Best kitesurfing in February

Looking for the best kitesurfing in February? I’d shortlist Aruba, Bonaire, Sal in Cape Verde and Dakhla in Morocco. You can usually ride without a wetsuit on Aruba and Bonaire, but check the beach’s wind direction and rescue arrangements before choosing. If you’ve just finished a course, those details matter more than a place in a table.

In Asia, February is peak season in Mui Ne, Vietnam, and on Boracay in the Philippines. Egypt works in February, but the wind is lighter than in summer and you should pack a full wetsuit for the Hurghada and El Gouna area. I wouldn't pick Brazil for February.

February wind: a guide to selected stations

The numbers come from weather stations on Windfinder and only count daytime hours. The percentage is the share of February readings at 4 Beaufort or more, which means 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more. This is a statistical threshold, not a riding threshold for every kiter. Most of these stations have more than 20 years of data.

An airport station isn't on the beach. Where a thermal kicks in during the day, as in Mui Ne, there's usually more wind on the water than the airport shows. Treat the table as a guide to selected stations. Their locations, sensor setups and recording periods differ, and the Boracay and Kitebeach records have ended. The table cannot rank destinations by reliability or predict your days on the water.

Caribbean: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao

The trade wind blows from the east and by February it's building towards its early summer peak. On Aruba and Bonaire, riders usually manage without a wetsuit and wear a rash vest for sun protection.

On Aruba most people ride at Fisherman's Huts (Hadicurari): flat turquoise water over a reef, but the wind blows offshore, so after a crash it pushes you out to sea, not back to the beach. I’d only ride independently there as an advanced rider, with professional supervision and motorboat rescue arranged with a local school beforehand. Being able to ride upwind is not enough on its own. Boca Grandi on the other side of the island is onshore with waves, and that's a spot for advanced riders.

On Bonaire, riders use Atlantis Beach, where the wind blows offshore, out to sea. Before riding independently, have a local school assess your ability and confirm supervision and rescue boat availability; a rescue can take time to arrive. If you still need guidance, book a lesson with an instructor and boat. Budget for the STINAPA Nature Fee of USD 40 per person per calendar year. At Curaçao airport, 70% of February readings reach 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more; check conditions at your chosen beach separately.

Cape Verde: Sal

February falls within Sal’s trade-wind season. The drive from the airport to Santa Maria takes about 20 minutes.

The main spot is Kite Beach on the east coast. The wind comes cross-on from the left, you get a mix of flat water and waves, and there's a shorebreak, waves breaking right at the beach, so launching and landing take some practice. Ponta Preta on the west side is offshore with big waves and belongs to experienced riders. Bring a full wetsuit. There will be more about the island in Kitesurfing in Cape Verde.

Morocco: Dakhla

Dakhla is strongest in summer: in July the airport records 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more in 94% of readings. December and January are the lightest months, and by February it's back up to 71%.

The lagoon is long and the wind runs side-shore from the northeast. It's lighter in the morning and picks up around 2 pm, so mornings suit lessons and afternoons suit longer sessions. Speed Spot is a separate spot with deep water and offshore wind, for experienced riders. Confirm with the centre that a rescue boat will be on site before going. Low tide brings flat water, but getting the tide right is only part of choosing whether to ride there.

For February, pack a full winter wetsuit. The local ION CLUB recommends 4/3 mm, with thicker neoprene on the torso and thinner panels on the limbs. Adjust your choice to conditions and how easily you get cold.

Cape Town

The season runs from November to March, and the Cape Doctor blows from the southeast.

Big Bay and Bloubergstrand have powerful waves and gusty wind, which is more for experienced riders. For flat water and learning, people head to Langebaan lagoon north of the city. At Kitebeach and Big Bay, expect cold Atlantic water and bring a good full wetsuit.

Asia: Mui Ne and Boracay

In Mui Ne the main season runs from November to March, and February and March are among its best months. Lighter mornings can be used for theory and kite handling on the beach. The wind usually builds in the afternoon; let the school schedule water lessons around the actual conditions. The main beach is over a kilometre long, with wind cross-shore to cross-onshore. The Phan Thiet airport station shows just 29%, but it sits about 16 km from Mui Ne Bay and doesn't catch the full beach thermal. Even so, February is that station's windiest month of the year.

On Boracay the northeast monsoon, the amihan, blows from November to April and peaks from December to March. The Bulabog spot is a shallow lagoon behind a reef: smooth at low tide, bumpy at high tide. It gets busy in season and the bottom is sharp in places, so I wouldn't skip water shoes, because of urchins and coral.

Egypt in February

In Egypt there's less wind in February than in summer. The El Gouna kite centre station recorded 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more in 53% of February readings, against only 36-37% in December and January. Hurghada airport shows 43% in February and 63% in September. Pack a full wetsuit for riding. Allow for lighter wind too: use the forecast to plan what to bring, and discuss your weight and board with the local school. Choose your kite for each session using the actual wind at the beach and the manufacturer’s wind range.

The yacht kite safari I've been on several times doesn't run in February. The 2026 trips are in April, May, October and November, and the 2027 dates haven't been published yet. If you'd like to go, the details and a sign-up form for date alerts are on the kite safari page. How the wind and water change month by month in Egypt is covered in Best time to kitesurf in Egypt.

Europe in February: Tarifa and the Canaries

If you want to stay in Europe, Tarifa and Fuerteventura are options. However, in February their stations record 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more in only about half of readings. Fuerteventura is a summer spot, with 84% in July. For February I'd only go with a flexible plan and room in the plan for days without wind.

Where I'd skip in February

Around Fortaleza in northeast Brazil there's little wind in February. The airport there records 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more in 24% of February readings, compared with 66% in September. Brazil is better in the second half of the year.

At home in February: snow

If you live in Central Europe, February also means snowkiting. In February 2025 I was snowkiting on Lake Lipno in Czechia, and it was properly windy. In the Ore Mountains I ride at Moldava and Nakléřov with a Kitech FreeRS 12 m² foil kite. Up at Moldava, watch the forest: when the wind comes from the trees and you're close to them, the kite gets turbulent and it's unpleasant. Then you need to move a bit further away.

You can ride on water in winter too. On New Year's Eve 2022 I was out on Lake Milada in low wind with a Kitech FRS 15 m² foil kite. Just make sure your wetsuit is up to it.

How to choose in February

A higher share of readings at 11 knots (5.7 m/s) or more means that station recorded wind above the threshold more often. It doesn’t tell you how the wind was spread across days or how long it lasted without a break. You cannot calculate sessions per week from it. I’d choose the water and support to suit my ability first, then check the forecast and equipment.

On the kite spot map, set the "Windy in" filter to February and the map shows where it blows according to NASA POWER data. The meteorological data uses a 0.5 × 0.625° grid, spanning tens of kilometres, which cannot resolve local thermals, so I use it as a first filter and then check the actual spot in station statistics. The bigger picture is in Where to kitesurf in winter (warm and windy), and the neighbouring months have their own guides: January and March.