Sea · North Carolina · United States

Topsail Island

Name: Topsail Island
Address: USA

Best for kiting in April, with 52 % kite days. Water 19 °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.

JJan32cold
FFeb34Possible
MMar45Good
AApr52Good
MMay43Good
JJun37Possible
JJul40Good
AAug25Possible
SSep27Possible
OOct27Possiblenow
NNov26Possible
DDec24Possible

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 months Live forecast Show on map

Month by month

MonthKite days% of days, verdict10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite daysWater°C, what to wear

Kite days
27 % Possibleabout 8 of 31 days
Too light, kiteable, too strong
Too light 73 %
Kiteable 27 %
Too strong 0 %
Good years
0 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
10 day trip
1 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 2.7 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, Topsail Island averaged 8 kite days out of 31 (27 %). Water 22 °C, spring suit. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.

Topsail Island

Kite days% of days	32	34	45	52	43	37	40	25	27	27	26	24
Verdictshare plus good years	cold	Possible	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible
10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days	2 in 10	3 in 10	6 in 10	6 in 10	3 in 10	3 in 10	4 in 10	1 in 10	2 in 10	1 in 10	1 in 10	1 in 10
Good yearsof 9, reached 50 %	0 of 9	0 of 9	2 of 9	7 of 9	2 of 9	2 of 9	1 of 9	0 of 9	0 of 9	0 of 9	0 of 9	0 of 9
Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn	10 to 16	12 to 17	15 to 18	13 to 19	15 to 19	15 to 18	15 to 19	15 to 19	11 to 18	10 to 18	10 to 16	10 to 16
Daylighth	10.1	10.9	12.0	13.0	13.9	14.4	14.2	13.4	12.4	11.4	10.4	9.9
Water°C at the surface	11	12	14	19	23	26	29	29	26	22	18	13
Air°C, daily maximum	12	14	16	19	23	26	28	28	26	23	18	14
Rain days1 mm or more	10 of 31	10 of 28	9 of 31	8 of 30	10 of 31	11 of 30	14 of 31	15 of 31	10 of 30	7 of 31	7 of 30	9 of 31
Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves	6/5+	5/4	4/3	3/2	spring	shorty	shorts	shorts	shorty	spring	3/2	5/4

In January, Topsail Island averaged 10 kite days out of 31 (32 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
In February, Topsail Island averaged 9 kite days out of 28 (34 %). Water 12 °C, 5/4. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
In March, Topsail Island averaged 14 kite days out of 31 (45 %). Water 14 °C, 4/3. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
In April, Topsail Island averaged 16 kite days out of 30 (52 %). Water 19 °C, 3/2. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
In May, Topsail Island averaged 13 kite days out of 31 (43 %). Water 23 °C, spring suit. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
In June, Topsail Island averaged 11 kite days out of 30 (37 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 3 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
In July, Topsail Island averaged 12 kite days out of 31 (40 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 4 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
In August, Topsail Island averaged 8 kite days out of 31 (25 %). Water 29 °C, boardshorts. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
In September, Topsail Island averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (27 %). Water 26 °C, shorty. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
In October, Topsail Island averaged 8 kite days out of 31 (27 %). Water 22 °C, spring suit. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
In November, Topsail Island averaged 8 kite days out of 30 (26 %). Water 18 °C, 3/2. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
In December, Topsail Island averaged 7 kite days out of 31 (24 %). Water 13 °C, 5/4. 1 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 Topsail Island

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

January2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.0 expected
February3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.5 expected
March6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.7 expected
April6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.2 expected
May3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.0 expected
June3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.8 expected
July4 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.0 expected
August1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.3 expected
September2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.8 expected
October (now)1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.7 expected
November1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.5 expected
December1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.6 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

Start date

1 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: 1 in 10

about 3.1 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 April, the windiest month

Too light 48 %
Kiteable 52 %
Too strong 0 %

Too light on 48 %, kiteable on 52 %, too strong on 0 % of days.

Best hours: 13:00 to 19:00, 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 Topsail Island: quick answers

When is the best time to kitesurf at Topsail Island?

The best month is April: from 2017 to 2025, 52 % of its days were kite days.

Is Topsail Island windy in October?

Sometimes. 27 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 8 days in a typical October. 1 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.

What is the water temperature at Topsail Island?

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 Topsail Island get in a year?

About 125 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 Topsail Island 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), 37 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
Time zone: UTC-04:00 in October
Coordinates: 34.4255, -77.5440
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

Cape Fear
United States · 26 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
53 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Kite days by month at Cape Fear: Jan 52 %, Feb 54 %, Mar 62 %, Apr 63 %, May 58 %, Jun 57 %, Jul 56 %, Aug 48 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 53 %, Nov 52 %, Dec 52 %
Cape Lookout
United States · 34 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
61 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 36 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
63 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 38 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
65 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 36 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
63 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 38 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
65 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 37 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
64 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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 · 37 points more kite days than Topsail Island in October
64 %
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
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

Open in Google Maps

Booking reminder

Remind me when to book Topsail Island

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. Confidence: high.

Cite this

In October, 27 % of days at Topsail Island 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/topsail-island

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