Destination · Hourly model wind, 2017 to 2025

Confidence highHourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season.

Kitesurfing in Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay), Madagascar

Name: Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay)
Address: MDG

Bay in Madagascar · 1 kite spots · airports DIE, NOS, SVB

Best for kiting all year except February, with 57 to 100 % kite days. Water 25 to 29 °C.

Season all year, peak 8 Jan to 14 Jan and 12 Mar to 18 Mar and 26 Mar to 23 Dec.

A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn. Percentages are the share of such days in each month, counted over 2017 to 2025.

Numbers on this page are from Sakalava Bay, the only spot of Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay) with model data.

Kite Year

Kite days per month, in % of days. Colour is the verdict, the number is the share. Tap a month for its details.

JJan57Good
FFeb42Good
MMar57Good
AApr89Prime
MMay97Prime
JJun97Prime
JJul100Prime
AAug100Prime
SSep99Prime
OOct94Primenow · chosen
NNov84Prime
DDec65Prime

Prime 60 % and more
Good 40 to 59 %
Possible 20 to 39 %
Off under 20 %
No data hatched
Ringed: this month
Raised: your chosen month

Prime also needs a good month in at least 7 of the 9 years, so one freak year cannot make a month Prime. A month with 60 %+ but fewer good years shows as Good.

October in Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay), this month, averaged over 2017 to 2025.

KITE DAYS: 29 of 31; 94 % kite days, Prime, good in 9 of 9 years
WIND: 20 knots; afternoon average, 12:00 to 18:00
WATER: 26 °C, shorty; suit for 24 to 26 °C

9 in 10

trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days in 2017 to 2025 (9 Octobers, capped at 9 in 10).

about 9.4 kite days expected out of 10.

x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise. How we count trip odds

Check my dates

Trip odds, expected kite days, water and wetsuit for your exact dates. Free, no sign up.

Live forecast How we count a kite day

Month by month

Tap a month for trip odds, good years, best hours, water, air and rain.

MonthKite days% of days, verdict10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite daysWater°C, what to wear

Kite days
94 % Primeabout 29 of 31 days
Too light, kiteable, too strong
Too light 6 %
Kiteable 94 %
Too strong 0 %
Good years
9 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
10 day trip
9 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 9.4 expected (capped at 9 in 10)
Best hours
10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
Daylight
12.4 h
Water
26 °C, shorty
Air
25 °Cdaily maximum, 25 °C during kite hours
Rain
6 of 31with 1 mm or more
In one sentence
In October, Sakalava Bay averaged 29 kite days out of 31 (94 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.

Sakalava Bay

Kite days% of days	57	42	57	89	97	97	100	100	99	94	84	65
Verdictshare plus good years	Good	Good	Good	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime
10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days	6 in 10	5 in 10	7 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	9 in 10	7 in 10
Good yearsof 9, reached 50 %	6 of 9	2 of 9	5 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	9 of 9	8 of 9
Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn	11 to 17	11 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 16	10 to 16	10 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 17	10 to 17
Daylighth	12.8	12.5	12.2	11.8	11.6	11.4	11.5	11.7	12.0	12.4	12.7	12.8
Water°C at the surface	28	29	29	29	28	27	26	25	25	26	27	28
Air°C, daily maximum	28	28	28	28	27	26	25	24	25	25	27	28
Rain days1 mm or more	24 of 31	21 of 28	21 of 31	21 of 30	10 of 31	7 of 30	7 of 31	6 of 31	6 of 30	6 of 31	13 of 30	19 of 31
Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorty	shorty	shorty	shorty	shorts	shorts

In January, Sakalava Bay averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (57 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
In February, Sakalava Bay averaged 12 kite days out of 28 (42 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
In March, Sakalava Bay averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (57 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
In April, Sakalava Bay averaged 27 kite days out of 30 (89 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
In May, Sakalava Bay averaged 30 kite days out of 31 (97 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
In June, Sakalava Bay averaged 29 kite days out of 30 (97 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
In July, Sakalava Bay averaged 31 kite days out of 31 (100 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
In August, Sakalava Bay averaged 31 kite days out of 31 (100 %). Water 25 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
In September, Sakalava Bay averaged 29 kite days out of 30 (99 %). Water 25 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
In October, Sakalava Bay averaged 29 kite days out of 31 (94 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
In November, Sakalava Bay averaged 25 kite days out of 30 (84 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
In December, Sakalava Bay averaged 20 kite days out of 31 (65 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in December got at least 5 kite days.

Good year: at least half the days of that month were kite days. x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise. Best hours: the hours from 10:00 on when the wind most often reaches 12 to 35 knots. Rain day: 1 mm or more of rain.

Source: hourly wind from the ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly model, 2017 to 2025; water temperature 2023 to 2025; kiteCOMPASS method v1. How we count kite days and trip odds

October in Sakalava Bay

this month, averaged over 2017 to 2025.

Kite days: 94 % Primeabout 29 of 31 days
Too light, kiteable, too strong: Too light 6 %
Kiteable 94 %
Too strong 0 %
Good years: 9 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
10 day trip: 9 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 9.4 expected (capped at 9 in 10)
Best hours: 10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
Daylight: 12.4 h
Water: 26 °C, shorty
Air: 25 °Cdaily maximum, 25 °C during kite hours
Rain: 6 of 31with 1 mm or more
In one sentence: In October, Sakalava Bay averaged 29 kite days out of 31 (94 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.

Check my dates

Start date (optional)

Check my dates

Trip odds, expected kite days, water and wetsuit for your exact dates. Free, no sign up.

Your dates: not set

Confidence

Confidence highhourly model data, close sea cell, checks agree on the season

Why. Hourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season.

