How to read Windguru for kitesurfing beginners

If you’re new to kitesurfing in Tarifa, you’ll quickly hear two things: “Tarifa is windy… all the time” and “Check Windguru before you go”.

But when you open Windguru for the first time, it can feel overwhelming: numbers, arrows, colours, knots, gusts.
This guide breaks everything down step by step, so you know when it’s a good day to kite — and when it’s better to wait or book a lesson.

Tarifa sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, creating a natural wind tunnel through the Strait of Gibraltar. That’s why Tarifa is known as the wind capital of Europe. For kitesurfers, this means:

Windguru is an online wind and weather forecast platform specifically designed for wind sports like kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing. Unlike regular weather apps, Windguru focuses on the things kiters actually care about:

Wind speed on Windguru is measured in knots (kt). To keep it simple: 1 knot ≈ 1.85 km/h

For learning kitesurfing in Tarifa:

Gusts are sudden increases in wind speed that happen over short periods of time. While the average wind might feel steady, gusts are the moments when the wind suddenly hits harder. On Windguru, gusts show you how stable or unstable the wind is.

The “Rule of Thumb”: If the gust speed is more than 50% higher than the steady wind (e.g., 10 kts steady / 20 kts gusts), expect a very difficult session with a lot of “lulls” (dead spots) and “bullets” (sudden hits).

Watch the Colors: If the steady wind is a calm Green (14 kts) but the gust row is a bright Orange or Red (25 kts), don’t be fooled by the green; the wind will feel much more aggressive than the “average” suggests.

Cloud Cover: Check the cloud rows at the bottom. If you see high percentages of Low Clouds, the wind is often more turbulent and gusty because the clouds interfere with smooth airflow.

Understanding wind direction is key to kitesurfing safely in Tarifa. But not only, cause those wind direction are also associated to local effects. See bellow the two main winds you need to know:

Levante is a strong easterly wind blowing from the Mediterranean Sea toward the Atlantic Ocean across the Strait of Gibraltar. (In Windguru: arrow pointing to the left). In Tarifa we have what we call a venturi effect. Windguru is showing the wind speed but doesn’t include those extra knots of wind created by the venturi.

Poniente is a westerly wind, blowing from the Atlantic Ocean toward the Mediterranean Sea. (In Windguru: arrow pointing to the right). When having this wind you also need to check the size of the waves and their direction. Also this wind works with thermal effect, so clouds cover have again a big impact.

Poniente can be the best wind for beginners learning kitesurfing in Tarifa when there is not too much waves. It is “Side-Onshore,” meaning it pushes you back to the beach if something goes wrong.

Tip: You’re a beginner riding independently since a very short time and never kitesurfing yet in Tarifa?! Beginners should take an advanced class to understand the tricky wind that Levante can be, before going by themselves— it can be challenging even for experienced riders.

In wind forecasting for spots like Tarifa, these two effects are the “secret ingredients” that make the real-life wind much stronger than what the general computer models predict.

The ideal setup looks like this:

To truly read Tarifa like a local, look at these three things to enjoy the best conditions.

When you arrive at the beach and nobody or only 2 to 3 kite are kitesurfing…. Maybe it is because it is not the good time to go. Tarifa kite spots are always with a minimum of 20 kites, so wait before to go and getting in a bad situation.