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Donkey Bay
Erongo Region · Lüderitz · Walvis Bay
also known as Skeleton Bay, The Donkey
Riding essentials
Season
Aug–Apr
Months riders and schools name
How windy
17-35 knots
Character: thermal
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
waves
20 °C in summerOpen-ocean sand-bottom left-hand point, known for very long, fast, barrelling sections
Hazards
18
Reported by riders
Level
Advanced only
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep
Schools
1
named at this spot
From the airport
Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB/Rooikop)
no transfer time published
On the clock
14:00
Mornings are generally lighter around Walvis Bay and the wind fills by lunch or early afternoon; the local thermal often starts around 14:00.
The mark is the clock time the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The fade after it is not an end time, and not a promise of wind.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Lüderitz Second Lagoon / Speed Spot
- Walvis Bay Speed Stripno page yet
- Paaltjiesno page yet
- Pelican Pointno page yet
- Gunsno page yet
- Swakopmundno page yet
The spot
Conditions and difficulty
Getting there
Safety and rescue
Best swell window
Alternatives
The wind
locals call it Benguela-current thermal south/southwest coastal wind
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-off
Dominant direction
S to SW for kiting; E/NE is the clean offshore wind for surfing.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Small. For 75-85 kg, a 7 m covers the lighter end near 20 knots and a 5 m is the working size once it is over 30; nothing above 9 m belongs in the car. Derived from the wind range rather than from a local quiver, and no rider has published what they actually carry here.
Character
Average strength
25-40
Typical strength
Donkey Bay can reach about 45 knots; nearby Walvis Bay Lagoon peak-season guidance is roughly 17-35 knots.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month58
- Feb, riders' month65
- Mar, riders' month84
- Apr, riders' month60
- May50
- Jun48
- Jul66
- Aug, riders' month48
- Sep, riders' month75
- Oct, riders' month65
- Nov, riders' month48
- Dec, riders' month65
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 58%Jan14°
- 65%Feb14°
- 84%Mar14°
- 60%Apr13°
- 50%May13°
- 48%Jun13°
- 66%Jul12°
- 48%Aug12°
- 75%Sep11°
- 65%Oct12°
- 48%Nov13°
- 65%Dec13°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | 71% | 68% | 14.7 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 19.4 °C | 14.1 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 65% | 81% | 74% | 15.2 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 19.5 °C | 13.9 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 84% | 94% | 94% | 16.6 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 18.7 °C | 13.9 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 60% | 78% | 68% | 15 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 17.3 °C | 13.2 °C | 60 |
| May | 50% | 79% | 69% | 13.7 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 16.1 °C | 12.5 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 48% | 68% | 60% | 13.3 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 16.1 °C | 12.9 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 66% | 81% | 79% | 15.2 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 14.1 °C | 12 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 48% | 77% | 63% | 14.5 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 13.9 °C | 11.7 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 75% | 85% | 80% | 17.4 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 14.2 °C | 11 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 65% | 77% | 74% | 15.4 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 16.3 °C | 12.3 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 48% | 72% | 60% | 14 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 17.3 °C | 13.1 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 65% | 77% | 71% | 15 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 18.5 °C | 12.5 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
waves
Standing depth
The point is a sandbank, and the barrel sections drain over water shallow enough to stand in at the lower tides.Treat that as a hazard rather than a rest: the current runs down the point at roughly 20 km/h, the water is brown and opaque so you cannot read the bank under you, and off the bank the bottom falls away into open Atlantic.No wading distance has been measured for kiting.
Tides
The wave works on low, mid and high tide, and strong tidal rips are reported on the same coast. No kite-specific safe tide window is published.
Temperature
20 °C summer · 14 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 11–14 °C
Wetsuit
Full wetsuit year-round: 3/2 in Dec-Apr, 4/3 plus boots in winter.
Currents
Cold Benguela-current coast with strong tidal rips and a powerful longshore/current setup around the sand spit.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners herenot for intermediates here
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
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
3 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Remote sandy beach on the sand spit near Pelican Point. You need a 4x4 and, the first time, someone who drives it regularly; guided trips and downwinders reach Skeleton (Donkey) Bay from the Walvis Bay and Paaltjies side.
Rules & access
1 min read
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
- Read the forecast for Walvis Bay, Pelican Point and Skeleton Bay swell, never the Lüderitz one.
- Talk to the Walvis Bay kite centre or another local before you drive out, and take a guide the first time.
- Carry small kites, a full wetsuit, repair gear, water, a way to call for help and a self-rescue plan.
- Line the trip up when southwest groundswell and wind arrive together; the peak wind months and the peak swell months do not match.
- Stay on legal designated vehicle routes, and do not drive back up to the peak: that is the local etiquette.
- Budget the walk into the session: the current pushes you down the point fast and the way back is 2 km of soft sand on foot.
Getting there
Airport
Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB/Rooikop)
Route
Fly into Walvis Bay on a regional connection, base yourself in town, then go out along the Pelican Point and Skeleton Bay spit with an experienced 4x4 driver. Donkey Bay is also a stop on some guided Walvis Bay, Pelican Point and Sandwich Harbour routes and on the local kite centre's coast trips.
Cost level
medium-high
Staying
Base in Walvis Bay for the services. Very basic lodging or camping near the wave gets mentioned but is unconfirmed, and there is no kitesurfer accommodation at Donkey Bay itself.
No-wind days
Around Walvis Bay: seal kayaking at Pelican Point, marine cruises, flamingos on the lagoon, the pink salt pans, Dune 7, Sandwich Harbour 4x4 tours, a day up in Swakopmund. Example prices: N$1250 pp (2026-2027) for the kayak-with-seals trip, N$2700 pp (2026-2027) for a half-day Sandwich Harbour dune tour.
Photos
FAQ
Is Donkey Bay suitable for beginners?
No, it is expert-only: cross-offshore wind, remote access, strong rips and no dedicated rescue mean only advanced wave riders should go, with Walvis Bay Lagoon recommended for beginners instead.
What is the wind like at Donkey Bay?
Wind is a strong Benguela-current thermal blowing cross-offshore at typically 25-40 knots and sometimes up to about 45 knots, generally lighter in the morning and filling by afternoon.
When is the best time to kite Donkey Bay?
The kite season runs roughly August through April, with the strongest wind around September and October, while the best wave swell arrives more in the Southern Hemisphere winter.
How do you get to Donkey Bay?
Access is by 4x4 across deep sand along the Pelican Point/Skeleton Bay spit, and a local guide is strongly recommended because of remoteness and shifting sandbanks.
What hazards should riders know about?
Strong tidal rips, fast barreling waves, cold Atlantic water, deep sand for vehicles, and no dedicated rescue service make a buddy system and self-rescue skills essential.
The bigger pictureEverything about Walvis Bay
Last updated: August 2026