Kitesurf Atlas

Over 3000 kilometers of coastline, 80% of which is blessed with Atlantic breaks and sub-tropical Trade winds, Morocco is a top destination for European kitesurfers and windsurfers, that just across the Strait of Gibraltar can get a taste of Arabic culture.

The climate

Morocco's weather varies a lot as varies it's landscape. The North is governed by a Mediterranean climate, with dry hot summers and mild, often rainy winters. Just a small strip of the Atlantic coast has relatively cool summer temperatures, thansk to the chilly Canaries current. The further in the inland, the more the climate gets increasingly continental, with hotter summers and colder winters. Temperatures rise markedly and rainfall levels plummer significantly from north to south also. The higher mountainous regions are an exception: -15°C isn't rare and many mountaintops are snow-capped for months.

Wind and Weather

The rule of thumb for surf trips to Morocco is strong winds and small waves in summertime, and the reverse in winter. The best chance of both would be spring and autumn. The Moroccan Atlantic coastline lies within the same 'Trade Wind Zone' that influences the Canary Islands. Morocco is squeezed between the 'Azores High' and the 'North African Desert Low', which togheter create a stable north to north-easterly airflow during the summer months, further strenghtened by local land sea thermals and venturi effects, especially around Essaouira and Dakhla. Here the wind is strongest and most consistent from June to the end of August, with 80% or more chance of Force 6 and often Force 7-8. The Azores High weakns from September, making the winds lighter and less consistent throughout the winter, when Atlantic lows pass over the Moroccan coast bringing rain fronts and south to south-westerly winds. With regard to waves, the season operates the other way around, with few and far between swells in summer, and wave conditions improving from September to May, with heights of 2 meters quite common and chances of big days much improved. Just about every storm that crosses the North Atlantic sends swell to the Moroccan coast, even when the storms pass further north into Europe.