All sports
Lull
A temporary drop in wind speed below the running average — the opposite of a gust.
A lull is a stretch of unusually weak wind sandwiched between stronger sections. It can last a few seconds (turbulence) or several minutes (passing cloud, dying thermal, frontal pause).
On the water, lulls are when kites stall and sails luff. Lightweight gear, body drag back upwind, or simply waiting it out are the practical responses. In planing sports (windsurfing, kitesurfing, wing foil) a long lull can drop you off the foil or out of planing entirely.
Pay attention to the forecast gust-to-average ratio: high gust factor means short, sharp gusts separated by long lulls — an exhausting session profile.
Related reading: Kite Size from Forecast, Sea Breeze 101.
Related terms
- Gust A short, sharp increase in wind speed lasting seconds, well above the average.
- Gust factor The ratio of peak gust to average wind — the single most useful number for telling smooth wind from a fight.
- Beaufort scale A 0–12 wind-force scale based on observed sea or land effects, devised by Admiral Beaufort in 1805.