Perth’s Kitesurfing Traveller's Guide

Are you planning your first kitesurfing trip to Perth from overseas or from the East Coast of Australia? Are you a kitesurfer planning to move to Perth for next summer, or calling Perth your next home for many years to come? This Perth's kitesurfing Traveller's guide will give you lots of tips and useful links based on commonly asked questions from new visitors wanting to make the most out of their kitesurfing journey in Perth.

What’s the Kitesurfing Season in Perth?

Perth is internationally known for its consistent summer afternoon sea breeze, also known as the Fremantle Doctor. Although in the southern hemisphere, summer officially starts on December 1^st and ends on February 28, sea breezes can start blowing in Perth as early as September and can also happen in as late as April or May. However, if you are planning a short kitesurfing trip to Perth (from a few days to up to 2 or 3 weeks) it’s best to avoid the months of September, October, April and May as the likelihood of getting suitable winds during those months is quite slim. The consistent and stronger sea breeze winds in Perth usually begin around mid to late October and tends to end in March. During the peak season months of November, December, January and February, you have the highest probability of getting consistent afternoon sea breezes of 15 to 25+ knots blowing from the South (S), South-South-West (SSW - the most common direction) or South-West (SW). Since most beaches in Perth are North/South facing, these winds usually blow in a Side to Side-onshore direction, which are ideal for any level.

If you must travel to Perth in the months of September/October or April/May you will have higher chances of getting suitable winds by travelling further North up the coast to place like Geraldton, Shark Bay and Exmouth (especially from late August to October).

This is what a typical peak season 7-day Perth wind forecast can look like (source: www.seabreeze.com.au)

This a what 12 hours of daytime live wind readings on a typical summer sea breeze day looks like in Perth (18-25 knots). Source: www.seabreeze.com.au)

In the mornings, the land breeze (usually Northeast to Southeast winds) will typically drop at around 11am to 12pm which is usually when the sea breeze starts to kick in (12pm-1pm). The sea breeze will typically gain in strength until about 3 or 4PM, at which point it usually plateaus until sunset. On warm days when the land breeze is weak, the sea breeze can sometimes start as early as 10am! When there is a strong land breeze (more than 20 knots), this will typically delay the sea breeze. Sometimes, the land breeze can be so strong that it blocks the sea breeze from coming in at all or delays the sea breeze until mid-afternoon.

TIP: If you need help to understand and read the graphs on Seabreeze.com.au, read this guide.

TIP: To determine if and when the sea breeze will arrive on the coast of Perth, look at the live wind readings from off-shore islands such as Rottnest Island and Garden Island. If the wind has turned to the SSW or SW and is getting stronger on those islands (above 18 knots), chances are it will arrive on Perth’s beaches in less than an hour.

To view live wind readings (updated every 3 seconds vs the BOM/Seabreeze readings updating every 10 minutes) during the sea breeze season, be sure to bookmark KiteBud’s live wind meter page.

The table below shows the probability of getting suitable sea breeze winds based on statistics from our own kitesurfing experience in Perth for the last 14 years.

Month	Sea breeze wind probability (15-25+knots)
September	20%
October	50%
November	70%
December	75%
January	75%
February	65%
March	55%
April	30%

You can also see KiteBud’s detailed wind statistics and check out these yearly wind statistics from WindFinder. 

How to determine if it's is a sea breeze or another weather system driving the wind on a given day?

Not all winds coming from the sea are sea breezes.

This matters because winds that are not sea breezes (such as fronts, storms, etc.) can be very gusty and are often accompanied by bad weather (rain, thunder).

Even during summer days in Perth, there can be frontal weather systems coming through that may look like sea breezes, but aren't.

