Kitesurfing
How high do kitesurfers jump?
What is normal at each level, the 40 m record, and why trackers disagree.
Last checked: October 2026
Jump height by level.
Ballpark figures from WOO data. One gusty afternoon can add metres to anyone’s best.
3–5 m
5–7 m
15–20 m+
40 m
Learning
first sends
Recreational
average rider
Pro
consistently
World record
WOO, 2025
Levels: WOO data via Unity Surf. Record: Hugo Wigglesworth, Cape Town, in around 40 knots.
Records keep climbing.
The headline records are WOO numbers: WOO keeps the leaderboard most riders recognise.
28.6m
2017 · Nick Jacobsen
36.2m
2023 · Joshua Emanuel, Denmark
36.7m
2024 · Hugo Wigglesworth, New Zealand
40m
2025 · Wigglesworth, Cape Town
Other apps keep other lists: Charles Brodel’s 33.5 m (2025) was a Surfr record.
How height gets measured.
No gadget has a height sensor. Every tracker estimates height from other signals.
Board motion sensor
WOO reads take-off and landing from the board’s motion at water level.
Phone or watch + AI
Surfr estimates height from motion, with models trained on recorded riding.
Barometer
A 10 m jump shifts air pressure by only about 1.2 hPa.
GPS altitude
Great for speed and route, too coarse vertically for a 6 m jump.
Video
Good for timing airtime. A kite carries you, so airtime won’t give height.
SANDIT
GPS plus 9-axis motion sensing, worn on a neck cord under your wetsuit.
Why trackers disagree.
Your mate’s watch says 9 m, your board sensor says 7. Nobody is necessarily lying.
- Where it sits. Board, wrist, pocket and chest move differently in the air.
- Take-off and landing. Small timing choices change the estimate.
- The model. Each brand turns raw data into height its own way.
- The leaderboard. Records only compare within one system.
Pick one device, wear it the same way, and compare yourself with yourself.
Jump higher.
Timing beats strength. Only go big with deep water and empty space downwind.
1
Build speed
Edge progressively into the jump, so you load the lines.
2
Send smoothly
Kite from 10 or 11 o’clock up through 12, for lift.
3
Pop, bar in
Pop off the back foot as the kite climbs, then pull in.
4
Redirect early
Bring the kite forward after dropping 60–70% of the height.
SANDIT Sensor
Measured on you, not the board.
Worn on your body, SANDIT describes your flight. Compare it with your own sessions, not with WOO.
- Jump height, hangtime, g-force, kiteloop counter
- Speed, distance, session time and route
- Your phone stays on the beach
See how high you really go.
€6,99 a month for founders, sensor included. Nothing to pay until it ships.
Questions
How high can you jump kitesurfing?
Riders learning to send the kite usually jump 3 to 5 metres, the average recreational rider 5 to 7, and pros consistently 15 to 20 metres or more. Wind, kite size and technique make a big difference on the day.
What is the world record for kitesurf jump height?
The WOO-recorded record is 40 metres, set by New Zealander Hugo Wigglesworth at Kite Beach in Cape Town on 6 December 2025. Before that, he held the record with 36.7 metres, set in September 2024.
Why do trackers show different heights for the same jump?
No device measures height directly. Each estimates it from sensor data, and they differ in where the sensor sits, which sensors they use and how they decide when a jump starts and ends. Compare numbers from one device only.
Is hangtime the same as jump height?
No. The kite keeps lifting you, so you hang in the air far longer than in a free fall from the same height. Two jumps of equal height can have very different hangtimes, which is why good trackers report both.
Does SANDIT measure kite jump height?
Yes. SANDIT Sensor is worn on a neck cord under your wetsuit and combines GPS with 9-axis motion sensing to log jump height, hangtime, g-force and kiteloops, plus speed, distance and route. Shipping is expected in Q4 2026.
Sources · Last checked October 2026
- Unity Surf: Kite surf jump (typical heights, citing WOO data)
- IKSURFMAG: Hugo Wigglesworth’s 40 metre kite jump, a new world record (December 2025)
- ExplorersWeb: Kitesurfer launches 40 meters in the air on record flight
- Yachting New Zealand: Hugo Wigglesworth’s 36.7 m record (September 2024)
- Wikipedia: Kiteboarding (Nick Jacobsen 2017, Joshua Emanuel 2023 records)
- Adventure Magazine: Charles Brodel’s 33.5 m jump measured on the Surfr app (2025)
- WOO Sports: The WOO way (how WOO measures height)
- Surfr support: What is the Surfr app?
- Wikipedia: Atmospheric pressure (about 12 hPa per 100 m near sea level)
- GPS.gov: GPS accuracy (smartphones about 4.9 m under open sky)
- The Kitesurf Centre: How to jump higher kitesurfing