If you have already set the goal of coming to Tarifa for your next vacation, it is important to open a page that offers information about the wind forecast, although most of the time this information tends to be a bit confusing, so here we will explain the perfect method for you to understand Windguru.
The first thing you have to do is to choose the model you will see. Personally we recommend you to use the GFS13km or the WRF3km/WRF9km, as these are mostly very well detailed according to the hours. The next thing you should do is to check the wind direction. In the town of Tarifa we will mainly find 2 winds which are; the easterly and the westerly. If an arrow is pointing to the left side, it means the wind is easterly and if it is pointing to the right it means it is westerly. In Windguru or other pages you can find very accurate information, it is up to you to choose the page that best suits your needs.
What is Windguru
Windguru is nothing more than an online site that is frequently used by kitesurfers to check the wind forecast. This site has gained a lot of popularity among sportsmen, thanks to its low margin of error. The site was created in 2003 with the intention of allowing people to read and interpret wind forecasts in real time.
Choosing the Windguru forecasting model
It is normal that when you start kitesurfing it takes some time to understand a wind application, such as Windguru, but as time goes by you will notice that it starts to adapt and gradually becomes part of your daily life. In fact there is even the likelihood that it will become a must if you are one of those people who practice in all seasons of the year. There are many forecast models on the site, but our recommendation is that you use the GFS13km or WRF3km/WRF9km, as these are mostly very well detailed by hour.
Interpreting Windguru colors
In order to understand the wind in Windguru you will need to read the wind speed and gust data. The speed on the page will be displayed in knots and colors. White, blue and green will refer to light winds, while red and pink will refer to strong winds.
Interpreting the arrows in Windguru
The function of the arrows will be to indicate the direction in which the wind is going, an extremely crucial data, because depending on the intensity and course of the wind, the greater or lesser will be the difficulty to practice kitesurfing. Remember that to maintain stability it is necessary to manage the kite and the control bar, otherwise you will fall into the sea.
Interpreting the wind in Windguru
To learn how to read Windguru, you must first know how to interpret the wind on the page. Winguru will display three data regarding the wind; its direction, intensity, gust and rating.
Direction: It will refer to the intensity in knots of the wind according to the area.
Intensity: The arrows indicate which direction the wind will follow. It is important that it always indicates landward and not offshore.
Gust: Means the speed that the wind can reach in a short gust. Gusts on the other hand are unexpected wind changes that can occur in seconds and increase the intensity of the wind.
Rating: The page places stars that indicate the approach of the wind. If Windguru adds one star this means you can start kitesurfing, two stars means that the experience will be excellent and three that the athlete will need small kites.
Wind intensity
Athletes pay attention to the intensity of the wind before kiting and this has a reason, and that is that if the intensity level is high the more difficult it will be to manage the equipment, which would mean a big problem and vice versa, the lower the intensity level the easier it will be to have control of your equipment.
Wind gusts
No matter how experienced you are in kitesurfing, it will always be difficult to predict exactly when the wind will gust, so you should never rule out the possibility that a gust can make you lose control of the equipment. The most delicate thing in these cases is that with the gusty wind the person can be dragged out to sea. Therefore it is important to learn how to interpret Windguru, in order to know when there are gusts of wind and avoid bad moments.
Wind direction
Wind can be found everywhere, each having its own characteristics. In water sports you need to know the strength and direction of the wind to be able to practice. Through the wind direction the movements with the bugle and board will be affected, for this reason not any place is suitable for kiting.
East wind
The easterly wind means that wind that comes from the Mediterranean, this wind occurs according to the geography and meteorology of a place. The easterly wind occurs mostly during the months between May and October. Its intensity varies although it can reach high levels.
Where to sail in Tarifa with Levante
The wind capital of Europe has an endless number of kite spots with different conditions that attract athletes of all levels.
The best places for kitesurfing in Tarifa with easterly winds are; Los Lances beach, La Charca, Valdevaqueros, Balneario, Palmones, Caños de Meca and Getares.
Westerly wind
The west wind means the wind that comes from the west, where the sun sets. Other names by which this type of wind is known are; occidente and favonio. When we are in the presence of this type of wind we can notice how the temperatures are reduced and the humidity increases.
Where to sail in Tarifa in the west
In order to have a great vacation practicing the sport you love in Tarifa, you will need to know the best places to go depending on the wind conditions.
As long as you love the waves the best places to surf in Tarifa in the west are Los Lances Norte, Chinringuito, Balneario and Arte.
The waves at Windguru
Kitesurfing experts for many years have named the Windguru application as one of the best wave forecasting sites in the world, as it not only gives real time information about the wind and its characteristics, such as gust, intensity and direction, but also offers other data such as wave size and temperature.
I’m Sergio Turégano and I’ve been practicing kite for 10 years. Since I was little I was passionate about the sea and I started to jump into the water with boards since I can remember, I’ve tried body, surf and windsurf but kitesurfing is my passion. I was champion of the Kitesurf TT:R Open World Championship in 2017 and I have been runner-up of Spain in the Junior category. Now I dedicate my life to enjoy kitesurfing as much as I can and teach others how to practice this amazing sport in Tarifa. I love to write about it and share all my tricks, tips and secrets about the kite world.