Without being a weather expert, here are some easy way to tell whether you have a sea breeze or not:

• It's summer (consistent sea breezes in Perth typically blow between mid-October and mid-March).
• The weather is warm (above 25'c but ideally not too hot - below 35'c).
• The skies are clear with little to no clouds and no rain forecasted.
• The overall weather looks good with no rain on the radar.
• The wind has been blowing in an Easterly (off-shore land breeze) direction in the morning hours before gradually dying.
• The wind has suddenly turned to a SW, SSW or S direction by late morning or early afternoon and is gradually increasing in speed.
• The coastal live wind readings are relatively consistent in direction and speed

Another easy way to confirm whether you have a sea breeze or not is simply to ZOOM OUT on a wind forecast website such as Windy.

If you notice a very large weather system such as the one in the screenshot above, you definitely don't have a sea breeze. You can expect the wind to be quite variable and unpredictable on that day, regardless of the direction.

Sea breezes are relatively small coastal weather systems. When zooming out on Windy, if you see something like this:

It's a strong indicator that you most likely have a sea breeze on that day and that you can expect more reliable and predictable winds.

What Happens with the Wind in the off-Season (Winter) in Perth?

When the land gets too cold, there are little to no chances of getting suitable sea breeze winds. In winter months in Perth, winds tend to be primarily generated by storm activity and are therefore less predictable and enjoyable for kitesurfing. If you are an experienced kitesurfer planning on moving to Perth for a year or longer, you will get some opportunities to kite during winter in Perth. You simply won’t kite as often. If you do, be prepared to deal with stormy/gusty winds, big swells, narrow beaches, seaweed and potentially very dangerous conditions. Note that 95% of serious kitesurfing accidents and deaths occur on land in stormy weather and in onshore winds (common wind direction in winter in Perth). Kite at your own risk.

Here is an example of wind readings on a typical winter front day in Perth. Source: www.seabreeze.com.auCan I Kite in Land Breezes in Perth (Easterly Winds)?

Yes, it is possible to kite land breezes in Perth. In the summer months, these are typically early morning winds blowing anywhere from the Northeast (NE) to the Southeast (SE). The most popular spots to kite morning land breezes in Perth are Point Walter and Attadale Beach. Note that land breezes are more gusty and less reliable compared to sea breezes, so expect lots of variations in the wind. It’s not uncommon for land breezes to vary from as little as 10-15 knots to up to 25-30 knots within minutes. Also note that Southeast (SE) winds are highly unreliable in Perth, so it’s best to avoid this direction regardless of the location. The best land breeze winds to kitesurf in the Swan River in Perth are blowing the East, East-Northeast (ENE) and Northeast (NE). You will typically have the strongest land breezes earlier in the morning during the warmest parts of summer. Due to the limited number of locations that are suitable for kitesurfing land breezes in Perth, these spots can get very crowded with many kitesurfers, kitesurfing schools, wingers, wingsurfing schools, windsurfers, etc.

Heatwaves in Perth

Although heat is essential to form a sea breeze, too much can be detrimental for wind. In Perth, when the temperature reaches above 35 degrees Celsius, the likelihood of getting a reliable sea breeze can be slim to none. At around 40 degrees Celsius or more, there are no chances of getting a sea breeze. Heatwaves in Perth are typically associated with a weather trough where there is an equalization of air pressure between land and sea, which leads to little to no wind.

If you are travelling to Perth for kitesurfing in the months of December, January and February, it’s possible that you will experience such heatwaves which can last for days and sometimes an entire week or more. We have seen heatwaves in Perth happening in as early as November. Due to climate change, we have experienced heatwaves more frequently in the last few years. The best advice for kitesurfers in Perth is to travel down south during these troughs. When the temperature is around 40 degrees Celsius in Perth, you are almost guaranteed to find good wind in Augusta, Albany and anywhere in between.

TIP: When the temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius or more, sea breezes can be unreliable, light and blowing straight from the South. In some cases, the Southeasterly (SE) land breeze mixes in with the South-South-westerly (SSW) sea breezes which can result in a South-South-East (SSE) Side-offshore wind! Many kitesurfers get caught and end up swimming in those light and unreliable SSE winds, so it’s best to avoid them in the first place.

