Vella Island, Sri Lanka

No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Kandakuli, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 126 km.

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About Vella Island

Known for kitesurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces W, so wind from the E blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing W. Wind from the W blows onshore, wind from the E blows out to sea, and wind from the N or S runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 13). The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For kitesurfing at beginner level the best month is usually June, with about 6 good days in 7; in February, March and April, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Kandakuli, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 126 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 31 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), changing at İstanbul Airport (IST). About 7 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → CMB · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAd
Getting there. 4 h 05 from the airport to Vella Island.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this spot yet: Kandakuli, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 126 km.
Hire and lessons.
Kitesurfing lessons in Vella Island · GetYourGuideAd Kite and board hire in Vella Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Vella Island on Google Maps · Directions

Kite spot

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Best on Sun 25: 16 kn gusting 20, side-onshore. Water: chop.

The score for kite, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

Wind forecast and score for each day at Vella Island
Day	Score	Wind	Gusts	Shore	Water
Mon 19Oct	35, poor	wind from the west-south-west, 14 knots	18kn	side-on	chop
Tue 20Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 3 knots	11kn	side	chop
Wed 21Oct	0, poor	wind from the south, 4 knots	9kn	cross-off	chop
Thu 22Oct	0, poor	wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots	12kn	side	chop
Fri 23Oct	40, fair	wind from the west-south-west, 16 knots	20kn	side-on	chop
Sat 24Oct	73, good	wind from the south-west, 15 knots	18kn	side	chop
Sun 25Oct	80, good	wind from the south-west, 16 knots	20kn	side-on	chop
Mon 26Oct	0, poor	wind from the south-west, 10 knots	20kn	side-on	chop
Tue 27Oct	0, poor	wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots	16kn	side-on	chop
Wed 28Oct	80, good	wind from the south-west, 14 knots	23kn	side-on	–
Thu 29Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good kite days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

Jan1of 7
Feb0of 7
Mar0of 7
Apr0of 7
May4of 7
Jun6of 7
Jul5of 7
Aug4of 7
Sep5of 7
Oct2of 7
Nov1of 7
Dec1of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for kite. Change dates

Tue 20 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to CMB, changing at IST, then 4h 05 by road. About 31h 30 door to door
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 4 kn gusting 9, cross-offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: chop.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 9 kn gusting 12, side-shore. Water: chop.
Fri 23 Oct
Kite Vella Island
16 kn gusting 20, side-onshore. Water: chop.
Sat 24 Oct
Kite Vella Island
15 kn gusting 18, side-shore. Water: chop.
Sun 25 Oct
Kite Vella Island
16 kn gusting 20, side-onshore. Water: chop.
Mon 26 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to CMB, changing at IST, then 4h 05 by road. About 31h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £935–£1,905 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

Flights £800–£1,660
To the UK airport £35–£65
Hire car £30–£55
Food £70–£125

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Kitesurfing lessons · GetYourGuide Kite and board hire · GetYourGuide

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