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Zandvoort
North Holland · Zandvoort
also known as Zandvoort aan Zee
Riding essentials
Season
Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
Months riders and schools name
How windy
7 kt
Character: synoptic
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
waves
18 °C in summerLong sandy North Sea beach with small to medium surf
Hazards
11
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug
Schools
7
named at this spot
From the airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
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.
- Bloemendaal aan Zeeno page yet
- IJmuiden
- Wijk aan Zee / Noordpier
- Noordwijk aan Zeeno page yet
- Katwijk aan Zeeno page yet
The spot
Tidal current and corridors
Facilities and skill levels
The wind
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
WSW is the annual dominant at the nearest station. The riding window runs clockwise from about 210 degrees (SSW) through west and north to about 020 degrees (NNE), with SW, W, WNW and NW the everyday winds.
Character
synoptic
Typical strength
7 kt annual average wind speed and 12 kt average gusts at the nearest station (Zandvoort aan Zee), based on observations from 2009-12-01 to 2026-07-31; this is station climatology, not a kiteable-wind average.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · the wind series here holds no strength figure
No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, and whatever the series does hold is in the table below.
Measured at Zandvoort aan Zee (2009-12-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)).
Every figure, month by monthWind from
| Month | Wind from |
|---|---|
| Jan | WSW |
| Feb | SW |
| Mar | WSW |
| Apr | WNW |
| May | NW |
| Jun | W |
| Jul | WNW |
| Aug | W |
| Sep | WSW |
| Oct | WSW |
| Nov | WSW |
| Dec | SW |
How this was measuredmeasured · 2009-12-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)
What was recorded here is in the table above, but it holds no wind-strength figure for any month, so no season is drawn from it. The season is the one the spot record names.
The direction is a column of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
Zandvoort aan Zee · windfinder.com · 2009-12-01 to 2026-07-31 (observation window; not continuous)
The water
Type
waves
Standing depth
No. The official depth rating for Zandvoort is deep, and that is how it rides.
Tides
Semidiurnal North Sea tide, read off IJmuiden about 7 miles north. The working rule is to have wind and tide running against each other: with wind from the north start on low water, with wind from the south start on high water, because the current then sets south. A competing rule of thumb is simply high and falling water.The beach itself narrows around high tide.
Temperature
18 °C summer · 6 °C winter
Wetsuit
Wetsuit conditions all year. Mid-August takes a sealed 3/2 mm; late February takes 6/5/4 mm or 5/4 mm with gloves, 5 mm booties and a hood.
Currents
Tidal current is significant and it reverses: north on the flood, south on the ebb.Rip channels form between the sandbanks and show up as gaps in the breaking waves.Start as far upwind inside the zone as you can and work out the drift before you launch, because the legal riding corridor is only a few hundred metres wide.
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
7 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
5 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Official launchesSandy launches in six numbered official fast-watersport passages/zones:paal 63.10-63.30 at the Helios/Kampeergenoegen border,64.20-64.40 at the Amsterdam/Voorwaarts border,64.85-65.00 at The Spot,66.90-67.10 at Watersport Vereniging Zandvoort,67.50-67.80 south of Havana aan Zee,and 68.20-68.40 on Zuiderstrand.Easy accessThe two easiest to find are the ones beside the rescue-brigade posts, north at The Spot and south at the watersport association.Road accessRoad access for the central zones is via beach exit Barnaart 23a, where parking is paid. Outside the summer season non-motorized watersports are less restricted, but the year-round 150 m offshore rule still applies outside the zones.
Rules & access
1 min read
Year-round restrictions
Notifications and access
Parking
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
- Start as far upwind inside the zone as you can, so the tidal current does not drag you out of the legal corridor.
- Set the session against the tide: north wind on low water, south wind on high water, so wind and current oppose each other.
- Between 15 April and 1 October use the signed passages, and do not cut across a swim zone to reach the water.
- Write a phone number on your board. Boards get lost here and this is the standing local advice.
- If you cannot find a zone marker, head for one of the two rescue-brigade posts. The north and south zones sit right beside them.
- Expect paid parking, 10:00-22:00 in summer and 10:00-20:00 in winter, and consider the train instead: the nearest kite spot is a 10-15 minute walk from Zandvoort aan Zee station.
- On a hot windy summer day, give swimmers a wide margin and stay out of the crowded shorebreak corridor.
- Read the tide off IJmuiden, about 7 miles north, and remember the beach narrows around high water.
Getting there
Airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Route
By train, take services toward Zandvoort aan Zee, usually changing at Amsterdam Sloterdijk or Haarlem if you start at Schiphol. From Amsterdam Centraal trains run twice hourly via Sloterdijk and Haarlem, and four times hourly in summer.From the station the closest kite spot is a 10-15 minute walk.By car, come via Haarlem and follow the Zandvoort signs; beach parking is paid in much of the town.
Transfer
42-59 minutes by train from Schiphol depending on connection; about 30 minutes by direct train from Amsterdam Centraal; about 28 minutes by taxi from Schiphol in light traffic.
Cost level
medium-high
Staying
Beach hotels, apartments, holiday parks and beach cottages are available in Zandvoort; nearby Haarlem and Amsterdam are practical alternatives with rail access.
No-wind days
Surfing, SUP, beach clubs, walking and cycling in the dunes, Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, Circuit Zandvoort, MTB route around the circuit, Aqua Mundo, Racesquare Zandvoort, Billies Sauna, Escape World, Haarlem and Amsterdam day trips.
Photos
FAQ
Is Zandvoort suitable for beginners?
No, NKV marks the level as advanced and specifically warns beginners about the tidal current, though schools do offer lessons.
What is the wind like at Zandvoort?
Safe directions are N, NW, W and SW, generally steadiest in frontal westerly to southwesterly systems; March-May and September-November are the stronger practical windows.
What is the current like at Zandvoort?
Tidal current can be significant, running north on the incoming tide and south on the outgoing tide, so NKV advises starting as far upwind as possible.
Are there rules or zones at Zandvoort?
From 15 April to 1 October, launching is only allowed through six numbered fast-watersport passages; year-round, riding is limited to the watersport zone or 150 m offshore outside swim areas.
Are there kite schools at Zandvoort?
Yes, including The Spot Watersportcentrum, Moana Kitesurfschool and North Sea Kitesurfschool.
The bigger pictureEverything about Zandvoort
Last updated: August 2026