Here is an example of a light wind day with unreliable winds in Perth (source: www.seabreeze.com.au)TIP: During warm and hot summer days, the sea breeze can sometimes stop and start to go offshore BEFORE sunset. This usually happens on days when the sea breeze came in later than usual due to a strong morning land breeze. If you feel the wind starting to drop and it’s late in the afternoon (i.e. you can see the sun is about to go down) make sure you come back to the shore and pack down before the wind stops and goes offshore.

TIP: If you ever lose equipment (such as a board or a kite) and it’s drifting away in the ocean, make sure to contact the WA WATER POLICE on (08) 9442 8600 as soon as you are back on the shore. Runaway kitesurfing equipment has caused many unnecessary search and rescue operations in the past, which could’ve been avoided with a simple phone call. For example, if you are separated from your kite and it’s drifting away at sea, members of the public will think someone is in trouble and will contact the Water Police, who will then launch a rescue operation. Please put this number in your contacts on your phone: WA WATER POLICE (08) 9442 8600.

What Wind Speeds can I Expect in Perth?

A typical sea breeze in Perth will bring in at least 18 knots of wind and up to 25 knots or more. Some seasons are windier than others, which can be influenced by El Niño and La Niña patterns. Either way, it’s hard to predict how windy a season is going to be in Perth. As you can see from our school wind statistics, a ‘bad season’ in Perth can bring a little as 100 days of sea breeze winds while a very good season can bring in as many as 155 days of sea breeze winds. A good season is not only associated with more frequent winds but also stronger winds. On a good season, it’s quite common for the wind speed to reach 25 to 30 knots from mid-afternoon until sunset. On a bad season, it’s quite common to get afternoon sea breezes ranging between 18 to 22 knots.

Where is the Best Wind in Perth?

Wind in places like the Swan River is typically lighter especially compared to ocean spots. This is especially true in hotter temperatures (around 35 degrees Celsius or more). During hot summer days, the sea breeze can have a hard time reaching further inland and therefore only blow in ocean spots. On warmer days it’s possible to see an easterly wind on the river (offshore land breeze) or no wind at all, while it is blowing South or South-Southwest (sea breeze, side-shore or side-on shore) on the beach by the ocean. In general, summer sea breezes are stronger the further North you go up the West coast. If the forecast is light for a given afternoon, you will generally have more chances of getting stronger winds in the northern suburbs and even more chances by going further North to places like Lancelin.

Which Website or App Do You Recommend For Perth’s wind?

As well explained in this video, wind forecast accuracy is not about which website or app you use but about which wind model(s) a given website or app is using. It’s a good idea to spend some time studying and understanding those wind models.

In our experience, the ECMWF wind model tends to be the most accurate for Perth’s wind predictions. That doesn’t mean that this wind model is always accurate, it just means that, compared to other models, it tends to be the most accurate most of the time.

This wind model is available for free on the www.windy.com website and app. The premium (paid) version gives more frequent updates, hour-by-hour higher resolution wind forecast and forecast over more than 5 days.

Watch this video to learn how to use Windy.com

We also recommend checking out the forecast on the following websites/apps:

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/

TIP: On the Seabreeze.com.au website, we recommend you don’t rely on the forecast for ‘’Perth Coastal’’ as it tends to be too optimistic for Perth’s beaches. Instead, search for your area or beach in the search bar, this will give you a much more realistic forecast. For example, you can search for ‘’Pinnaroo Point’’ and get a more accurate forecast for that specific location.

www.Predictwind.com - Requires an account (free). The paid version gives very accurate high-resolution forecast.

