The most important aspect of kiting is the wind, without wind you can not practice this sport. So on your first day of in your kitesurf school, in addition to learning the basics of how to handle a kite, it is essential that you learn about the wind window, both so you can kite and have fun, and to avoid scares, as there are areas of the window where the wind has a lot of power.
What is the kitesurfing wind window?
The wind window refers to the area in which you fly your kite kite. It is an abstract concept, and it is three-dimensional and shaped like a quarter of a sphere. The wind window is divided into several zones and depending on where you place the kite, it can fly, launch or even enter the danger zone. For this reason it is important to know how the wind window works in order to be able to power the kite to your liking and prevent accidents.
Wind window zones
The wind window is divided into two zones, and they differ in the power they offer to the kite:
Neutral zone
If you want to know which are the limits of the wind window you must position your arms in the shape of a cross horizontally with your back to the wind, these zones marked by our arms will be the ones with less power, and are the zones where we launch and land our kite. If we are launching, we must go up to the top of the zenith, where the wind power is also weak and you can finish preparing to enter the sea without receiving pulls.
Once you have an idea of where the wind window is, from the cross position you should raise your arms until you bring them together above your head with the intention of finding the 12 o’clock or zenith, passing through all the hours of the clock. The 12 o’clock or zenith zone is the neutral zone (N) which is the area where the kite will be able to fly but without power. As we lower the arms in front of us from the head we will acquire more power, the point in front of us, will be the area with maximum power, which will decrease as the arms go up above the head.
Power zone
The power zone of the flight window is the rest of the area. The closer it is to the neutral zone, the weaker the wind will be and the farther away the more powerful the wind will be, even dangerous to have the kite directly in front of us if we are beginners.
The system of hours in the wind window
This flight system is relatively new in kitesurfing, it consists of dividing the flight window in half, so that only the upper half of the circle is visible. Half of this sphere will help us to determine the hours as if it were a clock. The hours wind the dial from 9:00 to 15:00 hours. Where the main time will be 9, 12 and 15 hours.
If you want the kite kite to advance without any impulse the ideal is to sail during the 12 hours, because it is the most neutral time, so the wind can enter and leave without producing pressure on the kite. Although if you are looking to move the kite by traction, it is recommended that you move the kite from one hour to another quickly, as this will help the kite to go through the power zone.
How to lift the kite
Before starting in the world of kitesurfing the first thing to do is to understand how the wind window works, as this is key to know in which areas we can lift and land the kite.
To lift a kite we always do it from the side zones and never in front of us. For example from 9 o’clock or 15 o’clock. In addition, we need help with this task, as both the kite bar and the lines must be taut, while the kite rises little by little.
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.