Enter your weight and the wind speed to get a kite size. The full chart below covers every weight from 50 to 105 kg, and the same numbers apply whether you ride a twin-tip, a surfboard or a foil.
The default freeride board. Baseline for the chart below.
Recommended kite
8m²
Calculated area 8.3 m². Riders who like it lit up size down to 7m²; if you are learning or the wind is gusty, 9m² is the safer side.
Kite area scales with rider mass and falls off as the wind picks up. The standard approximation is:
kite area (m²) = weight (kg) × 2.2 ÷ wind (knots)
A directional board planes earlier and takes about 10% less area. A hydrofoil generates lift at much lower speed and takes roughly 40% less. This gets you to the right kite on the rack; kite design, water state and how hard you like to ride shift it by up to a size either way.
Recommended twin-tip kite size in m². Wind speeds are in knots across the top, rider weight in kg and lb down the side. A dash means the wind is too light for a standard kite at that weight.
| Rider weight | 12 kt | 15 kt | 18 kt | 20 kt | 25 kt | 30 kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg / 110 lb | 9 m² | 7 m² | 6 m² | 6 m² | 4 m² | 4 m² |
| 55 kg / 121 lb | 10 m² | 8 m² | 7 m² | 6 m² | 5 m² | 4 m² |
| 60 kg / 132 lb | 11 m² | 9 m² | 7 m² | 7 m² | 5 m² | 4 m² |
| 65 kg / 143 lb | 12 m² | 10 m² | 8 m² | 7 m² | 6 m² | 5 m² |
| 70 kg / 154 lb | 13 m² | 10 m² | 9 m² | 8 m² | 6 m² | 5 m² |
| 75 kg / 165 lb | 14 m² | 11 m² | 9 m² | 8 m² | 7 m² | 5 m² |
| 80 kg / 176 lb | 15 m² | 12 m² | 10 m² | 9 m² | 7 m² | 6 m² |
| 85 kg / 187 lb | 15 m² | 12 m² | 10 m² | 9 m² | 7 m² | 6 m² |
| 90 kg / 198 lb | 17 m² | 13 m² | 11 m² | 10 m² | 8 m² | 7 m² |
| 95 kg / 209 lb | — | 14 m² | 12 m² | 10 m² | 8 m² | 7 m² |
| 100 kg / 220 lb | — | 15 m² | 12 m² | 11 m² | 9 m² | 7 m² |
| 105 kg / 231 lb | — | 15 m² | 13 m² | 12 m² | 9 m² | 8 m² |
12–15 kt
Rideable on a big kite for most riders. Light-wind gear or a foil makes it comfortable rather than a struggle.
15–25 kt
The sweet spot. Enough power for jumps and upwind riding without being overwhelming.
25 kt+
Strong-wind territory. Small kites, choppier water, and not the place to be learning.
Raw wind speed is only half the picture. A spot with cross-onshore wind at 16 knots rides better than one with gusty offshore wind at 22. WindSensei scores each hour against the directions that actually work at a given spot, which is why a forecast there reads as sailable or not rather than as a number you have to interpret.
As a starting point, multiply your weight in kilos by 2.2 and divide by the wind speed in knots. A 75 kg rider in 20 knots lands on roughly 8.3 m², so a 9 m kite. Lighter riders need less area for the same wind, heavier riders need more.
Most riders on a twin-tip need at least 12 knots, and 15 to 25 knots is the comfortable range for the majority of sessions. Below about 8 knots there is not enough power for a standard kite and board. Hydrofoils extend the usable bottom end to roughly 8 to 10 knots.
Two kites covering roughly a 2 to 4 metre spread handle most conditions at a typical spot. A 9 m and a 12 m covers about 14 to 28 knots for an average-weight rider. Add a third only once you know which end of the range your local spot sits at.
Substantially. A foil generates lift at far lower speeds, so riders typically use around half the area they would on a twin-tip. A rider on a 12 m twin-tip kite in 15 knots is often on a 7 m when foiling in the same wind.
Beginners are usually better served by the smaller of two options in stronger wind, because an overpowered kite is what causes most learning injuries. In light wind the opposite applies: too small a kite means no power to water start, which slows progress. Lessons with a school that sizes the kite for you are the safest route.
Yes. Aspect ratio, canopy shape and whether the kite is a freeride, wave or race design all shift the effective power by up to a size. Treat any chart, including this one, as a starting point and adjust based on how your specific kite feels.
Sizing is easy once you know the wind. WindSensei forecasts your spots hourly, scores them against the directions that work there, and tells you when it is worth going. Free to use.