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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 · Sal · Cape Verde

Santa Maria

Best for kiting all year except July and August, with 57 to 91 % kite days. Water 22 to 28 °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. J83
  2. F91
  3. M89
  4. A88
  5. M88
  6. J78
  7. J37
  8. A33
  9. S57
  10. O68
  11. N74
  12. D83
Kite days by month at Santa Maria: Jan 83 %, Feb 91 %, Mar 89 %, Apr 88 %, May 88 %, Jun 78 %, Jul 37 %, Aug 33 %, Sep 57 %, Oct 68 %, Nov 74 %, Dec 83 %
  • 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 4 nearby spots, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach.

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
    68 % Primeabout 21 of 31 days
    Too light, kiteable, too strong
    • Too light 32 %
    • Kiteable 68 %
    • Too strong 0 %
    Good years
    2017: 68 % kite days2018: 71 % kite days2019: 68 % kite days2020: 71 % kite days2021: 84 % kite days2022: 74 % kite days2023: 32 % kite days2024: 74 % kite days2025: 71 % kite days8 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
    10 day trip
    9 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 7.2 expected
    Best hours
    10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
    Daylight
    11.8 h
    Water
    28 °C, boardshorts
    Air
    28 °Cdaily maximum, 27 °C during kite hours
    Rain
    1 of 31with 1 mm or more
    In one sentence

    In October, Santa Maria averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (68 %). Water 28 °C, boardshorts. 9 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 Santa Maria

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. January9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.4 expected
  2. February9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 9.2 expected
  3. March9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.9 expected
  4. April9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.8 expected
  5. May9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.5 expected
  6. June9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.5 expected
  7. July2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.3 expected
  8. August3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.6 expected
  9. September7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
  10. October (now)9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.2 expected
  11. November9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.3 expected
  12. December9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 8.4 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.

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 Santa Maria: W1 8 in 10, W2 8 in 10, W3 9 in 10, W4 9 in 10, W5 9 in 10, W6 9 in 10, W7 9 in 10, W8 9 in 10, W9 9 in 10, W10 9 in 10, W11 9 in 10, W12 9 in 10, W13 9 in 10, W14 9 in 10, W15 9 in 10, W16 9 in 10, W17 9 in 10, W18 9 in 10, W19 9 in 10, W20 9 in 10, W21 9 in 10, W22 8 in 10, W23 9 in 10, W24 9 in 10, W25 9 in 10, W26 8 in 10, W27 4 in 10, W28 1 in 10, W29 2 in 10, W30 2 in 10, W31 2 in 10, W32 3 in 10, W33 1 in 10, W34 3 in 10, W35 7 in 10, W36 7 in 10, W37 5 in 10, W38 8 in 10, W39 8 in 10, W40 9 in 10, W41 8 in 10, W42 9 in 10, W43 9 in 10, W44 9 in 10, W45 9 in 10, W46 7 in 10, W47 9 in 10, W48 9 in 10, W49 9 in 10, W50 9 in 10, W51 9 in 10, W52 9 in 10

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 7.1 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 9 %
  • Kiteable 91 %
  • Too strong 0 %

Too light on 9 %, kiteable on 91 %, too strong on 0 % of days.

Best hours: 10:00 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 NE (45°).

Kitesurfing at Santa Maria: quick answers

When is the best time to kitesurf at Santa Maria?

The best months are all year except July and August: from 2017 to 2025, 57 to 91 % of days in those months were kite days.

Is Santa Maria windy in October?

Yes, very. 68 % 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 Santa Maria?

The water ranges from 22 °C in March to 28 °C in September. In October it is about 28 °C (wetsuit: boardshorts).

How many kite days does Santa Maria get in a year?

About 263 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 Santa Maria 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
Sal
Country
Cape Verde
Water body
Sea, from Natural Earth map data
Nearest airport
Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID), 17 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
Time zone
UTC-01:00 in October
Coordinates
16.5970, -22.9106
Model
ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Satellite view of Santa Maria

Conditions, checked against kite guides

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

  • Small chop on the main riding area.
  • A flat or sheltered area exists for riding.
  • Learning possible in parts: a flat area plus a wave zone.
  • Santa Maria bay is a sheltered foil and freeride spot with side offshore wind for experienced riders; beginners use nearby Kite Beach (small waves) and Ponta Preta to the west is an expert wave spot.

Checked 2026-10-08, confidence medium (one kite source, or two that partly disagree). Sources: thekitemag.com, www.surf-magazin.de, www.kiteworldwide.com.

Nearby kite spots in Sal

Kite days in October, % of days

  1. Ponta do Sino

    Cape Verde · 2 points more kite days than Santa Maria in October

    70 %
    January: 88 % kite days (Prime)February: 93 % kite days (Prime)March: 91 % kite days (Prime)April: 90 % kite days (Prime)May: 91 % kite days (Prime)June: 83 % kite days (Prime)July: 44 % kite days (Good)August: 38 % kite days (Possible)September: 62 % kite days (Prime)October: 70 % kite days (Prime)November: 78 % kite days (Prime)December: 87 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Ponta do Sino: Jan 88 %, Feb 93 %, Mar 91 %, Apr 90 %, May 91 %, Jun 83 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 38 %, Sep 62 %, Oct 70 %, Nov 78 %, Dec 87 %
  2. Canoa

    Cape Verde · same kite days as Santa Maria in October

    68 %
    January: 83 % kite days (Prime)February: 91 % kite days (Prime)March: 89 % kite days (Prime)April: 88 % kite days (Prime)May: 88 % kite days (Prime)June: 78 % kite days (Prime)July: 37 % kite days (Possible)August: 33 % kite days (Possible)September: 57 % kite days (Good)October: 68 % kite days (Prime)November: 74 % kite days (Prime)December: 83 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Canoa: Jan 83 %, Feb 91 %, Mar 89 %, Apr 88 %, May 88 %, Jun 78 %, Jul 37 %, Aug 33 %, Sep 57 %, Oct 68 %, Nov 74 %, Dec 83 %
  3. Alibaba

    Cape Verde · 11 points fewer kite days than Santa Maria in October

    57 %
    January: 77 % kite days (Prime)February: 88 % kite days (Prime)March: 87 % kite days (Prime)April: 88 % kite days (Prime)May: 88 % kite days (Prime)June: 74 % kite days (Prime)July: 35 % kite days (Possible)August: 28 % kite days (Possible)September: 49 % kite days (Good)October: 57 % kite days (Good)November: 64 % kite days (Prime)December: 73 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Alibaba: Jan 77 %, Feb 88 %, Mar 87 %, Apr 88 %, May 88 %, Jun 74 %, Jul 35 %, Aug 28 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 57 %, Nov 64 %, Dec 73 %
  4. Rife Parda

    Cape Verde · 7 points fewer kite days than Santa Maria in October

    61 %
    January: 76 % kite days (Prime)February: 85 % kite days (Prime)March: 85 % kite days (Prime)April: 87 % kite days (Prime)May: 89 % kite days (Prime)June: 75 % kite days (Prime)July: 36 % kite days (Possible)August: 29 % kite days (Possible)September: 49 % kite days (Good)October: 61 % kite days (Prime)November: 65 % kite days (Prime)December: 74 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Rife Parda: Jan 76 %, Feb 85 %, Mar 85 %, Apr 87 %, May 89 %, Jun 75 %, Jul 36 %, Aug 29 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 61 %, Nov 65 %, Dec 74 %

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 4 nearby spots, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach. Confidence: high.

Cite this

In October, 68 % of days at Santa Maria 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/santa-maria

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