Gust

From KiteWiki

A ‘gust’ refers to a rapid change in wind speed, often caused by turbulence. Gusty conditions are more likely to occur inland than at the coast due to the presence of trees and buildings. They regularly also affect off-shore winds at beaches but are much rarer in on-shore wind conditions.

If flying inland, to minimise gusts, it is best to try to try to fly as far as possible away from tall trees and buildings that might be in the path of the oncoming wind.

Turbulence can also occur downwind near to other large objects such as buildings and trees that can generate unexpected up-lift.

Gusty conditions can be very challenging and sometimes quite dangerous conditions to fly kites in. They are regularly responsible for overflying where the kite dashes forward and then often collapses out of control, tumbling to the ground. This can be compensated for in part by controlling the kite and keeping it away from the edges and top of the wind window.

For more advanced fliers, it is usually best to turn downwind and ‘ride out’ the gusts. This is fairly easy in a buggy or when kite surfing, more difficult when kite boarding (due to your higher centre of gravity) and pretty much impossible if static flying where if not scudding already, you are far more likely to be caught off your guard resulting in a face plant or superman. As you become more experienced it is often sometimes possible to sense the gust's arrival, as it will invariably hit you before it hits the kite, because the kite will generally be downwind of you.

For newcomers, gusty winds can be very dangerous. It really is worth waiting for calmer conditions, rather than getting hurt because you are desperate to fly. If you are tempted to fly in gusty conditions, choose a kite size that fits the largest gust that you have measured using a wind speed meter, not the average, and make sure to wear kite killers. You should also beware forecasts, as they are regularly very inaccurate. It is not unusual for 40mph gusts to occur when only 20mph was predicted, and ensure that you are not flying alone in case something does go wrong and you end up hurt.