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The global belt of trade winds moves in the de: northwards in summer and then southwards again in winter. This seasonal oscillation means that the spots on the subtropical edge of the trade wind zone lose their trade wind sun-with-sliding-wind certificate in the winter months.
Even in winter, there are always longer, sunny periods of weather with magnificent winds to take off. But in between, the east (or whatever direction the wind is coming from) is only a shadow of its former self. Or it can become stubborn for a short time with gusts and the danger of strong winds. Rain also falls from time to time in winter - occasionally surfers also have to put up with a surge of cool air masses from higher latitudes.
These destinations, which are great in summer but should only be booked for a short time in winter because they sometimes "have their day", include
Portugal
While surfers mainly populate the north of the country, the sun and warmth attract windsurfers to the south. The stretch of coast between Cascais near Lisbon - and the western Algarve, for example around Meia Praia - is particularly popular.
The period from mid-May to mid-September offers frequent Nortado episodes. This is a trade wind-like wind from a northerly direction that feeds the actual trade wind further south towards the Canary Islands and Morocco.
The reliability of the Nortado is based on the pressure gradient between the Azores High and the summer heat low over the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. You can't really talk about heat in the southern coastal area of Portugal either. On the other hand, the north winds are quite constant and ensure a gliding wind frequency of 30 to 40 per cent at many spots.
Morocco
The Atlantic coast in south-west Morocco welcomes surfers with plenty of sunshine and countless days of gliding wind from April to September. The most popular spots include Essaouira and Sidi Kaouki further south.
The wind motor is based on the strong pressure gradient along the coast. This is because out on the Atlantic we are heading towards the Azores high, while inland the Sahara heat low is brooding. The striking thermal contrasts (a cool Canary current that pushes the temperatures out on the Atlantic close to the 20 degree mark, while the air inland regularly heats up to 35 to 40 degrees) pull together with the large-scale air pressure gradient - and so the thermal breeze saddles up and gives the trade wind an extra kick from late morning into the evening.
Cool Atlantic Ocean, hot desert - the turbo for the wind in Morocco.
Ranges of hills parallel to the coast in the hinterland give Essaouira in particular a wind plus with perfect sideshore quality thanks to the guard rail effect.
Canary Islands
The island chain of the Canary Islands out in the Atlantic cannot offer us thermally driven winds like those in Portugal or Morocco. And the Canary Islands don't even need that. This is because the island chain is so far south that it can fully enjoy the trade wind breeze from the north-east, at least in the summer months.
Summer is the absolute peak season for the Canary Passat.
However, the Canary Islands spots would certainly not be so popular if there weren't so many jets triggered by the local coastal topography. They give the trade wind an extra boost. A glance at the map of windsurfing spots alone shows that they are not randomly distributed: Many are located on stretches of coast that are orientated from north to north-east to south to south-west - and at the same time have coast-parallel mountain ranges in the hinterland. The result is a perfect sideshore wind stimulated by guiding and guard rail effects. Such as on the east coast of Tenerife at Puertito de Güímar and Playa del Médano. Or at Playa de Vargas, Pozo Izquierdo and Playa del Águila (eagle: nomen est omen!) in the south-east of Gran Canaria.
Northern Red Sea with Gulf of Aqaba
The Red Sea is also part of the root zone of the trade winds. At least in the summer months, the wind here knows only one direction and strength: depending on the time of day and location, it blows at four to five, sometimes even six Beaufort from north to north-east.
Egypt suffered repeated setbacks in terms of tourism - but the wind remained.
Compared to the Atlantic spots in the root zone of the trade winds, these surfing destinations have one major advantage. The air and water here (far away from the Atlantic and protected from the Mediterranean humidity by the foehn effects of the Sinai Mountains) are really warm at 30 to 35 degrees, wonderfully warm - and not just in summer. Even in winter, the sun often shines and temperatures are usually above 20 degrees. Only the winds sometimes leave something to be desired, especially in the north of the region.
Thanks to topographical effects, some spots have become strong wind areas, such as Dahab in the south of the Gulf of Aqaba. Gold is the translation of the town's name - perhaps the shore community had a hand in naming it to draw attention to this strong wind Eldorado?
The meteorologist can identify four speed factors that contribute to Dahab's particular wind favourability:
- The Sinai Mountains run from NNE to SSW and thus form an optimal acute angle to the trade wind with maximum acceleration effect (crash barrier effect).
