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Knots

The wind-speed unit used across sailing, aviation and weather — 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour ≈ 1.852 km/h.

Also known as: kt, kn

A knot equals one nautical mile per hour, roughly 1.85 km/h or 1.15 mph. Wind sports inherit it from sailing because nautical miles map cleanly to latitude (one minute of arc).

Common reference points for riders:

  • 8–12 kt — light wind, big kites / large sails / wing foilers happy
  • 15–20 kt — sweet spot for most kitesurfers and windsurfers
  • 20–25 kt — overpowered for most, time for smaller gear
  • 30+ kt — storm conditions, experts only

Convert quickly: knots × 2 ≈ km/h is good enough on the water.

Related reading: Kite Size from Forecast, GFS vs ICON.

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