Kitesurfing and Wingfoiling are wind-powered sports, and for your safety and best learning experience, we rely entirely on the right weather conditions! This guide will help you understand when to book your lesson and what conditions we look for.
What Makes the Perfect Lesson Weather?
For all Beginner lessons, we look for two main factors: Safe Wind Direction and Steady Wind Speed.
Safe Wind Direction
The direction the wind is blowing is critical for safety at St Kilda West Beach.
Ideal: Onshore (Blowing towards the beach)
Wind direction: Anything from South to West.
Why it’s safe: If you lose control or need to self-rescue, the wind naturally pushes you towards the safety of the shore, not out to sea.
Unsafe for Lessons: Offshore (Blowing away from the beach)
Wind direction: Anything from North to East
Why it’s dangerous: You could be blown out to sea, and it’s much harder to get back. We never teach in offshore conditions.
Steady Wind Speed
The wind needs to be strong enough to power the kite but not so strong that it becomes unsafe or too difficult to control.
| Lesson Type | Ideal Wind Speed (Knots) | Wind Feeling on Land | Why is this the best | Best time to book (typically) |
| Intro/First Lesson (Land & Trainer Kite) | 10 knots + | Gentle breeze, flags starting to extend. | Focus on kite control and safety before power. | Early afternoon, 1 – 3 pm |
| Water/Body Dragging (First time in the water) | 12 knots + | Steady breeze, small whitecaps on the water. | Enough power to move you, but still easy to control. | Mid-afternoon, 3 – 5 pm |
| Board Starts/Riding (Learning to stand up) | 15 knots + | Strong, steady breeze. | Optimal power for standing on the board and riding. | Late afternoon, 5 – 7 pm |
Too Little Wind: The kite won’t fly or re-launch easily. We will likely cancel the lesson.
Too Much Wind (above 30 knots): This is unsafe for beginners. The kite becomes too powerful and difficult to manage. We will likely cancel the lesson.
How You Can Help
You don’t need to be a meteorologist, but understanding the basics helps!
- Check the Forecast: You can check the wind forecast for our beach using our Weather Page. For Mobile Apps, we recommend Windy and WillyWeather. Look for the wind direction and speed in knots (kts).
- Be Flexible: Kitesurfing often requires flexibility. If your lesson is cancelled, please be ready to reschedule for a day when the wind is better. Sometimes, a morning lesson might be a bust, but the afternoon is perfect!
Trust Your Instructor!
Our instructors are highly certified and experienced. They are responsible for your safety and have the final say on whether conditions are safe to teach. We only go out when the conditions offer the best and safest learning environment.
Our Booking and Cancellation Policy
We do everything we can to get you on the water, but safety comes first.
Step 1: Booking is Provisional (Pending)
When you book a time slot, consider it provisional. We check the long-range forecast, but it’s often unreliable. Book the day/time that works best for your schedule.
Step 2: The Pre-Lesson Weather Check
- 24 hours before your scheduled lesson, your instructor will review the updated local forecast (including wind strength, direction, and gusts).
- Based on this data, we will send you a confirmation SMS and email to tell you if the lesson is CONFIRMED or CANCELLED
- You can expect this notification around 5 pm the day before your scheduled lesson
- 1 hour before your scheduled lesson, your instructor will review the real-time conditions at the beach. Melbourne’s weather can be highly variable, and sometimes we have to cancel the lesson 1 hour prior. We will notify you via SMS and email – if you don’t receive a cancellation notification, your lesson will continue as planned.
You can view our full cancellation policy here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide.
We can’t wait to see you down the beach soon!
The Kite Republic Team