Understanding the Wind Window

The red zone is colored in red for a reason. This is the "power zone". In the power zone, the kite is more directly in contact with wind. At the edge, the wind "sees" only the semi-circular arc shape, and produces minimal pressure changes over the kite so the power is kept at bay. In the power zone, the kite's wind profile is larger and pressure changes are more extreme, causing the kite to generate enough power to easily lift you off the ground, or drag you across a field.


Furthermore, the power of the kite is exponentially related to the speed of the kite, or its "apparent wind". Apparent wind is the wind that the kite sees. So as it travels across the wind window, it "sees" more wind. Furthermore, when kiteboarding, the kite will be moving with you, locked in position, "seeing" more wind than the ground wind-speed. This enables you to keep constant power on the kite. The faster the kite moves, the more power it generates, much more. Therefore, if the kite dives through the power zone at a fast speed, the power can be many times that if it were stalled in that position. Wind is unpredicatable and can change at any moment. It is important to have good kite skills prior to entering the water with, or without, your board. information courtesy of http://www.chicagokitesurfing.com