Best time to kitesurf Nelson – Tāhunanui

The best time to kitesurf at Nelson – Tāhunanui is January–April, September–December, the season of the local thermal wind, with water around 18°C.

Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand

Sports: Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling, Windsurfing, Parawing, SUP

Best time to go: January–April, September–December

Tāhunanui Beach is Nelson's main city beach, about 5 km south-west of the city centre on Tasman Bay, right next to Nelson Airport. The beach reserve has parking, toilets, cafés, a playground and a holiday park, and Rabbit Island lies across the bay to the west. A local kite school, Kitescool, gives kitesurfing, wing foil and paddleboard lessons, mostly at Tāhunanui.

Nelson is one of New Zealand's sunniest regions, and on sunny days from September to April a north to north-easterly sea breeze usually comes in around 2 or 3 pm and fades around 6 or 7 pm, typically 15 to 20 knots. At low tide wide sandbanks give shallow, flat water, which is when the beach fills with kites and beginners learn; at high tide it is deeper and choppier. It suits kitesurfing, wing foiling, kite foiling and windsurfing.

The back beach lagoon changes with the tide, and the channel by the sand bar has a strong tidal current, so stay out of it. The airport is next door: check the current local rules on where kites may be flown, and keep clear of swimmers on the main beach in summer. The water is about 12 °C in August and 21 °C in February: a 4/3 in spring and autumn, a 3/2 in mid-summer.

Month by month at Nelson – Tāhunanui

January: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.3 m, water 21°C, air 22°C (nights 14°C), 27 sunny days, 9 rainy days
February: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.3 m, water 22°C, air 22°C (nights 14°C), 24 sunny days, 8 rainy days
March: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.4 m, water 20°C, air 21°C (nights 12°C), 28 sunny days, 6 rainy days
April: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.5 m, water 18°C, air 18°C (nights 11°C), 24 sunny days, 9 rainy days
May: outside the windy season, waves 0.5 m, water 16°C, air 16°C (nights 8°C), 24 sunny days, 8 rainy days
June: outside the windy season, waves 0.7 m, water 14°C, air 14°C (nights 6°C), 21 sunny days, 12 rainy days
July: outside the windy season, waves 0.7 m, water 12°C, air 13°C (nights 6°C), 21 sunny days, 9 rainy days
August: outside the windy season, waves 0.7 m, water 12°C, air 13°C (nights 5°C), 26 sunny days, 10 rainy days
September: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.7 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 25 sunny days, 11 rainy days
October: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.5 m, water 15°C, air 17°C (nights 9°C), 26 sunny days, 11 rainy days
November: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.4 m, water 18°C, air 19°C (nights 11°C), 26 sunny days, 12 rainy days
December: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 0.3 m, water 20°C, air 21°C (nights 13°C), 27 sunny days, 10 rainy days

Kitesurfing in New Zealand: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December

When is the best time to go kitesurfing, wingfoiling, windsurfing & parawing at Nelson – Tāhunanui?

January–April, September–December, when it is windy most often.

How warm is the water at Nelson – Tāhunanui?

12°C to 22°C over the year: a 3/2 full suit in the warmest month, a 5/4 with hood, boots and gloves in the coolest.

Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).

Spots near Nelson – Tāhunanui

More: All spots in New Zealand · Kitesurfing in New Zealand · Wingfoiling in New Zealand · Windsurfing in New Zealand · Parawing in New Zealand · SUP in New Zealand

Compare with: Nelson – Rabbit Island vs Nelson – Tāhunanui · Nelson – Tāhunanui vs Wainui Bay – Golden Bay

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