Sea · Frisia · Netherlands
De Houw
Best for kiting from May to October, with 56 to 73 % kite days. Water 14 to 20 °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 highClose model cell, both models agree on the season, 9 full years. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 73 % Primeabout 23 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 27 %
- Kiteable 73 %
- 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 7.1 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 18:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 10.6 h
- Water
- 14 °C, 5/4
- Air
- 14 °Cdaily maximum, 13 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 16 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, De Houw averaged 23 kite days out of 31 (73 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 70 | 69 | 60 | 62 | 60 | 60 | 58 | 60 | 56 | 73 | 68 | 66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | Prime | Prime | Good | Prime | Good | Prime | cold | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 12 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 15 |
| Daylighth | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.8 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.8 | 12.7 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| Water°C at the surface | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 15 of 31 | 12 of 28 | 11 of 31 | 10 of 30 | 11 of 31 | 11 of 30 | 14 of 31 | 14 of 31 | 13 of 30 | 16 of 31 | 16 of 30 | 15 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 5/4 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, De Houw averaged 22 kite days out of 31 (70 %). Water 5 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, De Houw averaged 19 kite days out of 28 (69 %). Water 5 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, De Houw averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 7 °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, De Houw averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (62 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, De Houw averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 15 °C, 5/4. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, De Houw averaged 18 kite days out of 30 (60 %). Water 18 °C, 4/3. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, De Houw averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 20 °C, 4/3. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, De Houw averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 20 °C, 4/3. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, De Houw averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (56 %). Water 19 °C, 4/3. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, De Houw averaged 23 kite days out of 31 (73 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, De Houw averaged 20 kite days out of 30 (68 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, De Houw averaged 20 kite days out of 31 (66 %). Water 7 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 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 De Houw
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.8 expected
- February8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.7 expected
- March8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.3 expected
- April8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- May8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.2 expected
- June8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- July7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- August7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- September8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.3 expected
- October (now)9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.1 expected
- November9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.8 expected
- December8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.6 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
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 6
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 8
- 8
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 5
- 8
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 8
- 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
8 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 6.4 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 October, the windiest month
- Too light 27 %
- Kiteable 73 %
- Too strong 0 %
Too light on 27 %, kiteable on 73 %, too strong on 0 % of days.
Best hours: 10:00 to 18:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind mostly from SSW (203°), fairly steady direction.
Kitesurfing at De Houw: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at De Houw?
The best months are May to October: from 2017 to 2025, 56 to 73 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is De Houw windy in October?
Yes, very. 73 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 23 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 De Houw?
The water ranges from 5 °C in January to 20 °C in July. In October it is about 14 °C (wetsuit: 5/4).
How many kite days does De Houw get in a year?
About 231 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 De Houw 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
- Frisia
- Country
- Netherlands
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ), 80 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC+02:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 53.0914, 5.3801
- 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 Frisia
Kite days in October, % of days
- Harlingen
Netherlands · 4 points fewer kite days than De Houw in October
69 %Kite days by month at Harlingen: Jan 65 %, Feb 63 %, Mar 58 %, Apr 61 %, May 56 %, Jun 55 %, Jul 55 %, Aug 56 %, Sep 52 %, Oct 69 %, Nov 58 %, Dec 62 % - Groene Strand, Terschelling
Netherlands · 7 points more kite days than De Houw in October
80 %Kite days by month at Groene Strand, Terschelling: Jan 77 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 69 %, Apr 69 %, May 63 %, Jun 63 %, Jul 65 %, Aug 66 %, Sep 65 %, Oct 80 %, Nov 79 %, Dec 76 % - Dellewal, Terschelling
Netherlands · 4 points more kite days than De Houw in October
77 %Kite days by month at Dellewal, Terschelling: Jan 77 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 68 %, Apr 71 %, May 68 %, Jun 67 %, Jul 66 %, Aug 64 %, Sep 64 %, Oct 77 %, Nov 76 %, Dec 74 % - Kinnum, Terschelling
Netherlands · 7 points more kite days than De Houw in October
80 %Kite days by month at Kinnum, Terschelling: Jan 77 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 68 %, Apr 71 %, May 67 %, Jun 66 %, Jul 66 %, Aug 66 %, Sep 65 %, Oct 80 %, Nov 78 %, Dec 76 % - Vlieland
Netherlands · 6 points more kite days than De Houw in October
79 %Kite days by month at Vlieland: Jan 77 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 69 %, May 66 %, Jun 64 %, Jul 65 %, Aug 67 %, Sep 65 %, Oct 79 %, Nov 78 %, Dec 76 % - Ameland / Hollum
Netherlands · 8 points more kite days than De Houw in October
81 %Kite days by month at Ameland / Hollum: Jan 78 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 70 %, May 66 %, Jun 66 %, Jul 66 %, Aug 68 %, Sep 67 %, Oct 81 %, Nov 75 %, Dec 78 % - Nes, Ameland
Netherlands · 3 points more kite days than De Houw in October
76 %Kite days by month at Nes, Ameland: Jan 75 %, Feb 71 %, Mar 67 %, Apr 67 %, May 63 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 63 %, Aug 62 %, Sep 61 %, Oct 76 %, Nov 72 %, Dec 72 % - Lauwersoog
Netherlands · 18 points fewer kite days than De Houw in October
55 %Kite days by month at Lauwersoog: Jan 51 %, Feb 58 %, Mar 47 %, Apr 50 %, May 45 %, Jun 42 %, Jul 41 %, Aug 38 %, Sep 42 %, Oct 55 %, Nov 47 %, Dec 48 %
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. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 73 % of days at De Houw 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/de-houw
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.