Sea · Scotland · United Kingdom
Barvas, Lewis
Best for kiting in June and from September to October, with 51 to 66 % kite days. Water 13 to 14 °C. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): November to April.
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. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 66 % Primeabout 21 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 33 %
- Kiteable 66 %
- Too strong 1 %
- 10 day trip
- 9 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 6.5 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 10.3 h
- Water
- 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves
- Air
- 12 °Cdaily maximum, 11 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 24 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Barvas, Lewis averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (66 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 60 | 71 | 58 | 53 | 47 | 51 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 66 | 56 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | cold | Good | Possible | Good | Good | Prime | cold | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 8 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 6 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 0, reached 50 % | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 15 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 11 to 19 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 15 | 10 to 15 |
| Daylighth | 7.2 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 14.4 | 16.8 | 18.2 | 17.5 | 15.4 | 12.9 | 10.3 | 7.9 | 6.5 |
| Water°C at the surface | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 24 of 31 | 19 of 28 | 19 of 31 | 15 of 30 | 16 of 31 | 17 of 30 | 19 of 31 | 20 of 31 | 19 of 30 | 24 of 31 | 23 of 30 | 23 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 4/3 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, Barvas, Lewis averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Barvas, Lewis averaged 20 kite days out of 28 (71 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, Barvas, Lewis averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Barvas, Lewis averaged 16 kite days out of 30 (53 %). Water 9 °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, Barvas, Lewis averaged 15 kite days out of 31 (47 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Barvas, Lewis averaged 15 kite days out of 30 (51 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Barvas, Lewis averaged 12 kite days out of 31 (39 %). Water 14 °C, 4/3. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Barvas, Lewis averaged 15 kite days out of 31 (49 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Barvas, Lewis averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (58 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Barvas, Lewis averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (66 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Barvas, Lewis averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (56 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Barvas, Lewis averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (50 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 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: 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 Barvas, Lewis
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.4 expected
- February9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.9 expected
- March8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- April5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.8 expected
- May5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.6 expected
- June6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.2 expected
- July4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.1 expected
- August6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.8 expected
- September7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.2 expected
- October (now)9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.5 expected
- November6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.4 expected
- December6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.1 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
- 7
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 9
- 7
- 6
- 4
- 4
- 6
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 6
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 6
- 6
- 5
- 6
- 8
- 6
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 5
- 7
- 7
- 6
- 6
- 7
- 5
- 5
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 4.9 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 29 %
- Kiteable 71 %
- Too strong 0 %
Too light on 29 %, kiteable on 71 %, 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 mostly from WSW (248°), fairly steady direction.
Kitesurfing at Barvas, Lewis: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Barvas, Lewis?
The best months are June and September to October: from 2017 to 2025, 51 to 66 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Barvas, Lewis windy in October?
Yes, very. 66 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 21 days in a typical October. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Barvas, Lewis?
The water ranges from 8 °C in January to 14 °C in July. In October it is about 13 °C (wetsuit: 6/5 with boots and gloves).
How many kite days does Barvas, Lewis get in a year?
About 200 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 Barvas, Lewis 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
- Stornoway Airport (SYY), 21 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 58.3712, -6.5425
- 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
- Coll Sands, Lewis
United Kingdom · 5 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
71 %Kite days by month at Coll Sands, Lewis: Jan 63 %, Feb 78 %, Mar 67 %, Apr 56 %, May 49 %, Jun 56 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 51 %, Sep 61 %, Oct 71 %, Nov 65 %, Dec 60 % - Eoropaidh
United Kingdom · 14 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
80 %Kite days by month at Eoropaidh: Jan 77 %, Feb 83 %, Mar 77 %, Apr 69 %, May 61 %, Jun 65 %, Jul 59 %, Aug 64 %, Sep 75 %, Oct 80 %, Nov 76 %, Dec 75 % - Reef, Lewis
United Kingdom · 6 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
72 %Kite days by month at Reef, Lewis: Jan 69 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 66 %, Apr 56 %, May 52 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 45 %, Aug 56 %, Sep 63 %, Oct 72 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 60 % - Uig Bay, Lewis
United Kingdom · 10 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
76 %Kite days by month at Uig Bay, Lewis: Jan 74 %, Feb 80 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 62 %, May 61 %, Jun 65 %, Jul 49 %, Aug 62 %, Sep 72 %, Oct 76 %, Nov 70 %, Dec 64 % - Sollas, North Uist
United Kingdom · 9 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
75 %Kite days by month at Sollas, North Uist: Jan 75 %, Feb 83 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 64 %, May 58 %, Jun 62 %, Jul 52 %, Aug 59 %, Sep 73 %, Oct 75 %, Nov 71 %, Dec 67 % - Claigan Coral Beach
United Kingdom · 6 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
72 %Kite days by month at Claigan Coral Beach: Jan 67 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 66 %, Apr 57 %, May 53 %, Jun 56 %, Jul 45 %, Aug 57 %, Sep 68 %, Oct 72 %, Nov 66 %, Dec 61 % - Hosta Beach
United Kingdom · 15 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
81 %Kite days by month at Hosta Beach: Jan 79 %, Feb 82 %, Mar 76 %, Apr 69 %, May 63 %, Jun 69 %, Jul 60 %, Aug 66 %, Sep 79 %, Oct 81 %, Nov 76 %, Dec 71 % - Baleshare, North Uist
United Kingdom · 15 points more kite days than Barvas, Lewis in October
81 %Kite days by month at Baleshare, North Uist: Jan 77 %, Feb 82 %, Mar 77 %, Apr 70 %, May 62 %, Jun 67 %, Jul 62 %, Aug 68 %, Sep 77 %, Oct 81 %, Nov 74 %, Dec 70 %
Plan your trip
Booking reminder
Remind me when to book Barvas, Lewis
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. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 66 % of days at Barvas, Lewis 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/barvas-lewis
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.