- In the narrow Gulf of Aqaba, the channelling effect on the wind is great.
- In summer, the sun arrives early in the morning (and therefore earlier in the day than at the spots further south) at a favourable angle to the mountain flank of the Sinai, which leads to a correspondingly early start of the thermal wind machine at Dahab.
- The spot itself is located on a peninsula, in an exposed position right in the airflow of the coastal jet.
Hawaii
Located far from the mainland, the archipelago is particularly popular with surfers due to the good swell conditions. The year-round warm air and water temperatures are also a plus point. The chances of gliding winds are greatest from April to August. If you want to play it safe in terms of wind strength and at the same time avoid the high winter swell, choose the windiest time from June to September.
Maui - still the dream destination for many surfers.
Even though the destination is the first choice for wave surfers, it also offers some good windsurfing spots. Once again, as with many Canary Islands spots or Dahab, topographical effects push the wind curve above the gliding wind limit. Most of them are on the island of Maui. Many of them are on the north coast, which offers diagonal onshore sideshore winds in the north-east and can benefit from a slight guard rail effect of the coastline.
If you need fewer waves but more wind, we recommend the Maalaea spot on the south coast. This stretch of coast, which is prone to strong winds, lies at the foot of the Pu'u Kukui mountain range, which rises to almost 180 metres in the north-west. As a result, the spot benefits from a blatant guard rail effect in north to north-easterly winds, making it a speed spot.
South Africa
Meanwhile, the southern tip of South Africa is less exotic for European surfers than Hawaii. However, we can expect harsher conditions here in terms of air and water temperatures. Given the latitude, which at 34 degrees is roughly the same as the Tunisian island of Djerba, you wouldn't think so. However, the Antarctic icebox - practically opposite the coast - with its much icier temperatures compared to our Arctic, pushes all temperature zones in the southern hemisphere northwards. Even if the sun is relatively high: The winter months here around Cape Town are quite chilly - and also changeable with lows and prevailing westerly winds.
In summer, on the other hand, when it is winter here, the randtropical trade wind zone manages to extend polewards just as far as this area. The weather is then more stable, the sun appears more often and the summer trade wind blows quite reliably and predominantly from the south-east (southeasterly). The windiest months are November, January and February.
During this time, the famous tablecloth of Cape Town's Table Mountain can also be observed: a cloud dome that is created by the lifting of moist sea air during strong winds - in combination with the inversion typical of the trade winds (warmer layer of air above summit level). The phenomenon is comparable to the tablecloth of the Rock of Gibraltar, which heralds the Levante in a strong easterly wind.
Cape Town is the favourite winter sports resort of European surfers.
Sunset Beach is one of the spots near Cape Town. The sandy beach is fantastic, not too crowded - and the gliding wind sometimes lasts until sunset.
The village of Melkbos further north is also popular. Here, the trade wind blows from the south to south-east exactly sideshore from the left. The huge sandy beach offers space for plenty of waves - as well as windsurfers. There is usually a good wind from late morning to late afternoon.
Even further north, around 120 kilometres north of Cape Town, lies the well-known surf spot Langebaan, which has been the basis of the surf magazine test for years. The lagoon and flat water not only offer warmer water, but also small waves and sometimes good training conditions. If you are looking for 65 per cent or more of gliding wind, you can confidently book between October and March.
Heat low - turbo for the Passat
The large temperature difference between the relatively cool Atlantic and the hot Sahara gives the trade winds a boost. The guard rail effect caused by the mountains in the hinterland of Essaouira accelerates the wind considerably - five to seven, in gusts of eight wind forces are the result.
All parts of the wind special:
- The west wind
- The east wind on the Baltic Sea
- Ora and Vento on Lake Garda
- The foehn in the Alps
- The Meltemi in Greece
- The bora in Croatia
- The sirocco in the central Mediterranean
- The mistral in the south of France
- The Tramontana in the northern Mediterranean
- The Levante in southern Spain
- The trade wind zone
- The roots of the trade winds
- Core trade wind - In the centre of the trade wind
- Passat run-off zone - The end of the Passat
- Interview: Climate researcher Dr Michael Sachweh - "Chasing storms is my passion"
- Windfinder: How wind forecasts are created, the difference between forecast and super-forecast
