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 Watamu, Kenya

Name: Watamu
Address: KEN

Beach in Kenya · 2 kite spots · airports MYD, MBA, LAU

Best for kiting from May to July, with 58 to 76 % kite days. Water 27 to 29 °C.

Season 30 Apr to 2 Sep, peak 21 May to 29 Jul.

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 Watamu Reef, the main spot of Watamu. The other 1 spot has 9 % kite days in October.

Kite Year

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

JJan15Off
FFeb17Off
MMar3Off
AApr27Possible
MMay58Good
JJun76Prime
JJul73Prime
AAug44Good
SSep27Possible
OOct9Offnow · chosen
NNov0Off
DDec2Off

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 Watamu, this month, averaged over 2017 to 2025.

KITE DAYS: 3 of 31; 9 % kite days, Off
WIND: 9 knots; afternoon average, 12:00 to 18:00
WATER: 27 °C, boardshorts; suit for 27 °C and warmer

under 1 in 10

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

about 0.7 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

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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
9 % Offabout 3 of 31 days
Too light, kiteable, too strong
Too light 91 %
Kiteable 9 %
Too strong 0 %
10 day trip
under 1 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 0.7 expected
Best hours
14:00 to 14:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
Daylight
12.2 h
Water
27 °C, boardshorts
Air
27 °Cdaily maximum, 27 °C during kite hours
Rain
17 of 31with 1 mm or more
In one sentence
In October, Watamu Reef averaged 3 kite days out of 31 (9 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.

Watamu Reef

Kite days% of days	15	17	3	27	58	76	73	44	27	9	0	2
Verdictshare plus good years	Off	Off	Off	Possible	Good	Prime	Prime	Good	Possible	Off	Off	Off
10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days	1 in 10	1 in 10	under 1 in 10	3 in 10	7 in 10	9 in 10	8 in 10	4 in 10	2 in 10	under 1 in 10	under 1 in 10	under 1 in 10
Good yearsof 0, reached 50 %	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn	14 to 16	13 to 15	·	13 to 17	13 to 15	12 to 15	12 to 14	13 to 15	13 to 14	14 to 14	·	·
Daylighth	12.3	12.2	12.1	12.0	12.0	11.9	11.9	12.0	12.1	12.2	12.3	12.3
Water°C at the surface	28	28	29	30	29	28	27	26	27	27	28	29
Air°C, daily maximum	29	29	29	29	27	27	26	26	26	27	28	29
Rain days1 mm or more	7 of 31	5 of 28	13 of 31	25 of 30	24 of 31	20 of 30	22 of 31	20 of 31	19 of 30	17 of 31	20 of 30	19 of 31
Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorty	shorts	shorts	shorts	shorts

In January, Watamu Reef averaged 5 kite days out of 31 (15 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
In February, Watamu Reef averaged 5 kite days out of 28 (17 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
In March, Watamu Reef averaged 1 kite days out of 31 (3 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
In April, Watamu Reef averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (27 %). Water 30 °C, boardshorts. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
In May, Watamu Reef averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
In June, Watamu Reef averaged 23 kite days out of 30 (76 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
In July, Watamu Reef averaged 23 kite days out of 31 (73 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
In August, Watamu Reef averaged 14 kite days out of 31 (44 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
In September, Watamu Reef averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (27 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
In October, Watamu Reef averaged 3 kite days out of 31 (9 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
In November, Watamu Reef averaged 0 kite days out of 30 (0 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
In December, Watamu Reef averaged 1 kite days out of 31 (2 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in December got at least 5 kite days.

Good years are not shown here: this spot has no complete per year values, because the two models drift apart over the years. 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 Watamu Reef

this month, averaged over 2017 to 2025.

Kite days: 9 % Offabout 3 of 31 days
Too light, kiteable, too strong: Too light 91 %
Kiteable 9 %
Too strong 0 %
10 day trip: under 1 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 0.7 expected
Best hours: 14:00 to 14:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
Daylight: 12.2 h
Water: 27 °C, boardshorts
Air: 27 °Cdaily maximum, 27 °C during kite hours
Rain: 17 of 31with 1 mm or more
In one sentence: In October, Watamu Reef averaged 3 kite days out of 31 (9 %). Water 27 °C, boardshorts. under 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.

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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. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach.

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

27 °C in October, boardshorts (27 °C and warmer).

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.

26 to 30 °C, shorty to boardshorts.

Where the model is blind

Here the model sees the wind at Watamu Reef, 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

Malindi International Airport (MYD), 19 km straight line
Moi International Airport (MBA), 87 km straight line
Manda Airport (LAU), 160 km straight line

Flight time from

FRA Frankfurt: about 8 h 50 min straight line, 6,657 km
MUC Munich: about 8 h 30 min straight line, 6,369 km
AMS Amsterdam: about 9 h 15 min straight line, 7,020 km
LHR London Heathrow: about 9 h 30 min straight line, 7,196 km
ZRH Zurich: about 8 h 30 min straight line, 6,431 km
CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle: about 9 h 05 min straight line, 6,852 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 Watamu

Best for kiting from May to July, with 58 to 76 % kite days. Water 27 to 29 °C.

Season 30 Apr to 2 Sep, peak 21 May to 29 Jul. 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: June, July. 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

under 1 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).

Zero wind trips: 9 in 10

about 0.0 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 Watamu windy?

Across the year, 29 % of days at Watamu Reef are kite days. The windiest month is June with 76 %, the calmest is November with 0 %.

Wind on kite days in June comes most often from S (180°).

Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors

Afternoon wind9 knots(8 to 11 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 ENE, Feb ENE, Mar S, Apr S, May S, Jun S, Jul S, Aug S, Sep S, Oct SSE, Nov no data, Dec ENE.

Live forecast

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

Live forecast from Windy

The forecast map for Watamu 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 Watamu by month

The sea is warmest in April at 30 °C and coolest in August at 26 °C. Wetsuit: shorty in August, boardshorts in April.

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

Kite spots in Watamu

Watamu Reef
Sea · main spot
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 Watamu Reef: Jan 15 %, Feb 17 %, Mar 3 %, Apr 27 %, May 58 %, Jun 76 %, Jul 73 %, Aug 44 %, Sep 27 %, Oct 9 %, Nov 0 %, Dec 2 %
Watamu Beach
Sea · 3 km
Same model cell as Watamu Reef: near identical numbers.
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 Watamu Beach: Jan 15 %, Feb 17 %, Mar 3 %, Apr 27 %, May 58 %, Jun 76 %, Jul 73 %, Aug 44 %, Sep 27 %, Oct 9 %, Nov 0 %, Dec 2 %

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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. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach. Confidence: high.

Cite this

In October, 9 % of days at Watamu Reef 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/watamu

Download CSV (12 months)

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