Ngor
Dakar Region · Dakar - Ngor/Yoff
also known as Ngor/Yoff, N'Gor, N'gor, Ile de Ngor, Ngor Island
Riding essentials
Season
Nov–May
Months riders and schools name
How windy
8-10 kt
Character: trade · onshore
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
27–29 °C in summer
Hazards
10
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Dec Jan Feb Mar
Schools
none named here
From the airport
Diagne International Airport (DSS)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
The spot
The terrain
Timing and skill
The wind
locals call it northerly to northwesterly Atlantic trade-wind flow
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider, 9-12 m covers almost everything: 12 m for the soft 12-15 kt days, 10-11 m at 15-20 kt, 9 m on the stronger December-May trade days. Nobody has published a local school quiver, so treat the bands as a starting point.
Character
trade
Average strength
8-10 kt monthly model averages; 9 kt annual observed average at nearby Dakar Airport
Typical strength
Unconfirmed for Ngor itself. The rideable season is December-May, and the nearest observations, at Dakar Airport, give a 9 kt annual average with gusts to 25 kt.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month66
- Feb, riders' month88
- Mar, riders' month84
- Apr, riders' month83
- May, riders' month76
- Jun42
- Jul26
- Aug40
- Sep23
- Oct26
- Nov, riders' month45
- Dec, riders' month47
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec.
- 66%Jan21°
- 88%Feb19°
- 84%Mar19°
- 83%Apr21°
- 76%May22°
- 42%Jun25°
- 26%Jul27°
- 40%Aug28°
- 23%Sep28°
- 26%Oct28°
- 45%Nov27°
- 47%Dec24°
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 | 66% | 89% | 81% | 13.8 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 21.7 °C | 21.1 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 88% | 100% | 93% | 16.7 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 21.1 °C | 19.4 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 84% | 95% | 92% | 15.5 kt | N | 13:00 | 21.7 °C | 19.4 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 83% | 90% | 87% | 15.9 kt | N | 14:00 | 21.7 °C | 20.6 °C | 60 |
| May | 76% | 89% | 82% | 14.9 kt | N | 16:00 | 23.3 °C | 22.2 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 42% | 70% | 55% | 12.6 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 26.1 °C | 25 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 26% | 56% | 45% | 11.5 kt | WNW | 13:00 | 27.2 °C | 27.2 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 40% | 60% | 50% | 11.9 kt | WNW | 13:00 | 27.8 °C | 27.8 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 23% | 50% | 35% | 11.5 kt | N | 13:00 | 27.8 °C | 28.3 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 26% | 44% | 35% | 11.1 kt | NW | 14:00 | 27.8 °C | 28.3 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 45% | 72% | 57% | 12.4 kt | N | 13:00 | 26.1 °C | 26.7 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 47% | 77% | 60% | 12.9 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 23.9 °C | 23.9 °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
mixed
Standing depth
Limited. This is open sea off a city beach, not a lagoon, so plan on swimming rather than standing.
Tides
Semi-diurnal, two highs and two lows a day, and the range is small: the reference tides at Grand Dakar 9 km away run from about 0.0-0.9 m at low water to about 0.9-1.4 m at high, so roughly 1.4 m at the biggest springs. That is still enough to matter here.Spring low water uncovers more of the rocky fringe at the edges of the bay and around the island, and mid to high water leaves the widest clean sand and the most clearance over rock.No kite-specific tide limit has been set for the beach, so judge it on the day.
Temperature
27–29 °C summer · 19–22 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 19–28 °C
Wetsuit
boardshorts or rash vest in the warm season; a spring suit or shorty is useful in the cool upwelling months, especially February-April when average sea temperatures are around 19–20 °C
Currents
Current runs through the channel between Ngor Beach and Ile de Ngor and can be strong. Treat the channel as a place you cross with height to spare, not a place to be downwind and slow.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners 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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
2 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Launch from Ngor Beach on the mainland side, facing Ile de Ngor.The sand is wide and the launch area is medium sized, but the riding area beyond it is very small, with rocks to the right and a lot of fishing boats to the left.Two launch beaches are used: Plage de Ngor left and Plage de Ngor right.
Rules & access
1 min read
- Be mindful of the local fishing community's boats and gear - this is a working beach as well as a kite spot
- Give way to surfers on the Ngor Rights and Ngor Left peaks: the breaks have priority and are ridden all year, and cutting through them is the fastest way to lose the spot.
- 2026: no kitesurf permit, launch fee or municipal launch zoning is known to apply at Ngor Beach. Access is informal and shared with fishers, swimmers, boat operators and surfers.
- Insurance that actually covers kitesurfing is your own problem here; there is no local body issuing cover or membership.
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
- Look at the beach at low tide, in daylight, before you launch; the rocks and reef around the island are the reason.
- Talk to the surfers and the pirogue operators first. They were working this beach before the kites arrived.
- Give the Ngor Rights and Left peaks a wide berth, because cutting the surf line is how a spot gets closed.
- Wear booties if there is any chance of landing or self-rescuing near rock.
- Cross the island channel with height in hand, never downwind and slow.
- Ride with someone who is watching, and agree what happens if one of you ends up downwind of the island; there is no rescue here.
Getting there
Airport
Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS)
Route
Ngor/Almadies is reached by road from DSS via Dakar, then by local street access to Ngor Beach. For the island itself, frequent pirogues and small boats leave from Ngor Beach.
Transfer
about 60-90 minutes by road from DSS to Ngor/Almadies depending on traffic; the airport-to-Dakar run is 47 km and up, plus city traffic
Cost level
medium
Staying
Guesthouses, hotels and restaurants line Ngor Beach and Almadies; La Cabane du Pecheur is on the beach itself.
No-wind days
surf Ngor Rights/Left or nearby Yoff/Le Virage, take the pirogue to Ile de Ngor, visit Dakar, Goree Island, Les Almadies restaurants, diving/snorkeling operators, or day trips such as Lac Rose and Somone Lagoon
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Ngor?
December to May is the practical Dakar kite season, though a windy-day metric rates most other months as good too.
Is Ngor suitable for beginners?
No, only experienced kiters are advised to use the small riding area because of rocks and fishing boats; intermediate to advanced riders get the most from it.
What is the wind like?
The dominant direction is NNW to NW, with the nearby Dakar Airport station showing a 9-knot annual average and gusts to 25 knots.
What are the main hazards?
Rocks fringing the bay and around Ngor Island, fishing pirogues and boat traffic, and strong currents between the mainland and the island.
Does water temperature vary?
Sea temperature drops to about 19-20°C during Dakar's cool upwelling season, February-April, so a spring suit or shorty is useful then.
The bigger pictureEverything about Dakar - Ngor/Yoff
Last updated: August 2026