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Ventspils, Latvia

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About Ventspils

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

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing N. Wind from the N blows onshore, wind from the S blows out to sea, and wind from the E or W runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.7 km out (1 in 270). The sea is about 3°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For kitesurfing at intermediate level the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ventspils.

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From Chicago: about 20 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to RIX, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB). About 8 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → RIX · Skyscanner from about £445 returnAd
  2. Getting there. 3 h from the airport to Ventspils.

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in VentspilsAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Ventspils (ad) on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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

Forecast

Best on Tue 27: 24 kn gusting 37, side-shore. Water: chop.

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

Wind forecast and score for each day at Ventspils
DayScoreWindGustsShoreWater
Sun 18Oct52, goodwind from the north-north-east, 13 knots20knside-onchop
Mon 19Oct0, poorwind from the east-north-east, 7 knots11knsideflat
Tue 20Oct0, poorwind from the east, 8 knots13kncross-offflat
Wed 21Oct0, poorwind from the east-south-east, 12 knots17kncross-offflat
Thu 22Oct0, poorwind from the south-east, 10 knots14knoffnot safeflat
Fri 23Oct0, poorwind from the south-west, 9 knots12kncross-offchop
Sat 24Oct0, poorwind from the south-south-east, 6 knots9knoffnot safechop
Sun 25Oct0, poorwind from the south-east, 8 knots13knoffnot safechop
Mon 26Oct0, poorwind from the south, 16 knots22knoffnot safechop
Tue 27Oct80, goodwind from the west-south-west, 24 knots37knsidechop

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).

  1. Jan2of 7
  2. Feb2of 7
  3. Mar2of 7
  4. Apr2of 7
  5. May2of 7
  6. Jun2of 7
  7. Jul2of 7
  8. Aug2of 7
  9. Sep2of 7
  10. Oct2of 7
  11. Nov2of 7
  12. Dec2of 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 Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for kite. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to RIX, changing at DUB, then 3h by road. About 20h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 8 kn gusting 13, cross-offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: flat.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 12 kn gusting 17, cross-offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: flat.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 10 kn gusting 14, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: flat.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 9 kn gusting 12, cross-offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: chop.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 6 kn gusting 9, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: chop.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to RIX, changing at DUB, then 3h by road. About 20h 35 door to door

Rough cost

About £870–£1,670 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

  • Flights £445–£920
  • To the UK airport £35–£65
  • Hire car £70–£115
  • Stay £165–£280
  • Food £155–£290

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