Kitesurfing vs windsurfing: data from real sessions
Kitesurfing and windsurfing compared with the numbers of more than 100,000 recorded sessions: the wind riders go out in, the Beaufort force, the distance and time of a session, the average speed, the busiest month and the countries, as of November 2026.
By Paula Acebo
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Kitesurfers and windsurfers go out in almost the same wind: Beaufort force 4, which is 11 to 16 knots, is the most common force for both. A kitesurf session is shorter, 76 minutes against 89, and covers about the same distance, 19.1 km against 18.6 km. The session data does not say which sport is easier to learn or more fun.
Numbers: sessions recorded with the Waterspeed app and shared to its public leaderboard, from January to 12 November 2026, counted on 12 November 2026. The wind is the forecast for the place and time of each session, not a measurement on the water; the shares by Beaufort force count the sessions that have a wind value. We make Waterspeed; corrections are welcome at support@waterspeedapp.com.
Kitesurfing vs windsurfing in numbers
| Kitesurf | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions counted | 16,691 | 86,682 |
| Average forecast wind | 12.6 kn | 12.2 kn |
| Most common Beaufort force | 4, in 49% of the sessions | 4, in 45% of the sessions |
| Sessions at force 5 or more | 19% | 19% |
| Sessions at force 3 or less | 32% | 36% |
| Distance of an average session | 19.1 km | 18.6 km |
| Time of an average session | 76 minutes | 89 minutes |
| Average speed, breaks included | 15.0 km/h | 12.5 km/h |
| Busiest month | July | July |
| Countries with the most sessions | France 15%, USA 11%, Italy 9% | France 10%, Italy 10%, USA 9% |
The two counts differ. They come from the sessions shared to the public leaderboard and say nothing about how many people do each sport.
Do kitesurfers or windsurfers go out in more wind?
In these sessions the two sports go out in almost the same wind. The average forecast wind was 12.6 knots for kitesurf and 12.2 knots for windsurf. Force 4, a moderate breeze of 11 to 16 knots, was the most common force for both: 49% of the kitesurf sessions and 45% of the windsurf sessions. 19% of the sessions of each sport had force 5 or more. Windsurfers went out a little more often in light wind: 36% of their sessions had force 3 or less, against 32% for kitesurf. See the Beaufort scale for each force in knots, mph and km/h.
Is kitesurfing or windsurfing faster?
Over the whole recording, kitesurf sessions average 15.0 km/h and windsurf sessions 12.5 km/h. Breaks are included: any pause in the recording counts. So these values are not the speed while riding, and they do not say which sport reaches the higher top speed. See average speed by water sport for the other sports and the current values.
How long is a session, and how far do riders go?
An average kitesurf session is 19.1 km in 76 minutes. An average windsurf session is 18.6 km in 89 minutes. The distance is nearly the same, and the windsurf session takes 13 minutes more.
When and where do people ride?
July was the busiest month for both sports, and August came second. France has the most sessions of both sports. For kitesurf, the USA and Italy follow, then Brazil and Egypt. For windsurf, Italy and the USA follow, then the Netherlands and Spain. See where people ride on the map, with wind and sessions for each spot.
Which is easier to learn, kitesurfing or windsurfing?
The session data does not answer this. It holds what riders did on the water: wind, distance, time and speed. It does not hold how long a rider needed to learn, how many lessons they took or how often they fell.
How do I track kitesurfing or windsurfing?
Waterspeed records both sports on iPhone, Android and Apple Watch, and syncs sessions from Garmin, Coros and Suunto watches. For windsurf it shows your best speeds over 2 seconds, 10 seconds and 500 m, every gybe and your planing time. For kitesurf it shows best speeds, gybes and, on a kitefoil, your foiling time. Waterspeed does not measure jump height or airtime. See Best kitesurf tracking apps for the apps that do.