Perth local waters (Australian Bureau of Meteorology - BOM)

Marine Wind Forecast (Access model from BOM – also accessible via the Windy.com website or app)

TIP: Spend some time comparing various wind models. If all wind models/websites/apps forecast a similar wind direction and a similar wind speed for a given day, chances are near 100% that you will have great conditions that day. However, if only a single wind model is forecasting a sea breeze (SSW) on Perth’s beaches and all others forecast offshore wind (Easterly), chances are slimmer that you will have good wind on that day. Also keep in mind that the forecast can be inaccurate more than 5 days ahead, this means it can change many times as you get closer to the date.

What Kite Size / Board Size should I Bring?

The short answer is bring all that you got! However, if you need to pick a size, assuming you are coming to Perth between November and February, you should bring gear that will cover you for a wind range from 18 to 25 knots. The average wind speed during a sea breeze season is 21-22 knots. For some, this wind range can be covered with a single kite, but it can also be covered with two kites (for example a kite for 15-20 knots and another kite for 20-25 knots).  However, be aware that in a good season, wind can hit 25 to 30+ knots more often. This is even more true if you plan to travel further North to places like Lancelin or Geraldton, which typically have at least 5 more knots of wind speed than Perth on any given sea breeze day. If you are not used to strong winds, keep in mind that doubling the wind speed equals four times the power in your kite, which can quickly become dangerous. Make sure you bring a small kite (5m to 8m depending on your weight) if you plan to kite in 25 knots or more.

Most kitesurfers in Perth won’t go out when the wind is below 18 knots. This is mainly because they are used to stronger winds, can’t be bothered with light winds and big kites (in other words, local riders are spoiled), but also because light winds in Perth (12-18 knots) are typically very warm winds that are not very dense. As explained in this video, hot air will generate less power compared to cold air. For the same wind speed, a cold breeze will be more powerful compared to a hot breeze. We should also add that light winds in Perth are typically unreliable with many sudden wind lulls, which makes it even less appealing. Unless you are into hydrofoiling or you are desperate to kite light winds, we simply recommend that you don’t focus on trying to cover the 12-18 knots wind range when travelling to Perth.

With only two kites and a single twin tip, you can expect to cover at least 80% of the windy sea breeze summer days in Perth. About 10% of those days will be too light (12-18 knots, which could be covered with a very large kite) and the other 10% will be too strong (25+ knots which could be covered with a small kite).

As for the board size, if you are used to kitesurfing mostly in light winds, you may have a larger and wider board that is suited for such conditions. Note that it’s much harder to control a larger twin tip in strong winds, especially in choppy waters. Smaller twin tips offer easier control (more grip) for the windier days in Perth.

For more information and help on how to choose a kite size and a board size, check out this blog article that has an interactive kite and board size calculator.

Can I Hire Kitesurfing Equipment in Perth?

The short answer is yes: a few kitesurfing schools such as KiteBud will offer kite rental/hire under certain conditions. Because kitesurfing is dangerous and the equipment is expensive, it is mandatory that you can prove that you can kitesurf independently and safely in deep water. You must know how to launch, land, relaunch, self-rescue, recover your board and ride upwind independently and effortlessly in variety of winds conditions before anyone will want to rent equipment to you. If you had taken lessons before and you are not sure that you own all these skills, take a refresher lesson before booking your rental. Just like skydiving, kitesurfing is not the type of sport where you can borrow equipment and learn on your own. At KiteBud, we only offer supervised rental at Pinnaroo Point, where we teach. Because an instructor must be available to supervise you, it is mandatory to book your hire in advance.

If you are staying for several weeks or want to kite in other locations, it would be cheaper to purchase your equipment and sell it back to us upon departure. Please contact us to discuss a purchase-sale type of rental.

Do I Need a Wetsuit?

Between November and March, you can expect Perth Sea temperatures to vary between 21 and 23 degrees with January, February and March being the warmest. During winter, sea temperatures can dip as low as 18 degrees.

