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12 kn+. A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots between 10:00 and 19:00. How we count.

Sea · Puerto Plata · Dominican Republic

El Canal

Best for kiting from January to August, with 53 to 93 % kite days. Water 26 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.

  1. J53
  2. F68
  3. M58
  4. A63
  5. M66
  6. J84
  7. J93
  8. A81
  9. S49
  10. O37
  11. N40
  12. D44
Kite days by month at El Canal: Jan 53 %, Feb 68 %, Mar 58 %, Apr 63 %, May 66 %, Jun 84 %, Jul 93 %, Aug 81 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 37 %, Nov 40 %, Dec 44 %
  • 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.

See the best monthsLive forecastShow on map

Month by month

MonthKite days% of days, verdict10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite daysWater°C, what to wear
  • Kite days
    37 % Possibleabout 12 of 31 days
    Too light, kiteable, too strong
    • Too light 63 %
    • Kiteable 37 %
    • Too strong 0 %
    Good years
    2017: 36 % kite days2018: 32 % kite days2019: 29 % kite days2020: 77 % kite days2021: 39 % kite days2022: 52 % kite days2023: 23 % kite days2024: 19 % kite days2025: 29 % kite days2 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
    10 day trip
    4 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 3.9 expected
    Best hours
    13:00 to 16:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
    Daylight
    11.7 h
    Water
    30 °C, boardshorts
    Air
    29 °Cdaily maximum, 29 °C during kite hours
    Rain
    17 of 31with 1 mm or more
    In one sentence

    In October, El Canal averaged 12 kite days out of 31 (37 %). Water 30 °C, boardshorts. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October 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 El Canal

How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.

  1. January7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.5 expected
  2. February8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.9 expected
  3. March6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.7 expected
  4. April7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.2 expected
  5. May8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.9 expected
  6. June9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.7 expected
  7. July9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 9.1 expected
  8. August9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.8 expected
  9. September5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.3 expected
  10. October (now)4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.9 expected
  11. November4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.9 expected
  12. December5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.6 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.

Open in the trip planner

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

Trip odds by start week in El Canal: W1 7 in 10, W2 6 in 10, W3 7 in 10, W4 6 in 10, W5 8 in 10, W6 8 in 10, W7 7 in 10, W8 7 in 10, W9 8 in 10, W10 5 in 10, W11 7 in 10, W12 5 in 10, W13 6 in 10, W14 7 in 10, W15 8 in 10, W16 7 in 10, W17 7 in 10, W18 6 in 10, W19 9 in 10, W20 8 in 10, W21 8 in 10, W22 9 in 10, W23 9 in 10, W24 9 in 10, W25 9 in 10, W26 9 in 10, W27 9 in 10, W28 9 in 10, W29 9 in 10, W30 9 in 10, W31 9 in 10, W32 9 in 10, W33 9 in 10, W34 9 in 10, W35 8 in 10, W36 7 in 10, W37 6 in 10, W38 5 in 10, W39 3 in 10, W40 3 in 10, W41 4 in 10, W42 4 in 10, W43 3 in 10, W44 3 in 10, W45 5 in 10, W46 4 in 10, W47 2 in 10, W48 4 in 10, W49 5 in 10, W50 7 in 10, W51 4 in 10, W52 5 in 10

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 4.7 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 July, the windiest month

  • Too light 7 %
  • Kiteable 93 %
  • Too strong 0 %

Too light on 7 %, kiteable on 93 %, too strong on 0 % of days.

Best hours: 12:00 to 18:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.

NESW

Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors

Wind steadily from E (90°).

Kitesurfing at El Canal: quick answers

When is the best time to kitesurf at El Canal?

The best months are January to August: from 2017 to 2025, 53 to 93 % of days in those months were kite days.

Is El Canal windy in October?

Sometimes. 37 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 12 days in a typical October. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.

What is the water temperature at El Canal?

The water ranges from 26 °C in February to 30 °C in September. In October it is about 30 °C (wetsuit: boardshorts).

How many kite days does El Canal get in a year?

