Sea · Scotland · United Kingdom
Machrihanish
Best for kiting from September to November, with 58 to 67 % kite days. Water 13 to 15 °C. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): December 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
- 67 % Primeabout 21 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 33 %
- Kiteable 67 %
- Too strong 0 %
- 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
- 10.5 h
- Water
- 14 °C, 5/4
- Air
- 13 °Cdaily maximum, 12 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 23 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Machrihanish averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (67 %). 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 | 58 | 76 | 58 | 52 | 41 | 43 | 40 | 46 | 58 | 67 | 64 | 55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 8 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 5 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 7 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 18 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 19 | 11 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 18 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 15 | 10 to 15 |
| Daylighth | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 14.1 | 16.2 | 17.4 | 16.9 | 15.0 | 12.8 | 10.5 | 8.4 | 7.2 |
| Water°C at the surface | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 21 of 31 | 20 of 28 | 18 of 31 | 12 of 30 | 12 of 31 | 17 of 30 | 16 of 31 | 20 of 31 | 18 of 30 | 23 of 31 | 21 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+ | 5/4 | 4/3 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, Machrihanish averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 9 °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, Machrihanish averaged 21 kite days out of 28 (76 %). Water 9 °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, Machrihanish averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 9 °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, Machrihanish averaged 15 kite days out of 30 (52 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Machrihanish averaged 13 kite days out of 31 (41 %). Water 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Machrihanish averaged 13 kite days out of 30 (43 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Machrihanish averaged 12 kite days out of 31 (40 %). Water 15 °C, 4/3. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Machrihanish averaged 14 kite days out of 31 (46 %). Water 15 °C, 5/4. 5 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Machrihanish averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (58 %). Water 15 °C, 5/4. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Machrihanish averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (67 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Machrihanish averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (64 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Machrihanish averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (55 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 7 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 Machrihanish
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 6.2 expected
- February9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.2 expected
- March8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- April6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.9 expected
- May4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.0 expected
- June5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.4 expected
- July4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.8 expected
- August5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.6 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
- November8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.2 expected
- December7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.5 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
- 8
- 6
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 5
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 4
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 4
- 5
- 5
- 6
- 4
- 5
- 7
- 3
- 4
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 5
- 5
- 6
- 6
- 8
- 6
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 9
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 7
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, capped at 9 in 10).
Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20
about 6.5 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 23 %
- Kiteable 76 %
- Too strong 1 %
Too light on 23 %, kiteable on 76 %, too strong on 1 % 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 WSW (248°).
Kitesurfing at Machrihanish: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Machrihanish?
The best months are September to November: from 2017 to 2025, 58 to 67 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Machrihanish windy in October?
Yes, very. 67 % 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 Machrihanish?
The water ranges from 9 °C in January to 15 °C in July. In October it is about 14 °C (wetsuit: 5/4).
How many kite days does Machrihanish 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 Machrihanish 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
- Campbeltown Airport (CAL), 3 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 55.4257, -5.7273
- 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
- Westport
United Kingdom · same kite days as Machrihanish in October
67 %Kite days by month at Westport: Jan 58 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 58 %, Apr 52 %, May 41 %, Jun 43 %, Jul 40 %, Aug 46 %, Sep 58 %, Oct 67 %, Nov 64 %, Dec 55 % - Largs
United Kingdom · 2 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
65 %Kite days by month at Largs: Jan 53 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 53 %, Apr 48 %, May 37 %, Jun 39 %, Jul 39 %, Aug 42 %, Sep 53 %, Oct 65 %, Nov 54 %, Dec 57 % - Troon
United Kingdom · 3 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
64 %Kite days by month at Troon: Jan 54 %, Feb 72 %, Mar 53 %, Apr 42 %, May 37 %, Jun 41 %, Jul 35 %, Aug 45 %, Sep 50 %, Oct 64 %, Nov 51 %, Dec 54 % - Barassie
United Kingdom · 7 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
60 %Kite days by month at Barassie: Jan 53 %, Feb 70 %, Mar 53 %, Apr 43 %, May 37 %, Jun 39 %, Jul 31 %, Aug 43 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 60 %, Nov 48 %, Dec 54 % - Luce Bay
United Kingdom · 14 points more kite days than Machrihanish in October
81 %Kite days by month at Luce Bay: Jan 72 %, Feb 82 %, Mar 69 %, Apr 61 %, May 57 %, Jun 55 %, Jul 52 %, Aug 62 %, Sep 69 %, Oct 81 %, Nov 76 %, Dec 74 % - Rhu Spit
United Kingdom · 44 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
23 %Kite days by month at Rhu Spit: Jan 17 %, Feb 38 %, Mar 28 %, Apr 22 %, May 14 %, Jun 15 %, Jul 10 %, Aug 18 %, Sep 18 %, Oct 23 %, Nov 16 %, Dec 18 % - Helensburgh
United Kingdom · 41 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
26 %Kite days by month at Helensburgh: Jan 19 %, Feb 38 %, Mar 28 %, Apr 22 %, May 13 %, Jun 18 %, Jul 12 %, Aug 19 %, Sep 22 %, Oct 26 %, Nov 17 %, Dec 19 % - Loch Creran
United Kingdom · 20 points fewer kite days than Machrihanish in October
47 %Kite days by month at Loch Creran: Jan 36 %, Feb 52 %, Mar 41 %, Apr 28 %, May 19 %, Jun 27 %, Jul 18 %, Aug 30 %, Sep 36 %, Oct 47 %, Nov 34 %, Dec 40 %
Plan your trip
Booking reminder
Remind me when to book Machrihanish
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, 67 % of days at Machrihanish 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/machrihanish
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.