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Spot de Portalban

Portalban kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot

Switzerland · Friburg

46.92 | 6.95

Overview

Portalban is a great spot for west and southwest winds. It's a nice sandy beach with deep water quite far out. The local club (www.swisskite.ch) is very active and they organize the King of the Lake competition once a year, usually in late September. They also offer coaching services for beginners, a safety boat, and many other things. We can only recommend that you join the club.
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Portalban: when to go?

Wind is uneven from month to month: the best months are January, April and May, at 17 rideable days and 12 °C. The low point is October, at 9.3 days.

Rideable days per month

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Wind strength when it is rideable

16-22 knots · 70% 22-30 knots · 28% 30-40 knots · 2%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 16 and 22 knots — 70% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 5 °C. The wettest month is September, with 56 mm. Bar height is the month's rideable days; the split shows how its wind hours break down by strength.

Monthly averages — Portalban — averaged over 3 years of records
Month Rideable days Usable wind Temperature Rain
January 18.7 138 h 5 °C 17 mm
February 12.0 100 h 8 °C 14 mm
March 11.3 111 h 11 °C 27 mm
April 17.0 168 h 13 °C 38 mm
May 14.3 138 h 19 °C 51 mm
June 13.7 118 h 24 °C 46 mm
July 13.7 146 h 26 °C 46 mm
August 9.7 107 h 26 °C 55 mm
September 14.0 119 h 21 °C 56 mm
October 9.3 84 h 16 °C 44 mm
November 14.3 109 h 9 °C 43 mm
December 12.0 84 h 5 °C 28 mm

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Technical details of Portalban spot

Spot currently open :-)
Spot functioning map
Local association recommendations
Message from June 4, 2020:
Hello everyone, in order to provide you with accurate information about the procedures on Portalban beach, in anticipation of favorable weather conditions for navigation tomorrow and Saturday, I contacted Mr. Philippe Cotting, Mayor of Delley Portalban this afternoon. The position of the municipality regarding the duties of kitesurfers, windsurfers, and SUPs is clear: launching must be done in the designated area, even in bad weather or when there are no swimmers. Currently, no municipal regulation (but this could change!) allows the municipality to fine people for launching kites outside the designated area on the beach.
 I would like to remind you that any navigation in the swimming area exposes the offender to a fine of 100 CHF, only the Police can issue fines. The term navigation is used when the person is on their board. A person with an open sail (flying kite) but standing next to their board is not subject to navigation laws. LNI, ONI.
 Don't abuse this right and try to respect the rules in place as much as possible. The beach development plan started in 2009? should be validated this autumn and allow for new facilities for kitesurfing, and I hope, improve our comfort for launching.
Good sailing to all!
 
The committee - swisskite.ch
Spot functioning
Even though you'll always see riders launching through the swimming area, the official zone is the small beach (See map). It's certainly tighter and less pleasant than the large beach, but it's the price to pay for good cohabitation with other beach users.
Note that although the spot lends itself to it and it has been seen before, kite instruction should not take place in the swimming area!
Spot opening date

Open all year round

Required level

Intermediate

Back to shore
Pour le retour à terre, si vous êtes pas sur de votre coup, rapprocher-vous du bord jusqu'à avoir votre fond, larguer et faites un self-rescue. Il vaut mieux une aile mouillée qu'un accident ou une aile cassée.
Parking
There is a very large parking area behind the spot. Just remember to pay for it. A bit further toward the port, there's also a building with toilets.
Wind specificities
It's mainly a southwest wind spot, but it also works with west winds thanks to the Joran (It can even be thermal in summer). The Bise (northeast wind) works too, but is much more irregular, and is a nice starting point for a downwind to Yvonand or in any case reserved for good riders.
 In southwest winds, always look at the horizon to see if a squall is approaching (Strong gusts ahead!)
Hazards
The main danger of this spot is the launch area. You'll be on a sandy beach, but downwind from the port, and the official launch zone is small and sometimes a bit sketchy.
 Don't launch through the swimming area, the fine is hefty and controls are increasingly frequent.
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Spot forecast for Portalban
07:07 19:48
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La webcam se trouve sur le site de -> Delley Portalban

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