Sea · Scotland · United Kingdom
Banff
Best for kiting from September to October, with 50 to 51 % kite days. Water 12 to 14 °C. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): February to March.
A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots (gusts up to 45) between 10:00 and 19:00, in daylight. Percentages are the share of such days in each month, counted over 9 years.
- Prime 60 % and more
- Good 40 to 59 %
- Possible 20 to 39 %
- Off under 20 %
- No data hatched
- Ringed: this 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.
Confidence highHourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 51 % Goodabout 16 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 49 %
- Kiteable 51 %
- Too strong 0 %
- Good years
- 6 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
- 10 day trip
- 6 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 4.9 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 16:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 10.4 h
- Water
- 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves
- Air
- 12 °Cdaily maximum, 12 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 20 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Banff averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (51 %). Water 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 48 | 60 | 51 | 46 | 37 | 36 | 30 | 36 | 50 | 51 | 47 | 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | cold | Possible | Possible | Possible | Good | Good | cold | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 6 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 3 in 10 | 3 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 4 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 4 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 0 of 9 | 1 of 9 | 0 of 9 | 1 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 1 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 15 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 15 | 10 to 14 |
| Daylighth | 7.3 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 14.3 | 16.6 | 18.0 | 17.4 | 15.3 | 12.9 | 10.4 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
| Water°C at the surface | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 8 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 16 of 31 | 13 of 28 | 16 of 31 | 12 of 30 | 13 of 31 | 14 of 30 | 18 of 31 | 14 of 31 | 15 of 30 | 20 of 31 | 20 of 30 | 17 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 4/3 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, Banff averaged 15 kite days out of 31 (48 %). Water 7 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Banff averaged 17 kite days out of 28 (60 %). Water 7 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, Banff averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (51 %). Water 7 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Banff averaged 14 kite days out of 30 (46 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Banff averaged 11 kite days out of 31 (37 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Banff averaged 11 kite days out of 30 (36 %). Water 14 °C, 4/3. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Banff averaged 9 kite days out of 31 (30 %). Water 15 °C, 4/3. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Banff averaged 11 kite days out of 31 (36 %). Water 15 °C, 4/3. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Banff averaged 15 kite days out of 30 (50 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Banff averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (51 %). Water 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Banff averaged 14 kite days out of 30 (47 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Banff averaged 12 kite days out of 31 (40 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 4 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: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly model wind, 2017 to 2025; water temperature 2023 to 2025. How we count kite days and trip odds
Trip odds at Banff
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.0 expected
- February7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.7 expected
- March6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.2 expected
- April5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.5 expected
- May3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.5 expected
- June3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.7 expected
- July2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.9 expected
- August4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.7 expected
- September7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.2 expected
- October (now)6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.9 expected
- November5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.7 expected
- December4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.2 expected
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.
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
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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
5 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: fewer than 1 in 20
about 4.5 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).
How the wind behaves
In February, the windiest month
- Too light 40 %
- Kiteable 60 %
- Too strong 0 %
Too light on 40 %, kiteable on 60 %, too strong on 0 % of days.
Best hours: 10:00 to 16:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind direction varies, most often S (180°).
Kitesurfing at Banff: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Banff?
The best months are September to October: from 2017 to 2025, 50 to 51 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Banff windy in October?
Yes, often. 51 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 16 days in a typical October. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Banff?
The water ranges from 7 °C in January to 15 °C in July. In October it is about 12 °C (wetsuit: 6/5 with boots and gloves).
How many kite days does Banff get in a year?
About 161 days a year were kite days from 2017 to 2025, out of 365. 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.
Live forecast
The numbers above are long term averages. The forecast shows the next days.
Live forecast from Windy
The forecast map for Banff 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.
Spot facts
- Region
- Scotland
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ), 56 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 57.6705, -2.5524
- Model
- ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Conditions, checked against kite guides
Water state, flat areas, waves and whether schools teach here, from kite sources, not from satellite images.
Not yet checked against kite guides. We research spot conditions one by one and show only what a kite source says.
Nearby kite spots in Scotland
Kite days in October, % of days
- St Combs
United Kingdom · 10 points more kite days than Banff in October
61 %Kite days by month at St Combs: Jan 51 %, Feb 65 %, Mar 61 %, Apr 56 %, May 48 %, Jun 46 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 43 %, Sep 62 %, Oct 61 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 49 % - Newburgh
United Kingdom · 6 points more kite days than Banff in October
57 %Kite days by month at Newburgh: Jan 47 %, Feb 64 %, Mar 54 %, Apr 47 %, May 40 %, Jun 42 %, Jul 34 %, Aug 42 %, Sep 54 %, Oct 57 %, Nov 56 %, Dec 46 % - Balmedie Beach
United Kingdom · 15 points more kite days than Banff in October
66 %Kite days by month at Balmedie Beach: Jan 56 %, Feb 72 %, Mar 62 %, Apr 58 %, May 51 %, Jun 53 %, Jul 41 %, Aug 52 %, Sep 66 %, Oct 66 %, Nov 67 %, Dec 53 % - Burghead Bay
United Kingdom · 7 points more kite days than Banff in October
58 %Kite days by month at Burghead Bay: Jan 63 %, Feb 60 %, Mar 53 %, Apr 50 %, May 45 %, Jun 42 %, Jul 41 %, Aug 38 %, Sep 48 %, Oct 58 %, Nov 50 %, Dec 49 % - Aberdeen
United Kingdom · 20 points more kite days than Banff in October
71 %Kite days by month at Aberdeen: Jan 63 %, Feb 75 %, Mar 67 %, Apr 60 %, May 56 %, Jun 57 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 57 %, Sep 70 %, Oct 71 %, Nov 71 %, Dec 59 % - Ardersier Bay
United Kingdom · 6 points fewer kite days than Banff in October
45 %Kite days by month at Ardersier Bay: Jan 39 %, Feb 50 %, Mar 42 %, Apr 34 %, May 32 %, Jun 37 %, Jul 27 %, Aug 32 %, Sep 36 %, Oct 45 %, Nov 33 %, Dec 28 % - Sinclair's Bay
United Kingdom · 25 points more kite days than Banff in October
76 %Kite days by month at Sinclair's Bay: Jan 66 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 69 %, Apr 63 %, May 50 %, Jun 53 %, Jul 51 %, Aug 52 %, Sep 64 %, Oct 76 %, Nov 71 %, Dec 65 % - Freswick Bay
United Kingdom · 27 points more kite days than Banff in October
78 %Kite days by month at Freswick Bay: Jan 72 %, Feb 79 %, Mar 71 %, Apr 68 %, May 54 %, Jun 56 %, Jul 55 %, Aug 56 %, Sep 69 %, Oct 78 %, Nov 73 %, Dec 69 %
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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. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 51 % of days at Banff 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/spot/banff
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.