As far as wetsuits goes, it all depends on your tolerance to the cold. In the warmest months (December-March), the majority of kitesurfers in Perth will wear a springsuit (short sleeves / legs) or a full 2/3mm wetsuit just because the wind can be chilly on your skin, and because it offers protection against the harsh Australian sun. Wind chill can drop the air temperature by quite a bit. If you are wet and out of the water, you can find yourself shivering even on days when the temperature is forecasted to be above 25 degrees Celsius, especially if the wind is 25 knots or above. Spring (September-November) can be chilly and requires a full wetsuit. We find that a 2/3 mm wetsuit is usually enough year-round, but some people may prefer to cover up more during winter and spring. We don’t recommend bringing thick wetsuits (5mm or more). Hoods and gloves are also not necessary, but once again, it depends on your tolerance to the cold. You may want to bring booties to protect your feet in certain kite spots that are known to have sharp shells, rocks or reef. If you don’t have the right wetsuit, don’t worry, we have you covered as we have plenty in stock in our online shop.

What is the Weather like in Perth in Summer?

Perth summer days are notoriously dry and hot. You can expect to have approximately only 15 days of rain between October and April, sometimes less. This weather is ideal for the sea breeze wind to form which usually brings relief from the heat. Most summer days will have daytime temperatures varying between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius with an extreme UV index. Never underestimate the power of the sun in Western Australia, make sure to use lots of sunscreen on exposed skin and re-apply regularly. Drink lots of water, cover your head and skin when possible. Heat strokes and sunburns are unfortunately common but easily avoided.

What about Sharks?

Of course there are sharks, it’s the ocean! They are frequently seen along the shore and in the river (yes, the river too!) However, Perth has a series of measures that reduces the risk of shark attacks. The Shark Monitoring Network (SMN) has receivers along the coast that sends an alert when a tagged shark has been spotted close by. Surf Life Saving Western Australia (SLSWA) has two Westpac helicopters that patrols the shore along Perth Metro area. If a shark of a respectable size is spotted near swimmers (or kitesurfers), the helicopter will sound a loud siren as a warning to evacuate the water. Beaches are occasionally closed due to shark sightings. If the helicopter is seen patrolling without stopping, it is a good sign that the water is safe. To learn more about sharks in Western Australia, visit the government’s Sharksmart website and download the Sharksmart WA app for Android or Apple (or don’t. Because ignorance is a bliss!)

What about Other Marine Wildlife?

Although Perth has some jelly fish when the water is warm, their sting is light and disappears quickly. Irukandji and box jelly, two species of deadly jelly fish can be found in tropical areas (Australia’s northern part) like Broome, for instance. Avoid the ocean or wear a sting suit during stinger season (November-May for Broome) and know first aid. Crocodiles also inhabits the tropical North (including Broome in Western Australia), but not in Perth.

Sting rays and cobblers (venomous catfish) are common around Perth. Although their sting is rare and not fatal, they are quite painful. Know how to react and do first aid in case of a sting to reduce the pain. Other kitesurfing spots around Perth and Western Australia will occasionally have dolphins and sea lions. Remember to keep a safe and respectful distance from wild animals.

Where Can I Kite in Perth and in Western Australia?

Check out our location guide, which is the most complete and detailed kitesurfing guide for Perth and Western Australia!

Do I Need to Have a Car to Kitesurf in Perth?

The short answer is YES. Even though it’s possible to travel via public transport to most of the kitesurfing spots in Perth, it’s much easier and faster to do it by car. Most car parks on kite spots are free in Western Australia. Long distances can separate different kite spots. For example, some days you might have to drive 100+ KM to catch good winds in Lancelin when the sea breeze doesn’t reach Perth’s beaches. If there is a week-long heatwave in Perth, you’d be better off driving down south to places like Albany or Augusta to catch the SE winds.

Useful links

Perth Kitesurfing Gang (Facebook Group)

Seabreeze forum

Kiteboarding Western Australia

Kiteboarding Australia

Perth's kitesurfing Traveller's guide