Kitesurf spots in the Netherlands
“You can kite in the Netherlands all year: strong, cold storm wind from October to April and a surprisingly good 12 to 25 knots from May to October. Ride the coast for waves and space (Katwijk, Noordwijk, Scheveningen, Zandvoort, Wijk aan Zee, Brouwersdam, Texel) and the lakes and lagoons for flat water. It is also the country of Ruben Lenten, the Langerees, the Hoek tot Helder and the Red Bull Megaloop, so you will not be the only one out in a storm.”
The Netherlands does not look like a kite destination. No palm trees, no warm water, and the sun is more of a rumour than a promise. But the country is flat, half of it touches water and the wind has nothing to stop it. That is why such a small country keeps producing some of the best riders in the world.
Most of my hours are on the Dutch coast. I have ridden Zandvoort, Noordwijk, Katwijk, Scheveningen, Kijkduin and the Zandmotor, the Slufter on the Maasvlakte, Brouwersdam, Ouddorp and Texel. Here is my honest take on where to go, plus the lakes I have not ridden but every Dutch kiter talks about.
When is the best time to kitesurf in the Netherlands?
All year. People think of the Netherlands as a winter storm spot, but you can kite here a lot more often than most people expect.
October to April is the strong season, especially in autumn. The wind is strong and gusty and the water gets close to freezing in winter, so you need a 5/4 or 6/5 wetsuit, boots, gloves and a hood. Winter kiting is not for everyone. The days are short, so a session during the week is hard to fit around work. That is why the beaches fill up on windy weekends, and why everyone spends the week hoping the weekend forecast holds. It does not always.
May to October is the summer season, and do not skip it. Everyone says there is no wind in summer, but there is quite a bit. It mostly blows between 12 and 25 knots, which means bigger kites on some days and a foil on the light days. If you ever wanted to start wing foiling or kite foiling, a Dutch summer is perfect for it.
What you will not get is a thermal wind that switches on every afternoon. Our wind comes from pressure systems and storms passing through, so it is never constant. You have to watch the forecast and go when it comes. If you want to know why the wind suddenly picks up when a front comes in, read when weather fronts hit the beach.
The Dutch coast mostly faces west, so southwest, west and northwest are your friends. East wind is offshore on the whole North Sea coast, so stay off the water or head to a lake. And from roughly May to September most beaches limit kiting to marked kite zones, sometimes with time limits. Look for the signs and yellow buoys.
Where can you kitesurf on the Dutch North Sea coast?
Pretty much along the whole coast, as long as you stay inside the kite zones and away from the harbours. If you want the whole coast in one day, join the Hoek tot Helder. It is a charity downwinder for the Dutch Heart Foundation, from Hoek van Holland to Den Helder, about 130 km and almost the entire coastline. Besides that, these are the spots I know.
Katwijk
My home spot, and the one most people drive past on their way to Noordwijk or Scheveningen. Their loss. Katwijk has a lot of space and it is rarely busy, so you can actually do your thing without dodging ten other kites. The catch is the current. It runs hard along the beach, especially around the tide change, and it will drag you and your board down the coast faster than you expect. Check the tide before you go and plan to walk back up the beach.
Noordwijk
Wide beach, good waves on a proper west wind and a busier line up than Katwijk. Since 2025, Noordwijk has also been the stage of the Red Bull Megaloop, so on a storm day you might share the water with people who loop 20 metres above your head. Or watch from the beach.
Scheveningen and the Zandmotor
Scheveningen is the city spot. Easy to reach, waves when there is swell, and busy in the kite zone. Stay well away from the harbour entrance. Be careful here, because you share the water with surfers, wing foilers, kiters, stand up paddlers and windsurfers. Because of the harbour, the current is manageable and the waves are nice, but the spot is quite small.
The Zandmotor at Kijkduin is just south of it, but it is a completely different spot. It is a huge man made sand peninsula with a shallow, sheltered lagoon. The lagoon is flat and great for learning or practising tricks, and you can ride the sea side when you want waves. Because the sand keeps moving, the lagoon changes shape every year. Sadly, the lagoon is shrinking every season and there are no plans to restore it. In a few years, this spot might be gone.
Zandvoort
Long beach, close to Amsterdam and Haarlem, and good in southwest to northwest wind. It can get busy on summer weekends. A solid all round spot for riders who can stay upwind, and an amazing spot for kite tourists, because the train from Amsterdam stops right at the beach.
Wijk aan Zee and IJmuiden
Just north and south of the IJmuiden piers. Big beaches, waves and a lot of space. The piers can mess with the wind close by, and offshore wind here is a real risk, so only go out when it blows from the sea. More on that in offshore wind, sketchy or sendy. There is no kiting near the harbour entrance, which is why the Hoek tot Helder riders get bussed around it.