What it means for you. The numbers on this page are a fair forecast of a typical year here. Medium would mean one check is uncertain, for example a cell 12 km away: expect a few points off. Low means global models miss part of the local wind, often at lakes, thermal or inland spots; where documented local sources describe the season, we show that curated season instead of model numbers.

Water and wetsuit

26 °C in October, shorty (24 to 26 °C).

boardshorts27 and up
shorty24 to 26
spring suit21 to 23
3/218 to 20
4/314 to 17
5/410 to 13
6/5under 10

The filled step is the suit for October; the band under each step is the water temperature it covers, in °C.

25 to 29 °C, shorty to boardshorts.

Where the model is blind

Here the model sees the wind at Sakalava Bay, so the numbers on this page are model numbers. Where documented local sources describe the season of a lake or thermal spot, we show that curated season instead: a hatched band over the season months with its sources named and no percentage, because the model number would be wrong there.

Getting there

Arrachart Airport (DIE), 14 km straight line
Nosy Be International Airport (NOS), 165 km straight line
Sambava Airport (SVB), 239 km straight line

Flight time from

FRA Frankfurt: about 10 h 30 min straight line, 7,985 km
MUC Munich: about 10 h 05 min straight line, 7,691 km
AMS Amsterdam: about 10 h 55 min straight line, 8,351 km
LHR London Heathrow: about 11 h 10 min straight line, 8,553 km
ZRH Zurich: about 10 h 15 min straight line, 7,776 km
CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle: about 10 h 45 min straight line, 8,213 km

Flight time: the straight line distance at 800 km/h plus 30 minutes. Real flights with stops take longer. Flights are not sold here.

Best time to kitesurf in Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay)

Best for kiting all year except February, with 57 to 100 % kite days. Water 25 to 29 °C.

Season all year, peak 8 Jan to 14 Jan and 12 Mar to 18 Mar and 26 Mar to 23 Dec. Dates from 52 weekly values of the main spot, season from 40 % kite days, peak from 60 %, counted only in weeks with water or daytime air at 12 °C or more and at least 6 hours of daylight.

Prime months here: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Each link shows where else to kite in that month.

Trip odds by start week

Pick your start week and trip length. Each cell: of all trips of that length that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, how many in 10 got at least half their days with kite wind.

Trip odds by start week, 10 day trips, 2017 to 2025

Colours as in the kite year: 6 in 10 and more like Prime · 4 to 5 in 10 like Good · 2 to 3 in 10 like Possible · under 2 in 10 like Off · No data hatched (fewer than 30 trips) · Ringed: this week · Raised: your start week

x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.

Source: hourly wind from the ECMWF IFS model via Open-Meteo, 2017 to 2025, kiteCOMPASS method v1. How we count

Start date

9 in 10

trips of 10 days starting in week 45 (e.g. 5 to 11 November) got at least 5 kite days in 2017 to 2025 (63 trips, capped at 9 in 10).

Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20

about 8.3 kite days expected out of 10

Kite days per trip, 63 trips

Bars right of the line are good trips (5 kite days or more).

Is Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay) windy?

Across the year, 82 % of days at Sakalava Bay are kite days. The windiest month is July with 100 %, the calmest is February with 42 %.

Wind on kite days in July comes most often from SE (135°).

Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors

Afternoon wind20 knots(20 to 24 kn, average 12:00 to 18:00 in October)

under 8 kn
8 to 11 kn
12 to 15 kn
16 to 19 kn
20 to 24 kn
25 to 29 kn
30 kn and more

Main kite wind by month: Jan WNW, Feb SE, Mar SE, Apr SE, May SE, Jun SE, Jul SE, Aug SE, Sep SE, Oct SE, Nov ESE, Dec SE.

Live forecast

The numbers above are long term averages. The forecast shows the next days.

Live forecast from Windy

The forecast map for Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay) comes from windy.com (Windyty SE, Prague, Czech Republic) and opens right here on this page. Once you load it, your browser contacts Windy, which receives your IP address and may set its own cookies. Nothing is loaded before you click.

Water temperature in Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay) by month

The sea is warmest in February at 29 °C and coolest in August at 25 °C. Wetsuit: shorty in August, boardshorts in February.

Water temperature from the Open-Meteo marine archive, 2023 to 2025, monthly mean of the main spot.

Kite spots in Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay)

Sakalava Bay
Sea · main spot
Level Learning possible in parts, from kite guides we checked
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Kite days by month at Sakalava Bay: Jan 57 %, Feb 42 %, Mar 57 %, Apr 89 %, May 97 %, Jun 97 %, Jul 100 %, Aug 100 %, Sep 99 %, Oct 94 %, Nov 84 %, Dec 65 %

Similar destinations

Safaga

Egypt

Dakhla

Morocco

Ilha do Guajiru

Brazil

Booking reminder

Remind me when to book Diego Suarez (Sakalava Bay)

One mail, about 8 weeks before your month starts, with the kite day odds for that month and the link to this page. No newsletter.

We send one confirmation mail first; the reminder is set only after you click its link, and unconfirmed addresses are deleted after 7 days. Every mail has an unsubscribe link and a delete link. Privacy

kiteCOMPASS Pro

Plan the whole trip, not just the month

Save trips, get Plan B spots for days without wind and compare three places side by side. 29 EUR per year.

kiteCOMPASS · method k3h-10to19-v1 · 2017 to 2025

Model wind: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025. Water temperature: 2023 to 2025. Kite day: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn. Confidence: high.

Cite this

In October, 94 % of days at Sakalava Bay met the kiteCOMPASS kite day rule: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn (ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025). https://kitecompass.app/kitesurfing/diego-suarez

Download CSV (12 months)

Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.