DEUTSCHLAND – OSTSEE

Kitesurfing at Laboe / Kieler Förde

A fjord spot with short walks that only works cleanly when the wind blows straight in. From other directions it shifts and bucks between the shores.

At a glance

Waterchop
Wind qualitygusty
Typical wind17 kn
Usable directionsNorth-east to east (25–110°)
SeasonMarch to November
Tideno noticeable tide
Depthdeep
Schoolseveral schools on site

Which kite size does this spot call for?

The table below is not copied from a chart. It is the same calculation the calculator on the front page runs, applied to this spot: chop and gusty wind both shift the size, and so does your body weight. The rule of thumb everyone quotes is calibrated to a 75 kg rider – above roughly 100 kg it drifts, which is why the table goes to 140.

Kite size for this spot, computed for an intermediate rider on a twintip of standard size. Sizes are the deliverable ones, not a decimal figure.
Rider12 kn17 kn23 kn
60 kg10–11 m²7–8 m²5–6 m²
75 kg13–14 m²9–10 m²6–7 m²
90 kg15–17 m²10–11 m²8–9 m²
105 kg17 m²12–13 m²9–10 m²
120 kg17 m²13–14 m²10–11 m²
140 kg17 m²15–17 m²11–12 m²

Work this spot out with my own numbers

What is it doing right now?

Forecast wind for this spot, and – in Germany – the value actually measured at the nearest DWD station. Nothing is fetched until you ask for it: press the button and your browser contacts the services, not before.

How often does it actually work here?

A wind statistic tells you how often the wind blows. That is not the same question. What matters is how many days your own kites carry you here – between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., for at least two hours, and only from the directions this spot can actually use (25–110°). The calculator works that out from five years of recorded hourly wind and tells you which size is missing from your quiver.

Count the rideable days for my quiver

What to watch out for

Heavy commercial traffic in the fjord – know the shipping channel and keep it clear.

All figures are researched regular conditions, not a forecast, and no substitute for a local briefing. Wind and water can look different here on any given day.