Riding essentials
Season
no season named
Months riders and schools name
How windy
11-30 knots
Character: trade
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
waves
19–21 °C in summerDescriptions conflict
Hazards
5
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jul Aug
Schools
none named here
From the airport
Laayoune Hassan I Airport (EUN)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
Laayoune Plage has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Foum El Ouedalso a name for this spot
- El Marsano page yet
- Pointe de l'Or
- Dakhlano page yet
The spot
Beach and wind
Hazards
Conditions by season
The wind
locals call it Northeast trade wind
Direction
Direction to shore
side-shore for NNE/SSW
Dominant direction
NNE and SSW sideshore in some accounts, N to NE in others.
Character
trade
Average strength
20 knots is the reported average. A live reading of 14 kts NNE was showing at crawl time, on a page that also states no statistical weather data is available for the spot.
Typical strength
11-30 knots across broad strength bands, with a 20-knot average and stronger days to 28 knots.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan86
- Feb88
- Mar98
- Apr94
- May97
- Jun97
- Jul100
- Aug97
- Sep97
- Oct81
- Nov87
- Dec74
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
- 15 ktJan19°
- 16 ktFeb18°
- 18 ktMar18°
- 17 ktApr19°
- 18 ktMay18°
- 18 ktJun20°
- 20 ktJul18°
- 19 ktAug18°
- 17 ktSep19°
- 15 ktOct20°
- 15 ktNov20°
- 14 ktDec20°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | Wind from | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 15.1 kt | NE | 18.2 °C | 18.7 °C |
| Feb | 88% | 16.3 kt | NNE | 18.5 °C | 17.8 °C |
| Mar | 98% | 17.6 kt | NNE | 18.4 °C | 17.5 °C |
| Apr | 94% | 17.4 kt | N | 19.8 °C | 18.5 °C |
| May | 97% | 17.6 kt | N | 20.1 °C | 18.3 °C |
| Jun | 97% | 17.7 kt | N | 21.5 °C | 20.3 °C |
| Jul | 100% | 20.4 kt | NNE | 22.9 °C | 18.2 °C |
| Aug | 97% | 19.4 kt | NNE | 23.5 °C | 18.2 °C |
| Sep | 97% | 17.3 kt | NNE | 22.5 °C | 19.4 °C |
| Oct | 81% | 14.6 kt | NNE | 22.9 °C | 20.4 °C |
| Nov | 87% | 14.7 kt | NNE | 21.3 °C | 20.1 °C |
| Dec | 74% | 13.6 kt | E | 18.9 °C | 19.9 °C |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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
waves
Tides
No best tide is established. General tide and marine forecasts cover the coast, but nothing spot-specific.
Temperature
19–21 °C summer · 17 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 18–20 °C
Wetsuit
No wetsuit in summer; a shorty or a full suit may be wanted in winter. Foum El Oued water runs from about 17.1 °C in February to about 21.0 °C in October.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Long sandy Atlantic beach near Laayoune Plage/Foum El Oued, described as big and sandy; Foum El Oued beach extends for seven kilometers.
Rules & access
1 min read
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ask locally whether riders use the Laayoune Plage side or the Foum El Oued side, and which section keeps you clear of the swimmers and the mole.
- Carry serious sun protection; the sun is the hazard named for this coast.
- Do not count on a rescue boat unless you have arranged it with a local operator.
- Check the marine forecast and the tide yourself before you go; no spot-specific tide advice exists.
- Stay away from the mole in July and August, when Foum El Oued is a family bathing beach.
Getting there
Airport
Laayoune Hassan I Airport (EUN)
Route
Drive or fly to Laayoune and continue to Laayoune Plage. Foum el Oued beach is about 25 km and about 30 minutes from Laayoune airport, with taxi, private transfer or car rental as practical options.
Transfer
About 30 minutes from Laayoune Hassan I Airport to Foum el Oued beach.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Foum El Oued works as an established summer beach station with parking, sanitary blocks and basic services, and there are rooms to book in Foum El Oued and El Marsa. No kite-specific camp at the spot is confirmed.
No-wind days
Beach time at Foum El Oued, surfing, fishing from the beach, visiting Laayoune, Saharan culture and crafts, and desert/coast drives by rental car.
FAQ
Is Laayoune Plage suitable for beginners?
Level suitability is inconsistent, ranging from beginner-through-expert to intermediate-to-advanced, so check locally before your first session.
What is the wind like?
Wind is a consistent northeast trade flow, with a 20-knot average and stronger days up to 28 knots, though no formal long-term wind dataset exists for the spot.
What are the main hazards?
A long mole extending into the sea is the main water hazard, along with the remote coastline and minimal kite infrastructure.
Last updated: August 2026