Calculate your kite size
Which kite do you take in how much wind? Enter your weight and level and slide the wind speed. You immediately see the size and the wind range of every kite in a common quiver.
Your size at 18 kn: 11m (theoretical ideal: 11.1 m²)
Gusty? Take one size smaller, because you depower on the peaks, not the average.
| Kite | Comfortable wind range |
|---|---|
| 7m | 24 to 33 kn |
| 9m | 19 to 26 kn |
| 10m | 17 to 23 kn |
| 12m | 14 to 19 kn |
| 14m | 12 to 16 kn |
| 17m | 10 to 14 kn |
Which kite size do I need?
That depends on three things: your weight, the wind speed and your level. As a rule of thumb, the ideal wind speed for a kite is a level constant (roughly 2.3 for beginners up to 2.6 for experts) times your weight in kilos, divided by the kite area in square metres. At 80 kg and 18 knots you end up around an 11-12m; at 100 kg you need a good deal more area at the same wind.
How much does body weight change the kite size?
A lot: the kite area you need scales almost directly with your weight. At the same wind, a 100 kg rider needs roughly 25% more area than an 80 kg rider. That is why a kite size recommendation without your weight as an input is worth very little.
Which kite size do you take in gusty wind?
One size smaller than the average wind suggests. You depower on the peaks (the gusts), not on the average: at 20 knots with gusts to 27 you ride more comfortably on the kite that suits ~23 knots than on the size for a steady 20 knots.
Can one kite cover the whole wind range?
No. Every kite has a comfortable wind range of roughly ±15% around its ideal wind speed. That is why kiters build a quiver of two or three sizes (for example 9m and 12m) that together cover the range from light to strong.
Live per spot: which kite today?
This calculator works with a single wind speed. On the Windulu spot pages this happens automatically with the real forecast: hour by hour, with the gusts factored in, and linked to the kites you own, including go/no-go on wind direction and safety. How that works you can read on the method page.