The Slufter on the Maasvlakte
The Slufter is a wide, wild beach on the Maasvlakte next to the port of Rotterdam. Lots of space, waves and almost no buildings. On a good day it feels like you are kiting at the end of the world, with container ships on the horizon.
Brouwersdam and Ouddorp
Brouwersdam is the most famous Dutch spot, and the only one with two sides. The sea side gives you waves and space in west wind. The lake side (the Grevelingen) gives you flat water when the wind is from the east, so this is where the whole country goes when the coast is offshore. It gets crowded on good days.
Ouddorp, just north, is quieter and has long, wide beaches. A good plan B when the Brouwersdam parking lot is full.
Texel and the Wadden
Texel has kilometres of beach on the west side, waves, space and a holiday feel without leaving the country. Take the ferry from Den Helder and pick a beach where kiting is allowed. Further north, the Wadden islands and the Wadden coast have more spots, but the Wadden Sea itself is a nature area with strict rules and strong tidal currents. Only kite where it is clearly allowed.
Where can you kitesurf inland in the Netherlands?
The lakes. Flat water, shallow spots and no current, which makes them great for beginners, freestyle and foiling. I have not ridden these myself, but they are the spots Dutch kiters go to for flat water. Be warned: these spots can get insanely busy and chaotic.
Workum on the IJsselmeer, a classic beginner spot. Shallow, fresh water and almost every wind direction works.
Makkum, also on the IJsselmeer. Shallow water and a holiday park vibe.
Medemblik, stable wind, but busy with sunbathers in summer.
Veerse Meer in Zeeland, a calm lake with shallow areas.
Lauwersoog, only open in summer and only at incoming tide.
Brouwersdam lake side and the Zandmotor lagoon, the best of both worlds next to the sea.
The downside of lakes is gusty wind, because trees and buildings on the shore break it up. Read gusty winds and how to actually ride them before your first lake session. Most of these spots also have very little space to launch and land, so be careful!
Why is the Red Bull Megaloop in the Netherlands?
Because we get the storms. The Red Bull Megaloop is a big air contest where the only thing that counts is the megaloop, a huge kiteloop in storm wind. There is no fixed date. Red Bull sets a waiting period from late summer to November and only calls it on when a proper storm hits the coast. The 2025 edition in Noordwijk went off in Force 8 wind with three metre waves, after a two year wait.
It is also not a coincidence that so many top riders are Dutch. If you grow up kiting in cold, gusty storm wind, you get good fast. Ruben Lenten from Noordwijk won the King of the Air in 2005 and is the name most people link to the megaloop. Kevin Langeree won the King of the Air three times, and his sister Jalou Langeree is a three time GKA Kite Surf World Champion. The new generation is just as loud. Zara Hoogenraad became the first woman ever to win the Megaloop in 2025, Cohan van Dijk took third in the men’s, and Giel Vlugt was named GKA Male Rider of the Year. Add Pippa van Iersel, Stijn Mul, and the SpaceX Kitesurfing crew, Stig Hoefnagel with his amazing kite content and Olympic medallist Annelous Lammerts, and you have a lot of talent for a very small country.
Want to understand what these riders are actually doing up there? Start with downloops, kiteloops and heliloops.
Is the Netherlands worth it for kitesurfing?
Yes. You get a lot of wind, a lot of choice and a coast where you can almost always find a spot that works for the wind direction. The water is cold in winter, the sky is grey and the currents are real, but if you can ride a Dutch winter day, you can ride almost anywhere. And in summer you get mellow wind that is perfect for foiling.
If you are planning a trip, skip the busiest spots once in a while. Katwijk is waiting, and there is plenty of room.
Cold water, good wind
Dutch kitesurfing is not pretty postcard stuff. It is wet, windy and never guaranteed, and that is exactly why it is good. Watch the forecast, check the tide, respect the zones and bring more neoprene than you think you need. For warmer options when it is freezing here, see best kitesurfing spots by month.
xox Berito
Quick answers
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Brouwersdam is the most popular because it has a sea side and a lake side. Katwijk, Noordwijk and Scheveningen are great on the coast in west wind.
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All year. October to April brings strong, cold storm wind, and May to October brings lighter wind of around 12 to 25 knots.
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Yes, more than people think. It usually blows 12 to 25 knots, which is great for bigger kites and foiling.
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Southwest to northwest. East wind is offshore on the North Sea coast, so go to a lake.
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Yes, on flat water spots like the Zandmotor lagoon, Workum and the lake side of Brouwersdam, ideally with a school.
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A storm big air contest on the Dutch coast where riders are judged only on their megaloops. It only runs when a proper storm hits.