The feel of the place
The essentials before the detail
When to come
Sep to Mar
3 spots are in season then
Number = how many of the 4 spots are in season that month. 1 spot here names no season at all.
Windiest modelled month
March · 84% of days · Donkey Bay
The month the wind model rates highest; the season above is when riders and schools go.
days with three hours in a row at 12 kt or more, between 06:00 and 19:00 local, in March at Donkey Bay, the strongest month any spot here models
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
What it costs
budget to mid
restaurant meal Swakopmund ~N$150-300 plus ~10% tip
Schools
2
in the directory
Permits & rules
4 spots
with rules of their own for permits, zoning or the bathing season, on the spot cards
Where to ride
4 spots
lagoon, waves, small to medium waves on open Atlantic reef/ocean water
Levels across the spots
Good to know before you go 5
Walvis Bay Lagoon is Namibia's flat-water spot: sheltered water behind the Pelican Point sand-spit, a kite centre sitting on the lagoon with a large grass rigging area, onshore wind in front of it, waist-depth water much of the time, and a marked upwind area where beginners train.
Swakopmund Rivermouth is a wave spot at the Swakop River mouth on the southern edge of town, and very little has been written about kiting it.
Vineta Point is the ocean spot on the Atlantic side of Swakopmund, off the Vineta streets in the Erongo Region.
Donkey Bay is the kite name for Skeleton Bay, the long left-hand sandbar out past Pelican Point on the spit outside Walvis Bay.
Editor's brief
In detail on this page:Getting therePracticalBefore you book
2 in the directory
1 shop
ShopRentalTest centreSchool
Namibia's main kite operator, on the Esplanade in Walvis Bay opposite The Raft restaurant, founded in 2012 and run since 2020 by Andre and Anton; sells and rents kitesurf and windsurf gear across a wide brand list, stores customers' own equipment, and runs trips up and down the coast including to Swakopmund and Lüderitz.
The Esplanade, Walvis Bay
+264 81 416 4142namibiakite.com@namibiakite
As of 2026
| From | To | Km | Time | Price | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windhoek | Walvis Bay | — | — | N$110 by shared minibus (price undated, treat as indicative only, likely stale) | shared minibus |
| Intercape/Econolux scheduled coach also runs this route; TransNamib runs an overnight train from Windhoek daily except Saturday | |||||
| Swakopmund | Walvis Bay | 35 | ~20 min | N$25 by shared minibus (undated) | shared minibus / self-drive via B2 |
| Most kiters self-drive this leg since a car is needed anyway for the lagoon commute | |||||
Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.
Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →
8 recurring claims
The tag says how far the riders who mention it agree; the figure is how many mention it.
Walvis Bay has a real speed-sailing pedigree - Sailrocket's open-sea record and a 2006 nautical-mile kite record were set here
strong2 riders
Wind builds through the day - lighter in the morning, full power by lunchtime
strong1 rider
The lagoon is the easy win: shallow, mostly flat, and usable for lessons or freestyle, while the ocean outside is a different, rougher ride.
majority4 riders
People like the place more when they expect a raw desert-coast session than a polished kite resort.
majority3 riders
The kite center gets useful marks for practical support: gear, launch help, showers, and local wind updates matter here.
majority3 riders
Wildlife around the lagoon is part of the session memory, not just scenery on the drive in.
majority3 riders
A kitesurfing fatality in Namibia in 2014 (Walvis Bay area) sparked forum debate over whether reported wind conditions were unusually strong or fairly ordinary
mixed3 riders
Whether Walvis Bay is worth a dedicated kite trip (vs just Luderitz) is genuinely disputed among riders and local operators themselves
contested2 riders
Is Walvis Bay worth prioritizing over Lüderitz for a Namibia kite trip?
kiteforum.com - Kitesurfing forum
phpBB forum
recurring Namibia-themed threads from 2012 through 2025, including a notable 2014 fatality discussion
When is the best time to visit Walvis Bay?
Coastal fog is a near-daily feature that burns off to sun most days. Peak local crowds hit Swakopmund and Walvis Bay from mid-December to mid-January and around Easter, so book ahead for those windows.
What is the kiting like at Walvis Bay?
A local kite centre sits directly on the sheltered lagoon behind the Pelican Point sand-spit, with onshore wind and waist-depth water much of the time, making it one of southern Africa's best flat-water freestyle and big-air venues.
Do you need a car?
Yes, effectively - to shuttle between Swakopmund, where most riders stay, and the lagoon, and for day trips to Sandwich Harbour or Sossusvlei.
Where should you base yourself?
Staying right on the Walvis Bay lagoon-front gives zero-commute kiting, while Swakopmund, 35km away, is the region's real social and tourism hub with restaurants, bars and adventure activities.
Is the water warm?
No - it stays cold year-round regardless of the warm desert air, so a proper wetsuit is needed even in summer.
Scores out of 10, compared with other places. The data figure under each label is how much of this record that score had to work from, so a high score on thin data is a thin score.
A paler bar was scored from less than half of the record.
Things we could not verify. If you have ridden here, you can help.
Last updated: 4 September 2026
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