On this coast the wind decides the plan. Here is what we look at ourselves before deciding whether to go out.
Two winds rule the Costa del Sol. The poniente comes in from the west, usually chops the water in the afternoon, and is the one that ruins paddle boarding and kayaking. The levante comes in from the east, brings a swell with it, and is the one that forces parasailing to be called off.
The rule of thumb: below fifteen knots almost everything is possible; between fifteen and twenty the light kit drops out; above twenty only the big boats go, and with judgement.
The best hours are almost always first thing in the morning, before it heats up and the breeze arrives. For a long trip on a boat it matters less; for paddle, kayak or jet surf it matters a great deal.
If the forecast does not suit, the date is changed at no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
The weather at sea comes down to three figures: wind strength in knots, the direction it blows from, and the state of the sea. On the Costa del Sol, below fifteen knots almost everything is possible; between fifteen and twenty, light kit such as paddle boards and kayaks stays ashore; and above twenty only the large boats go out.
The home page of this website shows the wind, the wave height and the water temperature off Fuengirola, using Open-Meteo data updated every half hour. For a longer trip, the official reference is the AEMET marine forecast for the coastal waters of Málaga.
A knot is one nautical mile per hour, or 1.852 kilometres per hour. So fifteen knots is about 28 km/h and twenty knots about 37 km/h. Marine forecasts give the wind in knots or in Beaufort force, a scale that runs from 0 to 12.
The three forces that matter most here are force 3, a gentle breeze of 7 to 10 knots, when everything is possible; force 4, a moderate breeze of 11 to 16 knots, which is the limit for paddle boarding and kayaking; and force 5, a fresh breeze of 17 to 21 knots, when only boats go out. A force 5 forecast on the Costa del Sol means changing plans if the idea was to paddle.
The terral is the land wind of the Málaga coast: it comes down from the mountains towards the sea, blows from the north or north-west and in summer arrives hot and dry. Close to the shore the water looks like a millpond, because the wind blows from the beach and raises no waves in the first few metres.
That is the trap. With terral, a paddle board or a kayak drifts away from the coast on its own, and paddling back into the wind is much harder than going out. So with terral, light kit stays ashore even if the day looks perfect from the sand.
They are grades of the Douglas scale, which forecasts use for the state of the sea. A smooth sea means waves of up to half a metre; a slight sea, from half a metre to 1.25 metres; and a moderate sea, from 1.25 to 2.5 metres. In a smooth sea a jet ski bounces and a kayak pitches; in a slight sea, small activities are postponed.
Swell is something else: long waves that arrive from a distant storm, on this coast nearly always with the easterly levante, and that roll in even when the wind is light. You cannot see it from inside the marina, which is why the forecast counts for more than what you see.
On 2 October 2026 the water off Fuengirola was at 23.2 °C, according to Open-Meteo. At that temperature a swimsuit is enough for any activity, and swims from the boat go on without getting cold.
The figure for the day is always on the home page. For wakeboarding or water skiing, which mean fifteen minutes in and out of the water, a thin wetsuit helps when the water is cool; in July and August it is not needed.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
The westerly chops the water in the afternoon and ruins paddle boarding and kayaking. The easterly brings in a swell and is the one that forces parasailing to be called off.
Below fifteen knots almost everything is possible. Between fifteen and twenty the light kit drops out. Above twenty only the large boats go, and with judgement.
Almost always first thing in the morning, before it heats up and the breeze arrives. For paddle, kayak or jet surf it matters a lot; for a long trip on a boat, less so.
The date is changed at no charge.
About 28 km/h. A knot is one nautical mile per hour, 1.852 km/h, so twenty knots is about 37 km/h.
On the home page of this website: wind, waves and water temperature off Fuengirola, using Open-Meteo data updated every half hour. The official forecast is the AEMET one for the coastal waters of Málaga.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
