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North Sea / Baltic Europe: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Baltics (Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia), Sweden, Norway · Wadden Islands
Schiermonnikoog
also known as Paal 3, Schiermonnikoog Noordzee Paal 3-5, West / Schiermonnikoog
Nearby Lauwersoog (Waddenzee) 9 km · Ameland (Hollum / Noordzee) 32 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No daily thermal pattern and no measured onset. The wind arrives with the weather system and can blow at any hour, which is why autumn to spring holds the strongest days. What you time instead is the tide: the Paal 3 lagoon needs high water.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: No daily thermal pattern and no measured onset. The wind arrives with the weather system and can blow at any hour, which is why autumn to spring holds the strongest days. What you time instead is the tide: the Paal 3 lagoon needs high water.
Typical strength
15-25 knots is the range the spot works in. The island's year-round average sits nearer 14 knots, so the sessions here are the above-average days rather than the ordinary ones.
Also on record
About 13.7 kt year-round average is reported for Schiermonnikoog; no official long-term spot average was found.
The quiver, in words
No published local range, so this is indicative from the wind the spot is rated for. For 75-85 kg a 9 m and a 12 m cover the bulk of the 15-25 knot working range, with a 7 m for the top of it and a 12 m plus a big board or a foil for the days that sit near the 14-knot average.Winter kit is heavier and colder, which argues for the bigger of two sizes rather than the smaller.
Direction to shore
At Paal 3, west is side-onshore and south-west is side-shore; at Paal 5, north-east is side-onshore and east is side-shore.
Dominant direction
Usual winds at Schiermonnikoog West run SW through NW; N, NW, W, SW, E and NE are the listed safe directions for the Paal 3-5 coast.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month82
- Feb, riders' month82
- Mar, riders' month71
- Apr, riders' month74
- May, riders' month70
- Jun63
- Jul63
- Aug55
- Sep, riders' month53
- Oct, riders' month71
- Nov, riders' month77
- Dec78
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov.
- 17Jan5°
- 18Feb6°
- 14Mar7°
- 14Apr10°
- 12May15°
- 12Jun18°
- 13Jul20°
- 12Aug20°
- 12Sep19°
- 14Oct14°
- 15Nov10°
- 15Dec6°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 16.8 kt | SW | 5.1°C | 5.2°C |
| Feb | 82% | 17.6 kt | WSW | 6.4°C | 5.7°C |
| Mar | 71% | 13.5 kt | SW | 6.8°C | 6.8°C |
| Apr | 74% | 14.4 kt | ENE | 8.7°C | 9.8°C |
| May | 70% | 12.4 kt | NNE | 13.1°C | 15°C |
| Jun | 63% | 12.2 kt | NE | 15.8°C | 18.1°C |
| Jul | 63% | 12.9 kt | WSW | 17.4°C | 19.8°C |
| Aug | 55% | 11.8 kt | WSW | 18.4°C | 20.4°C |
| Sep | 53% | 11.9 kt | SW | 16.2°C | 19.1°C |
| Oct | 71% | 13.6 kt | S | 12.6°C | 14.1°C |
| Nov | 77% | 15.2 kt | SSW | 7.7°C | 9.9°C |
| Dec | 78% | 15.4 kt | SW | 5.4°C | 6°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 in the natural Paal 3 lagoon and sandbar area at a suitable tide, though the official water depth for the North Sea spot is classified as deep.
Tides
The second sandbank sits about 500 m offshore. High water builds the large lagoon at Paal 3 and is what a lesson needs; it also brings the better waves on the sea side. Low water leaves the water reasonably flat but uncovers the sandbanks, some of which dry out.
Temperature
19.2°C summer · 4.3°C winter
Wetsuit
Cold Wadden and North Sea island water: a 3/2 or 4/3 in summer depending on the day, a thick suit with boots, gloves and hood in winter. August water is reported around 19.2 C and February around 4.3 C.
Currents
Expect tidal current around the inlet and the sandbars. No source has quantified it at Paal 3, and the whole spot is shaped by tide and offshore banks.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Lauwersoog (Waddenzee), 9 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Legal riding runs along the North Sea activity beach from Badweg near Paal 3 to Paal 5 at Jacobspad, sand with plenty of room; the main kite spot is at Paal 3 at the end of Badweg.
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
- Ride only between Paal 3 and Paal 5 on the North Sea side; the Wadkant side of the island is closed to kites all year.
- Use Paal 3 for the lagoon and the flat water, and save De Marlijn for waves or for a planned east-wind downwinder.
- Sort gear transport before you board at Lauwersoog, because ordinary visitor cars stay on the mainland.
- Read the tide table first: the lagoon and the sandbanks decide what kind of session you get.
- Save the spot manager's number before you travel, and call 112 in an emergency, because nobody is watching the activity beach.
- Time the lagoon for high water; at low water the banks come out and parts of them dry.
- Bring a 9 and a 12. The spot works between 15 and 25 knots, and the island's ordinary day is lighter than that.
- Drop the kite when horses come past, riders or carts alike.
Getting there
Airport
Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ) or Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Route
Get to Lauwersoog, take the ferry to Schiermonnikoog, then bus, bicycle or walk to Badweg and Paal 3. The normal ferry takes about 45 minutes; the fast one takes 20 minutes and carries passengers only.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Village houses, holiday apartments and campsites on the island; no kite-specific lodging at Paal 3 is listed.
No-wind days
Cycling and walking in National Park Schiermonnikoog, North Sea beach walks, Wadden Sea/mudflat nature, village cafes and quiet car-free island touring.
Photos
FAQ
Is Schiermonnikoog suitable for beginners?
Yes, NKV labels the official Paal 3-5 spot Beginner, and the high-tide lagoon at Paal 3 is used for learning, though other sources call the same beach expert-level depending on tide.
What is the wind like at Schiermonnikoog?
It is exposed island synoptic wind with many usable directions (N, NW, W, SW, E and NE listed as safe), reported to average around 13.7 knots year-round.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
Kitesurfing is legal only on the activity beach between Paal 3 and Paal 5; the Wadden Sea side of the island is prohibited to kiting all year.
How do I get to the spot?
Riders travel via the Lauwersoog ferry, about 45 minutes to the car-free island, then continue by bus, bicycle or on foot to Badweg/Paal 3.
What is the tide like at Schiermonnikoog?
The spot is tide-formed: high tide typically brings good waves at the second sandbank about 500 m offshore, while low tide gives flatter water.
Last updated: August 2026