Map › Netherlands › Den Haag coast › Kijkduin
North Sea / Baltic Europe: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Baltics (Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia), Sweden, Norway · Den Haag coast · The Hague / Kijkduin
Kijkduin
also known as Zandmotor, Kijkduin - Zandmotor, De Zandmotor, Sand Motor
Nearby Scheveningen 5 km · Hoek van Holland 13 km · Oostvoornse Meer 20 km · Maasvlakte 2 – Slufter 24 km · Ouddorp 36 km · Zandvoort 39 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
15:00 · 18:00 · 19:00
October to March there is nothing to wait for: the wind is frontal and blows at any hour, night included. From May to September a sea breeze rides on top of it, building from late morning, steadiest between about 15:00 and 18:00, and easing after 19:00. Indicative, from a modelled hourly series for 2022-2025.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: October to March there is nothing to wait for: the wind is frontal and blows at any hour, night included. From May to September a sea breeze rides on top of it, building from late morning, steadiest between about 15:00 and 18:00, and easing after 19:00. Indicative, from a modelled hourly series for 2022-2025.
Typical strength
Most rideable days sit between 12 and 22 knots. Winter afternoons are the strongest window, averaging around 11 knots with roughly four hours in ten above 12 and one in eight above 18; from May to September the afternoon mean drops to about 9-10 knots and only about two hours in ten clear 12. Indicative: the anemometer that used to stand at Kijkduin no longer reports, and these are modelled 2022-2025 figures for the beach.
Also on record
12
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider, a 12 m covers the common 14-18 knot day, 9-10 m from 18 to 23, and 7-8 m when a front pushes past 25 in winter. Under 12 knots, which is most summer mornings, it is a 15 m or a foil or nothing.Indicative, matched to the local wind range rather than measured on the spot.
Direction to shore
NW, W, SW and NE are the safe wind directions for Kijkduin - Zandmotor.
Dominant direction
Westerly and southwesterly synoptic wind is the normal Dutch coastal setup, and the safe sector here is NW, W, SW and NE.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan74
- Feb81
- Mar60
- Apr, riders' month68
- May, riders' month60
- Jun, riders' month53
- Jul57
- Aug44
- Sep, riders' month44
- Oct, riders' month68
- Nov68
- Dec62
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- 15Jan6°
- 16Feb7°
- 13Mar8°
- 14Apr10°
- 12May14°
- 12Jun18°
- 12Jul20°
- 11Aug21°
- 11Sep20°
- 13Oct16°
- 14Nov11°
- 14Dec8°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 15.3 kt | SW | 5.4°C | 6.4°C |
| Feb | 81% | 16.4 kt | WSW | 6.9°C | 6.9°C |
| Mar | 60% | 12.7 kt | SW | 7.6°C | 7.9°C |
| Apr | 68% | 13.9 kt | SW | 9.4°C | 10.3°C |
| May | 60% | 11.6 kt | N | 13.5°C | 14.4°C |
| Jun | 53% | 11.7 kt | NNE | 16.7°C | 18.2°C |
| Jul | 57% | 12.3 kt | SW | 18°C | 19.6°C |
| Aug | 44% | 11.4 kt | SW | 18.9°C | 20.5°C |
| Sep | 44% | 11.3 kt | SSW | 16.6°C | 19.6°C |
| Oct | 68% | 12.9 kt | SSW | 13.4°C | 15.6°C |
| Nov | 68% | 13.9 kt | SSW | 8.5°C | 11.3°C |
| Dec | 62% | 14 kt | SW | 6°C | 7.7°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. 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.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
lagoon
Standing depth
Yes. Shallow flat water you can stand in over much of the lagoon, with knee-deep stretches.
Tides
The lagoon connects to the North Sea and grows or shrinks as water flows in and out. Pick the moment when the pool is full, at flood or high tide.
Temperature
18°C summer · 5°C winter
Wetsuit
North Sea water around Scheveningen/Kijkduin is commonly about 17-20 C in summer and about 4-6 C in winter, so a full wetsuit is normal most of the year; winter sessions need thick cold-water neoprene with boots/hood/gloves.
Currents
Current inside the lagoon is limited compared with the open coast. On the outside of the Zandmotor, facing the North Sea, there is surf, current and groynes.
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
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Scheveningen, 5 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
VHF channel 16
Launch
Sand launch and landing zone on the Zandmotor and Kijkduin beach, with plenty of room, and a dedicated kitesurfing area set up at the Zandmotor.
Space
large
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Aim for flood or high tide, when the lagoon is fuller, and ride outside peak hours.
- Check the webcam before you drive out; Rockanje and Oostvoorne are the alternatives when the lagoon is too busy.
- Do not drift out over the seaward edge unless you are ready for North Sea breakers, current and groynes.
- Give swimmers and beach guests a wide buffer in summer.
- Ask a school or a local rider about the lagoon on a first session, because its shape and access change over time.
- The wind here comes with depressions, not with sunshine. November to February is when it actually blows, and that is also when the water is 5 C.
- Read the warning signs on the walk out. Quicksand is marked, and the sand flats fill fast on a rising tide.
Getting there
Airport
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is the main international airport; Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is closer but smaller.
Route
By car, head for the Kijkduin side at Machiel Vrijenhoeklaan and walk through the dunes to the Zandmotor, about 8 minutes from that parking. From Den Haag Centraal, bus 24 reaches Kijkduin, and lines 24 and 26 are both listed for this spot.
Transfer
About 45-60 min by private transfer from Schiphol to the Scheveningen/The Hague coast in normal traffic; add local time for Kijkduin parking and the beach walk.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in Kijkduin, Loosduinen or Scheveningen and The Hague. Kijkduin is the most convenient for the walk out to the Zandmotor.
No-wind days
The Hague museums and restaurants, the Scheveningen boulevard and pier, beach walks at Kijkduin, cycling through the dunes, SUP or surf lessons when conditions suit, and day trips to Delft or Rotterdam.
Photos
FAQ
Is Kijkduin suitable for beginners?
Yes, local schools use the shallow, sheltered lagoon heavily for lessons since riders can stand in many places, though NKV warns beginners and advanced riders share the same compact area.
What is the wind like?
Safe directions are NW, W, SW and NE, described as often cleaner than inland wind because the spot sits on the open coast.
When is the best time to go?
The spot is open all year, with April to June and September to October commonly used and one local school teaching there from March to late October.
What hazards should riders know?
Crowding in the compact lagoon, breakers, current and groynes at the seaward edge of the Zandmotor, and summer swimmers are the main reported hazards.
Last updated: August 2026