Onshore, Side-Shore, Offshore: Reading Wind Direction at a Kite Spot

The five terms

• Onshore: the wind blows from the sea to the beach. Safe, but it pushes you back to the sand, so it is hard to get out and the shore-break is bad.
• Side-onshore: from the sea at an angle. The best compromise on many spots.
• Side-shore: parallel to the beach. Easiest to ride and to launch, and a good wind for beginners.
• Side-offshore: from the land at an angle. Fine for experienced riders with a rescue boat, risky otherwise.
• Offshore: from the land to the sea. It carries you away from help, so we mark it as "don't ride" on every spot.

Why offshore is the one that hurts

If something fails on an onshore day, you drift to the beach. If it fails on an offshore day, you drift away from it. Offshore wind is also flatter and lighter near the shore, because buildings, dunes and trees disturb it, then it hits you hard further out. That is why a spot that is perfect on one wind can be dangerous on the opposite one.

How to read our direction table

Each spot has a compass and a table. The directions show where the wind blows from. Green means it works, the brighter green is the best direction, grey means it does not work, and red means offshore: do not ride. The column "Angle to the beach" tells you whether the wind is on-, side- or offshore.

Cross-offshore at lagoon spots

Several flat-water lagoons, such as Dahab and Soma Bay, work on a cross-offshore wind because the shallow water and rescue boats make it manageable. Do not copy that rule to a random beach. The safety boat and the shallow water are the whole point.

Checklist before you launch

• Which way is the wind blowing today? Look at a flag, not the forecast alone.
• What is that direction relative to the beach?
• Where do you end up if you drop the kite, and who can reach you?
• Is the wind going to veer or increase later, as thermals do?