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Brouwersdam
Zeeland · Brouwersdam · Ouddorp / Scharendijke
also known as Kabbelaarsbank, Brouwersdam 2
Riding essentials
Season
Apr–Oct
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-25 kt
Character: synoptic
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
18.3 °C in summer
Hazards
26
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug May
Schools
7
named at this spot
From the airport
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
No daily cycle to plan around. The wind here comes with the passing weather system rather than a thermal, so it can be in at dawn, arrive at dusk, or hold for three days straight. Read the forecast, not the clock.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Bruinisseno page yet
- Veerse Meerno page yet
- Neeltje Jansno page yet
- Domburg
- Cadzandno page yet
- Sophiastrandno page yet
The spot
Direction and zones
- SW, W and NW work,
- N and NE push you onto the southern lake zone,
- and E/SE/S is offshore on one bank or the other whichever side you choose.
Rules and seasons
The wind
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
SW, W, NW, N; NE can work in some zones, while E/SE/S are often problematic or offshore depending on side of the dam.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
9-12m
Character
synoptic
Average strength
15-25
Typical strength
Direction decides the number. Southwest usually gives 15-25 kt on the north lake side and rides for all levels. West runs 18-28 kt on the north sea side and is an advanced day. Northwest at 20 kt and up turns the sea side into a wave spot. North and northeast push you onto the southern lake zone, where offshore effects matter. Summer under high pressure can sit at 10-20 kt or fall away entirely for a week.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · the wind series here holds no strength figure
No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, and whatever the series does hold is in the table below.
Measured at Stellendam / Haringvlietsluizen, ~14 km from the spot (2015-04-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)).
Every figure, month by monthWind from
| Month | Wind from |
|---|---|
| Jan | SW |
| Feb | SW |
| Mar | W |
| Apr | NW |
| May | NNW |
| Jun | WNW |
| Jul | WNW |
| Aug | W |
| Sep | SW |
| Oct | SSW |
| Nov | SW |
| Dec | SW |
How this was measuredmeasured · 2015-04-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)
What was recorded here is in the table above, but it holds no wind-strength figure for any month, so no season is drawn from it. The season is the one the spot record names.
A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. The direction is a column of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
Stellendam / Haringvlietsluizen · windfinder.com · 2015-04-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Yes, in the right zone.The northern Grevelingen zone is shallow and flat for roughly the first 100 m from shore before it drops away, which is where lessons and freestyle happen.At low tide the sea side uncovers a wide beach with shallow standing water, and at spring low it can go mirror-flat and ankle-to-knee deep over a big area.The southern lake zone and the sea side beyond the bar are deeper, and the foil launch drops into deep water straight away.
Tides
North Sea side is tidal: low tide exposes a very large beach and produces flatter shallow water; high tide brings shorebreak/waves and can reduce usable beach. Spring tide is reported as very shallow and mirror-flat in some conditions. Grevelingen/Kabbelaarsbank side is largely enclosed but still affected locally by the Brouwersdam sluice.
Temperature
18.3 °C summer · 6.3 °C winter
Wetsuit
A full wetsuit is normally needed: 4/3 mm is commonly recommended for April to September/early October, sometimes a shorty is enough in late July to September, and winter/early-season sessions call for 5/4 to 6/5 mm with boots/hood depending on wind chill.
Currents
Grevelingen side: effectively still, because the lake sits behind a controlled sluice. North Sea side: real tidal current, and at spring tide the flow along the dam and past the outlet sluice reaches 2-3 kt. The southern sea-side zone carries the strongest ebb.Never ride the sea side alone on an ebbing tide, and stay upwind and upstream of the outlet - it is a hard object with a current pointing at it.
Conditions
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
7 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
6 spots nearby
Rescue
VHF channel 16
Rescue — full text1 min read
Launch
Wide sand on both banks with as much rigging room as anyone needs inside the permitted zones. There is a dedicated foil launch with immediate deep water, where twin-tips are asked to stay out and start elsewhere. Paid parking on the dam runs about EUR 5-7 a day and fills by mid-morning on windy weekends, though some school and campsite launches have their own free parking. Toilets and showers at Port Zélande; food, drink, toilets, showers and a pump at the main spot.
Rules & access
1 min read
North shore designations
South shore zones
Permits and restrictions
Navigation hazards
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Pick your bank by wind direction: southwest and west work on the north side, northwest turns the sea side into waves, and east through south is offshore on one bank or the other.
- Read the signs and the buoys on the beach before you rig. Written accounts of what the yellow buoys mean contradict each other.
- Low tide on the sea side is the flat-water window; high tide brings shorebreak and takes the beach away.
- Keep well clear of the outlet sluice on ebb or spring tide, and do not take the sea side alone on an ebbing tide.
- Save 0900-0111 and VHF 16 next to 112. The Ouddorp lifeboat station is on call around the clock, but nobody is watching you in particular.
- Arrive early on a sunny windy weekend from May to September, bring warmer neoprene than the air suggests, and put footwear on for the shells and the stones on the lake side.
Getting there
Airport
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is the nearest airport to Ouddorp; Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is the larger international hub.
Route
Come by car with your gear, on the N57 and over the dam road. Public transport works and takes its time: a bus from Rotterdam, or a multi-leg train and bus run from Amsterdam.
Transfer
About 46 min by car from RTM to Ouddorp; about 88 min by car from Amsterdam to Brouwersdam.
Cost level
medium
Staying
On the dam itself there is Center Parcs Port Zelande, Landal Beach Resort Brouwersdam and the Zeil- & Surfcentrum Brouwersdam stays at Yart. Campsites such as De Hoge Blok sit behind it, and the holiday rentals are in Ouddorp, Scharendijke and Renesse.
No-wind days
Grevelingen is a diving lake, so a windless day goes on diving or snorkelling, sailing, SUP or a canoe. On the sand there is blokarting and landboarding. Otherwise cycling, seal spotting, the beach restaurants, Aqua Mundo and the Action Factory at Port Zelande, and a run into Renesse or the Zeeland towns.
Photos
FAQ
Is Brouwersdam suitable for beginners?
Yes, beginners can use the shallow official school zones with local instruction, while the tidal North Sea side and spring-tide current suit intermediate to advanced riders.
What is the wind like?
The best directions are SW through W to NW, with sessions commonly 15-25 knots; summer can also see windless spells under high pressure.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October give the best balance of wind and lower crowds; July-August works but is busier, and winter has stronger wind but needs cold-water gear.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
Yes, kiting is zone-controlled with signposted areas on the North Sea side, a 2026 municipal watersport-activities permit fee of EUR 298.25 for operators, and sections of Goeree-Overflakkee's beach where kitesurfing is banned outside designated gaps.
What hazards should riders know?
Strong tidal current near the Brouwersdam sluice, crowding on summer weekends, and shared beach space with kite buggies and blokarts are the main reported hazards.
The bigger pictureEverything about Brouwersdam
Last updated: August 2026