About 223 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 El Canal 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
Puerto Plata
Country
Dominican Republic
Water body
Sea, from Natural Earth map data
Nearest airport
Gregorio Luperon International Airport (POP), 10 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
Time zone
UTC-04:00 in October
Coordinates
19.7841, -70.4839
Model
ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Satellite view of El Canal

Conditions, checked against kite guides

Water state, flat areas, waves and whether schools teach here, from kite sources, not from satellite images.

  • Waves are the main riding area.
  • Breaking waves are normal in the season.
  • Learning: no kite source says.
  • Reef wave spot similar to nearby Encuentro, with slightly more cross-shore wind. Access is a 20 minute walk to a private beach, so few riders go there.

Checked 2026-10-08, confidence medium (one kite source, or two that partly disagree). Sources: web.kite-and-windsurfing-guide.com, web.kite-and-windsurfing-guide.com.

Nearby kite spots in Puerto Plata

Kite days in October, % of days

  1. Encuentro

    Dominican Republic · 6 points more kite days than El Canal in October

    43 %
    January: 57 % kite days (Good)February: 69 % kite days (Prime)March: 60 % kite days (Prime)April: 65 % kite days (Prime)May: 72 % kite days (Prime)June: 89 % kite days (Prime)July: 94 % kite days (Prime)August: 84 % kite days (Prime)September: 53 % kite days (Good)October: 43 % kite days (Good)November: 44 % kite days (Good)December: 48 % kite days (Good)
    Kite days by month at Encuentro: Jan 57 %, Feb 69 %, Mar 60 %, Apr 65 %, May 72 %, Jun 89 %, Jul 94 %, Aug 84 %, Sep 53 %, Oct 43 %, Nov 44 %, Dec 48 %
  2. La Policia

    Dominican Republic · 13 points more kite days than El Canal in October

    50 %
    January: 64 % kite days (Prime)February: 77 % kite days (Prime)March: 67 % kite days (Prime)April: 73 % kite days (Prime)May: 82 % kite days (Prime)June: 93 % kite days (Prime)July: 95 % kite days (Prime)August: 88 % kite days (Prime)September: 63 % kite days (Prime)October: 50 % kite days (Good)November: 53 % kite days (Good)December: 55 % kite days (Good)
    Kite days by month at La Policia: Jan 64 %, Feb 77 %, Mar 67 %, Apr 73 %, May 82 %, Jun 93 %, Jul 95 %, Aug 88 %, Sep 63 %, Oct 50 %, Nov 53 %, Dec 55 %
  3. Playa Luperon

    Dominican Republic · 6 points more kite days than El Canal in October

    43 %
    January: 62 % kite days (Prime)February: 76 % kite days (Prime)March: 62 % kite days (Prime)April: 65 % kite days (Prime)May: 69 % kite days (Prime)June: 80 % kite days (Prime)July: 97 % kite days (Prime)August: 89 % kite days (Prime)September: 59 % kite days (Good)October: 43 % kite days (Good)November: 54 % kite days (Good)December: 63 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Playa Luperon: Jan 62 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 62 %, Apr 65 %, May 69 %, Jun 80 %, Jul 97 %, Aug 89 %, Sep 59 %, Oct 43 %, Nov 54 %, Dec 63 %
  4. Buenhombre

    Dominican Republic · 5 points more kite days than El Canal in October

    42 %
    January: 62 % kite days (Prime)February: 79 % kite days (Prime)March: 65 % kite days (Prime)April: 69 % kite days (Prime)May: 61 % kite days (Prime)June: 72 % kite days (Prime)July: 91 % kite days (Prime)August: 84 % kite days (Prime)September: 53 % kite days (Good)October: 42 % kite days (Good)November: 50 % kite days (Good)December: 58 % kite days (Good)
    Kite days by month at Buenhombre: Jan 62 %, Feb 79 %, Mar 65 %, Apr 69 %, May 61 %, Jun 72 %, Jul 91 %, Aug 84 %, Sep 53 %, Oct 42 %, Nov 50 %, Dec 58 %

Plan your trip

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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.

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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, 37 % of days at El Canal 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/el-canal

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