Best kitesurfing in December: where to go for wind and warmth

For the best kitesurfing in December I'd fly to Sal in Cape Verde, to Aruba or Bonaire, to north-east Brazil, to Cape Town, or to Asia: Mui Ne in Vietnam or Boracay in the Philippines. Most of these places get more wind in December than in November, and daytime temperatures stay above 20 °C. Brazil is the exception: the season there is winding down, although Cumbuco still has the highest December average in the table below.

I wouldn't rule out Egypt in December. The wind is similar to November, it's just cooler, by day and by night. The Red Sea kite safari I've been on several times doesn't run in December 2026.

The numbers below are averages of daytime readings from Windfinder weather stations. They include the light days, and the stations are often at airports rather than on the beach, so the wind on the spot can be different. I use them to compare places with each other and December with other months. They won't tell you how windy your particular week will be.

December in numbers

Mui Ne comes out worst in the table, but I wouldn't trust that number. The station is at an airport 16 km from the bay, and much of the wind in Mui Ne is thermal: it builds through the day as the dunes heat up. For Jericoacoara and Boracay the station data only covers older years, up to 2015 and 2018.

I look at the whole season in Where to kitesurf in winter (warm and windy). For the months either side, see Where to kitesurf in November and Where to kitesurf in January.

Where it's windy and warm in December

Sal, Cape Verde

On Sal the north-easterly trade wind blows almost daily from November to June, usually 15-25 knots (8-13 m/s). At the airport station December is a bit windier than November, and February tends to be the strongest month.

Kite Beach faces east, with onshore or cross-onshore wind. For early independent rides, I'd choose wind blowing diagonally towards the beach, with room away from shore and obstacles; have a local instructor assess conditions. Directly onshore wind can carry you onto the beach. Low tide gets shallow, so check the depth for riding as well as jumps. Around 150 kiters share the water in peak season.

The beaches on the south and west of the island are offshore in a typical forecast, meaning the wind blows from the land out to sea. If you can't ride upwind yet and get back to where you started, stay at Kite Beach. Not every spot has rescue. In winter the water is only a couple of degrees cooler than the air, and a 3/2 mm shorty is enough for most people. There's more about the island in Kitesurfing in Cape Verde.

Aruba and Bonaire

On both islands the trade wind picks up in December: on Aruba the station average climbs from 12 knots (6.2 m/s) in November to 14 knots (7.2 m/s), on Bonaire from 11 (5.7 m/s) to 13 (6.7 m/s). The windiest months there are May and June, though.

On Bonaire you launch from Atlantis, where the wind blows offshore, out to sea. I'd check rescue arrangements with the local school before riding; the boat may not arrive immediately. Beginners need lessons with an instructor and support boat. Read the marine park rules before travelling: Lac Bay is for windsurfing, there's a 500 m no-kite buffer around Klein Bonaire, and downwinders need STINAPA's written consent.

Brazil: Cumbuco

Cumbuco gets its strongest and most consistent wind from August to December, usually 15-25 knots (8-13 m/s) all day. The beach station averages 14 knots (7.2 m/s) in December and 12 knots (6.2 m/s) in January. If I were choosing dates, I'd go for the first half of December.

The Cauipe lagoon near Cumbuco has flat, shallow water that's great for practising. In season it gets very crowded, and I'd only ride in that kind of traffic once I was confident in my riding and in the right-of-way rules. It's boardshorts and bikini kiting, so leave the wetsuit at home. Along the coast there are long downwinders past empty beaches.

Cape Town

December is summer in Cape Town and the south-easter blows. It's on about 5 days a week at 20-40 knots (10-21 m/s), starting lightly around 10 am and building until about 4 pm. The water is cold, so bring a 4 or 5 mm wetsuit.

Big Bay has flatter sections between the waves, especially at high tide. For flat water in a lagoon, there's Langebaan. I'd recommend Cape Town mainly to people who already ride on their own and don't mind strong wind and waves.

Mui Ne and Boracay

In Mui Ne the north-east trades start in late October, build through November and peak from January to March. December is in season, before the peak. Wind arrives mid-morning and strengthens as the dunes heat up; you may need a smaller kite later. Choose the size for the actual wind, your weight, board and experience. Waves and shore break complicate launching for learners on the main beach.

For flat water I'd consider Harbour Wall, away from the main beach, early in the morning. Its beach is small; around 1 pm the guide warns of shifting, gusty wind. Check conditions and wind direction with a local school first. More in Kitesurfing in Vietnam: Mui Ne.

Boracay's Bulabog beach has cross-onshore wind during the north-east monsoon, November to April, peaking December to March at usually 15-25 knots (8-13 m/s). In the lagoon, low water exposes the reef; don't ride when it's exposed or too shallow. High tide brings chop. I'd take lessons with an instructor who chooses the place and time for the actual depth. Wear water shoes for sea urchins and coral, but they won't make shallow water safe. Bulabog gets crowded in peak season.

Egypt in December

At Hurghada airport the December average of daytime readings is 11 knots (5.7 m/s), almost the same as November. In September it's 14 knots (7.2 m/s). The NASA POWER model for the Hurghada area shows the same picture: December has about 74 % of the average wind of the windiest months, August and September, and November 72 %.

The real difference from November is the temperature. Daytime in Hurghada averages 21 °C in December and 25 °C in November. At night it drops to around 16 °C, so for Egypt in December I'd pack a full-length wetsuit and a hoodie for the beach.

Mohamed, whom I've known for years, runs the Red Sea kite safari. In 2026 it goes out in April, May, October and November, and the last trip this year is 7-14 November. The 2027 dates haven't been published yet; you can sign up for a heads-up through the form on the safari page. How Egypt changes month by month is in Best time to kitesurf in Egypt.

If you stay in Europe or at home

There is wind in Europe in December, it's just cold. Tarifa averages 10 knots (5.1 m/s) in December, with about 15 °C during the day. At Sotavento on Fuerteventura it's 12 knots (6.2 m/s), while in July the same station records 22 knots (11.3 m/s).

You can ride at home too. On the last day of 2022 I was out on Lake Milada in the Czech Republic with a 15 m² Kitech FRS in light wind.

When the snow comes, there's snowkiting in the Ore Mountains, for example at Moldava. Up there I watch where the wind comes from. When it blows off the forest and I'm close to the trees, the kite becomes unstable in the turbulent wind and I need to move further away. And with no snow and no water there's landkiting: in December 2023 I rode the Czech landkiting championship in Panenský Týnec. I still have a lot to learn on wheels.

How I'd choose in December

• You're learning or have just started riding on your own: cross-onshore wind, enough water depth and a safe distance from the shore and obstacles. Consider Kite Beach on Sal or Bulabog depending on the tide, with a local instructor and confirmed rescue cover; don't ride Bulabog when the reef is exposed or the water is too shallow.
• You want flat water and progression: the Cauipe lagoon in Cumbuco away from the busiest traffic, or Bulabog when the tide leaves enough depth; Harbour Wall in Mui Ne mainly early in the morning, after checking the wind direction and conditions with a local school.
• You want strong wind and waves: Cape Town, Mui Ne in the afternoon.
• You're flying from Europe and want a shorter trip: Egypt or the Canaries, with a full-length wetsuit and the knowledge that it's cooler than in autumn.
• You can't ride upwind yet: avoid offshore spots and places without rescue for independent riding, however good the forecast looks; at Atlantis on Bonaire, beginners should be in lessons with a support boat.

On the kite spot map you can set the "Windy in" filter to December. The map's wind comes from the NASA POWER model, which underestimates thermal winds. I treat it as a first filter and then check the numbers in station statistics.