Kitesurfing January: this awaits you

Kitesurfing in January in the Netherlands with cap, shoes, gloves on. Kitesurfer: Jasper Dijkman
Kitesurfer Daniel on to the water on December 30th. See what kitesurfing in January brings you.

First of all, best wishes for 2023. We ended 2022 well in terms of wind and will also start 2023 excellently for wind athletes. With 13,5 degrees and about 30 knots of wind we took our last session on New Year's Eve. Now we look ahead.

We start January exceptionally warm with temperatures around 13 degrees. The wind from the southwest offers wind sports enthusiasts beautiful moments. This will change in the near future. It's getting colder again. Moreover, the water temperature is below 10 degrees and that is and remains a point of attention. In this kitesurf blog kitesurfing January we do not discuss kitesurfing holidays. No, we hope to give you insight into what awaits you as a kitesurfer if you continue kitesurfing in January in the Netherlands.

Average January temperature is falling

The average temperature in December was 3,9 degrees according to knmi.nl and this was colder than average. At the end of December, the weather was warmer than average with a record heat on New Year's Eve.

The average temperature in January is 3,6 degrees. Really cold!

Kitesurfing January in the Netherlands

Kitesurfing January: Average water temperature drops

The average sea temperature in December is 8 degrees. In January it is 6 degrees. At the end of December, however, the seawater was still about 7.8 degrees. The average temperature of the inland waterways was significantly lower at the end of December. Inland water is always colder than the North Sea in winter. At the beginning of January, the sea temperature is still slightly higher than the average of 6 degrees. So lower at the end. This partly depends on the extremes in weather during the month.

Average wind force kite surfing January is dropping

In January the wind blows more than 72 knots on average 7% of the time. 7 knots is about the lower limit to be able to kitefoil. In December this was 77%. The chance of wind therefore decreases slightly compared to December. But the chance of wind is much higher than during the summer months.

So short sessions. And stop and warm up as soon as you notice that you are starting to get tired is the advice.

Kitesurfing January. Stay safe and be sensible.
Kitesurfing January. Stay safe and be sensible.

Be sensible if you go kite surfing in January

The fact is that the temperature of the water will continue to drop rapidly in the coming weeks. Your body loses heat much faster in water than in air. So pay attention because hypothermia is a risk that is often recognized too late. So short sessions. And stop and warm up as soon as you notice that you are starting to get tired is the advice. Also, not sailing too far and going out on the water alone is out of the question. Which, of course, is always unwise.

Must read: 12 tips kitesurfing in the winter

This blog is specifically about what you can expect in terms of weather, wind and water in January. A must read for kitesurfing in the winter is our kitesurfing in the winter special containing 12 tips for a successful winter session.

Correct thickness wetsuit kite surfing January

It is a fact that it is getting colder. You notice it well on a rainy day. You don't even have to be at sea for that. At the beginning of January, the temperature will drop again. The water temperature is also dropping. It is therefore the time of year for at least a 5/4 mm wetsuit. We have advice on the correct wetsuit thickness for you. You can't ignore the use of neoprene surf shoes either. You also see more kite surfers with neoprene caps, gloves and wind jackets than without. All extra insulation is welcome, preferably as flexible as possible.

Kitesurfing January - This year is different

Our experience so far is that many kite surfers call it quits in January. There is also a group of kitesurfers who are becoming more selective. So they only take the really nice days. In December it was still pleasantly busy a few times. Really cool! We hope to meet many kitesurfers again in January. But safety above all people.

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