The diurnal cycles of near-surface shear and stratification, also known as diurnal jet and diurnal warm layer (DWL), are ubiquitous in the tropical oceans, affecting the heat and momentum budget of the ocean surface layer, air-sea interactions, and vertical mixing. Here, we analyse the presence and descent of near-surface diurnal shear and stratification in the upper 20 m of the equatorial Atlantic as a function of wind speed using ocean current velocity and hydrographic data taken during two trans-Atlantic cruises along the equator in autumn 2019 and spring 2022, data from three types of surface drifters, and data from PIRATA moorings along the equator. The observations during two seasons with similar wind speeds but varying net surface heat fluxes reveal similar diurnal jets with an amplitude of about 0.11 m s-1 and similar DWLs when averaging along the equator. We find that higher wind speeds lead to earlier diurnal peaks, deeper penetration depths, and faster descent rates of DWL and diurnal jet. While the diurnal amplitude of shear is maximum for intermediate wind speeds, the diurnal amplitude of stratification is maximum for minimal wind speeds. The presented wind dependence of the descent rates of DWL and diurnal jet is consistent with the earlier onset of deep-cycle turbulence for higher wind speeds. The DWL and the diurnal jet not only trigger deep-cycle turbulence but are also observed to modify the wind power input and thus the amount of energy available for mixing.