Spot guides
Kitesurf & wingfoil spots in the Netherlands
Three spots, three very different days on the water. Rules included.
Last checked: October 2026
Brouwersdam
Shallow, flat North Sea water and a kitefoil zone. Wind SW to N.
Read the spot guide
IJmuiden
Waves and big air by the Zuidpier. Wind NW, W and S.
Read the spot guide
Workum
Fresh, shallow lake water to learn on. Wind SW, W and NW.
Read the spot guideThree spots, one map.
Tap a spot to jump to its guide.
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The wrong zone gets you fined. The wrong wind can cost you far more.
For each spot we checked where you may kite, which wind works and which rules apply, with the official sources.
How to pick your spot.
Start with the wind. Onshore or along the beach is safe; offshore means you stay on the beach.
North Sea
Tides, current and sometimes waves. Municipalities set kite zones, sometimes with seasonal rules.
Inland water
No tides, often shallow far out. Kiting only in designated areas, in daylight.
Nature
Many spots border protected nature. Stay inside the buoys and the spots stay open.
- Before every session, check the signs on the beach and the NKV (Dutch Kitesurf Association) spot page. Zones and temporary rules change.
Track your sessions at every spot.
One waterproof sensor under your wetsuit. €6,99 a month for founders, billed yearly, sensor included. Expected in Q4 2026.
Questions
Where are you allowed to kitesurf in the Netherlands?
Only where it is permitted. Along the North Sea, municipalities set kite zones, sometimes only outside the swimming season. On inland water such as the IJsselmeer and Grevelingenmeer, the Dutch inland navigation rules ban kiting outside designated areas. Start with the NKV spot map.
What is the difference between kiting on the sea and on inland water?
The sea brings tides, current and often waves, as at the Brouwersdam and in IJmuiden. Inland water such as the IJsselmeer at Workum is fresh, tide-free and often shallow far out, but busier and surrounded by protected nature.
Which spot is best for beginners?
Workum and the Brouwersdam both have long stretches of shallow water and are rated by the NKV as suitable from beginner level. Always take lessons at a certified kite school first.
Sources · Last checked October 2026
- NKV (Dutch Kitesurf Association): all kite spots in the Netherlands (map and list)
- NKV: spots where kitesurfing is only allowed part of the year (incl. IJmuiden Zone 2, Grevelingendam Noord)
- Staatscourant 2019, 67530: kite zone traffic decision quoting art. 9.05 of the Dutch inland navigation police rules (BPR, PDF)
- Toekomstbeeld Kitesurfen in het IJsselmeergebied (provinces, Rijkswaterstaat and NKV, 2021, PDF, Dutch)