Map › Switzerland › Lake Silvaplana (Surlej)
Graubünden (Engadin) · Surlej, SW shore of Lake Silvaplana · Maloja · Silvaplana
Lake Silvaplana (Surlej)
also known as Silvaplanersee, Lej da Silvaplauna, Lake Silvaplana
Lake Silvaplana (Surlej) has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
Rideable for twintips from about 1 pm on a normal day, and from around 11 am in July and August. It peaks roughly between 3 and 5 pm, then fades from 6 to 7 pm as the sun drops behind the mountains.
The wind
locals call it Malojawind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: Rideable for twintips from about 1 pm on a normal day, and from around 11 am in July and August. It peaks roughly between 3 and 5 pm, then fades from 6 to 7 pm as the sun drops behind the mountains.
Typical strength
About 4-5 Bft on a normal Maloja day and 6 Bft on the strongest, which works out near 11-27 kt. Afternoon peaks of 20-25 kt between about 3 and 5 pm are the figure most often given; a lower 10-18 kt is also quoted for May to September. Foilers start at 5-8 kt in the evening. All of it is derived from Beaufort or from rider guides, not measured on the water.
Also on record
About 11-21 kt on a normal Maloja day (Beaufort 4-5), peaking near 22-27 kt (Beaufort 6) on the strongest ones. Across the season the range works out at about 7-27 kt (Beaufort 3-6), derived from Beaufort rather than measured on the water.
The quiver, in words
Go bigger than you would for the same reading at sea level: the air at 1790 m is thin, so 20 kt on the meter still puts a 75-85 kg rider on 9-12 m, and a 10-15 m spread covers the season at that weight. Evening foil sessions get going on 5-8 kt. Indicative, from rider-facing guidance rather than any local measurement.
Direction to shore
Side-shore at the kite launch.
Dominant direction
S to SW, especially SW from the Maloja direction
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season
- Jan2
- Feb2
- Mar6
- Apr2
- May, riders' month0
- Jun, riders' month2
- Jul, riders' month0
- Aug, riders' month5
- Sep, riders' month0
- Oct, riders' month3
- Nov7
- Dec6
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
The model is wrong here
The model reads 7% of days at its best month, which does not sit with the season and the wind strength this record states. The figures are kept and drawn as hatching so no wind colour can be read off them, and the ringed months are the ones riders name.
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2% | 15% | 10% | 7.5 kt | SW | 15:00 | -5.2°C | 62 |
| Feb | 2% | 7% | 7% | 6.6 kt | NE | 15:00 | -3.2°C | 57 |
| Mar | 6% | 21% | 15% | 8.3 kt | SW | 15:00 | -1.6°C | 62 |
| Apr | 2% | 17% | 8% | 8.1 kt | SW | 15:00 | 0.2°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 2% | 0% | 7.1 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 5.9°C | 62 |
| Jun | 2% | 17% | 8% | 8.7 kt | SW | 15:00 | 10.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 34% | 8% | 9.4 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 12.9°C | 62 |
| Aug | 5% | 23% | 13% | 9.2 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 12.6°C | 62 |
| Sep | 0% | 8% | 7% | 8.2 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 7.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 3% | 8% | 8% | 7.8 kt | SW | 14:00 | 5.4°C | 62 |
| Nov | 7% | 18% | 12% | 7.8 kt | SW | 14:00 | -1.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 6% | 13% | 13% | 7.5 kt | NW | 12:00 | -4.4°C | 62 |
riders' months
Riders and schools name these months. The model reads lower here, and both are shown rather than averaged.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
flat/chop
Standing depth
false
Tides
false
Temperature
7-21°C summer · 1°C winter
Wetsuit
5/4 mm wetsuit commonly recommended; cold alpine water even in summer.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: A large grass meadow to rig on, and it gets tight on sunny weekends.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
The official Kitebeach run by Swiss Kitesurf at Sportzentrum Mulets. Launching or landing anywhere outside that meadow needs landowner and municipal permissions you will not have.
Space
A large grass meadow to rig on, and it gets tight on sunny weekends.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Sign in at the school before you rig: the day pass, the level proof and the zone plan all get checked.
- Rig for cold water and the thin air at 1790 m; the models tend to under-read the Maloja thermal.
- Treat northerly wind as a no-go unless the school or the Beach Marshall tells you otherwise.
- Wear a helmet in the shore zone; there are stones in it.
- Wrap your lines when you are off the water and keep the shore path clear for walkers and cyclists.
- At 20 kt on the meter, plan on 9-12 m at 75-85 kg. Altitude eats the power you would expect from that number at sea level.
- A day pass is CHF 15 in 2026 and the whole season is CHF 100, so a week of riding is worth pricing before you pay per day.
Getting there
Airport
Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the routing most people use; the Milan-area airports are closer on the map but are not the practical public-transport option.
Route
Train to St. Moritz, then the bus to Silvaplana/Surlej. In summer and winter a free electric shuttle runs between Silvaplana and the Corvatsch cable car at Surlej when it is operating.
Transfer
273 min
Staying
Stay in Silvaplana, Surlej, Sils or St. Moritz; more than 1500 places are listed within reach of Silvaplana.
No-wind days
Corvatsch, the Freestyle Garden at Sportzentrum Mulets, and hiking in the Engadin. In winter the frozen lake takes snowkiting, cross-country skiing, walking trails and skating when the ice allows.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Lake Silvaplana?
The usable thermal window runs roughly mid-May to mid-October, with the kite school season running end of May to beginning of October.
Is Lake Silvaplana suitable for beginners?
Yes with lessons, Swiss Kitesurf teaches beginners through advanced riders, but independent freeriders must hold a VDWS level 4 or IKO level 3J certificate plus insurance.
What is the wind like?
The Malojawind is a thermal S/SW wind that usually builds from late morning to early afternoon and is strongest in the afternoon, typically 4-5 Beaufort with peaks near 6.
Are there rules or permits required?
Yes, riders need Swiss Kitesurf membership or a day pass, proof of level and insurance, and must use only official entry and exit points within marked zones; buoyancy aids are mandatory from 300 m offshore.
What are the hazards?
The lake gets deep quickly from shore, water is cold even in summer, and north wind is considered dangerous and unsuitable for kitesurfing.
Last updated: August 2026