determined by how much of the kite is submerged in the water. 

How Much Wind Do You Need For a Kiteboarding Kite?

If you have a foil kite that just has the leading edge inflated this allows you to go in less wind. Once you start adding struits in the kite, you will need more wind since the overall weight of the kite will increase. The inflatable foil kites are mostly used for freestyle riding, free ride, and tricks. They are not used for racing due to the increased amount of weight the inflatable kites have. This will hinder the riders ability to keep up with the speed needed to compete.