The wind window

Understanding the Wind Window is critical for managing the power of the kite and your direction of travel.

The wind window zone is represented by a quarter of sphere.

The size of this sphere depends on the length of your lines. Indeed the kite is connected to you by means of a bar, connected to your harness, from where leave lines and you are a fixed point around which will turn your sail.

You have the wind in your back and this sphere is in front of you, the wind pushing your sail, it cannot pass behind you (except in conditions of gusty wind and an abnormal behavior of your sail).

Your sail will evolve in the quarter of sphere that is in front of you, to your right and your left you will find what is called the edges of the window.

Your sail will be able to move from one window edge to the other passing over your head, by the zenith that is the highest point where your sail can go. As long as your veil remains on this arc of circle, formed by the edges of the windows and the zenith, it will be horizontal in relation to the wind, the wind will pass above and below the sail but will not be engulfed in it, Your sail is therefore in a zone of non-power, neutral zone (it is not because your sail goes down on the edges of windows that it takes power!).

The more your sail will move in front of you, then towards the center of the window the more the sail will pass perpendicular to the wind that will go directly into it. So the lowest point in front of you is the area where your sail will take the most wind, so the more power.

This area is called the full power zone (beware! ;-)) Thus, the closer you approach your sail to the power zone, the more the sail will get wind and pull you, the closer you get to the neutral zone, the more the sail will lose the wind and the less it will pull.

For communication we use the frame of the hours you can find on your watch and place them on the arc of circle (zone of non-power), so we will have the left window edge at 9h, 12h at the zenith and 3h on the Edge of right window.

To retain in this window, you have a zone of security, (the arc of circle), the full power zone and the edges of windows. We remind you that it is important to always take off the sail at the edge of a window, at 90 ° with respect to the direction of the wind and it is important to know the safety signals for takeoff and landing!

Kitesurfing is a safe and fun sport, but only if you follow the right precautions and stay alert.
Read our advice news to learn about the best practice to adopt when you’re a beginner in Kitesurfing.