Sea · North Carolina · United States
Cape Fear
Best for kiting all year except August and September, with 52 to 63 % kite days. Water 11 to 29 °C.
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
- 53 % Goodabout 16 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 47 %
- Kiteable 53 %
- Too strong 0 %
- Good years
- 5 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
- 10 day trip
- 7 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 18:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 11.4 h
- Water
- 22 °C, spring suit
- Air
- 23 °Cdaily maximum, 22 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 7 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Cape Fear averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (53 %). Water 22 °C, spring suit. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 52 | 54 | 62 | 63 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 52 | 52 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 7 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 6 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 5 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 18 | 14 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 13 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 16 |
| Daylighth | 10.2 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.4 | 11.4 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| Water°C at the surface | 11 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 14 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 12 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 18 | 14 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 10 of 31 | 9 of 28 | 9 of 31 | 7 of 30 | 9 of 31 | 12 of 30 | 17 of 31 | 17 of 31 | 11 of 30 | 7 of 31 | 8 of 30 | 10 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 4/3 | 3/2 | spring | shorty | shorts | shorts | shorty | spring | 4/3 | 5/4 |
- In January, Cape Fear averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (52 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Cape Fear averaged 15 kite days out of 28 (54 %). Water 12 °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, Cape Fear averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (62 %). Water 15 °C, 4/3. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Cape Fear averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (63 %). Water 19 °C, 3/2. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Cape Fear averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 23 °C, spring suit. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Cape Fear averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (57 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Cape Fear averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (56 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Cape Fear averaged 15 kite days out of 31 (48 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Cape Fear averaged 15 kite days out of 30 (49 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Cape Fear averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (53 %). Water 22 °C, spring suit. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Cape Fear averaged 16 kite days out of 30 (52 %). Water 18 °C, 4/3. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Cape Fear averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (52 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 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: 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 Cape Fear
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- February7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.2 expected
- March9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.4 expected
- April8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.3 expected
- May7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.8 expected
- June7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- July7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.8 expected
- August5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.6 expected
- September6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.0 expected
- October (now)7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- November6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.0 expected
- December7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.4 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
- 8
- 5
- 6
- 8
- 9
- 8
- 6
- 6
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 6
- 7
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 7
- 5
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 7
- 5
- 5
- 4
- 4
- 5
- 8
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 5
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 6
- 4
- 4
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 8
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
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).
Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20
about 5.9 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 April, the windiest month
- Too light 37 %
- Kiteable 63 %
- Too strong 0 %
Too light on 37 %, kiteable on 63 %, too strong on 0 % of days.
Best hours: 14:00 to 19:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind direction varies, most often SW (225°).
Kitesurfing at Cape Fear: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Cape Fear?
The best months are all year except August and September: from 2017 to 2025, 52 to 63 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Cape Fear windy in October?
Yes, often. 53 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 16 days in a typical October. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Cape Fear?
The water ranges from 11 °C in January to 29 °C in July. In October it is about 22 °C (wetsuit: spring suit).
How many kite days does Cape Fear get in a year?
About 199 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 Cape Fear 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
- North Carolina
- Country
- United States
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- Wilmington International Airport (ILM), 48 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC-04:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 33.8408, -77.9582
- 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 North Carolina
Kite days in October, % of days
- Topsail Island
United States · 26 points fewer kite days than Cape Fear in October
27 %Kite days by month at Topsail Island: Jan 32 %, Feb 34 %, Mar 45 %, Apr 52 %, May 43 %, Jun 37 %, Jul 40 %, Aug 25 %, Sep 27 %, Oct 27 %, Nov 26 %, Dec 24 % - Cape Lookout
United States · 8 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
61 %Kite days by month at Cape Lookout: Jan 68 %, Feb 69 %, Mar 74 %, Apr 71 %, May 65 %, Jun 58 %, Jul 62 %, Aug 56 %, Sep 57 %, Oct 61 %, Nov 64 %, Dec 70 % - Ocracoke Island
United States · 10 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
63 %Kite days by month at Ocracoke Island: Jan 65 %, Feb 72 %, Mar 75 %, Apr 77 %, May 73 %, Jun 64 %, Jul 66 %, Aug 57 %, Sep 57 %, Oct 63 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 67 % - The Ferry Docks
United States · 12 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
65 %Kite days by month at The Ferry Docks: Jan 73 %, Feb 74 %, Mar 78 %, Apr 79 %, May 72 %, Jun 64 %, Jul 68 %, Aug 60 %, Sep 59 %, Oct 65 %, Nov 66 %, Dec 69 % - The Bath House
United States · 10 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
63 %Kite days by month at The Bath House: Jan 69 %, Feb 73 %, Mar 76 %, Apr 80 %, May 71 %, Jun 64 %, Jul 68 %, Aug 58 %, Sep 59 %, Oct 63 %, Nov 65 %, Dec 66 % - Cape Hatteras
United States · 12 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
65 %Kite days by month at Cape Hatteras: Jan 76 %, Feb 75 %, Mar 79 %, Apr 79 %, May 72 %, Jun 62 %, Jul 66 %, Aug 58 %, Sep 59 %, Oct 65 %, Nov 68 %, Dec 72 % - Kite Point
United States · 11 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
64 %Kite days by month at Kite Point: Jan 70 %, Feb 74 %, Mar 78 %, Apr 78 %, May 72 %, Jun 63 %, Jul 67 %, Aug 57 %, Sep 58 %, Oct 64 %, Nov 66 %, Dec 67 % - Chimichanga House
United States · 11 points more kite days than Cape Fear in October
64 %Kite days by month at Chimichanga House: Jan 69 %, Feb 73 %, Mar 77 %, Apr 79 %, May 74 %, Jun 63 %, Jul 67 %, Aug 57 %, Sep 58 %, Oct 64 %, Nov 64 %, Dec 66 %
Plan your trip
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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, 53 % of days at Cape Fear 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/cape-fear
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.