Spots in this article
Cold Hawaii" comfort zone! Here you know what you're going to get beforehand: plenty of wind, top waves in Klitmøller, Agger or Hanstholm and perfect flat water including a standing area at the fjord in Krik. And because there are usually lots of friends and the "who's who" of the North German scene at the start, a trip to the mussel reef was somehow always without alternative when the forecast was right.
The fact that a few years ago we Spots between Løkken and Hirtshals for a spot guide could not seriously shake our love for Klitti & Co. And so, even after countless trips to Denmark, there was still a large blank spot on our personal surfing map between "Cold Hawaii" and Løkken, around 100 kilometres further east - an unknown parallel world, so to speak.
The fact that the internet also remained silent was also not exactly conducive to trying something new, the risk of running out of space seemed too great. But when Denmark seemed to be bursting at the seams after the coronavirus lockdown and the start of the summer holidays, it was time to leave the "Cold Hawaii" comfort zone.
Excursion to the Shire
If you enter uncharted territory without knowing your way around, you can end up in the toilet - so perhaps it was a twist of fate that my mate and fellow tester Marius, together with his girlfriend Diana, showed the necessary composure to accompany me for this spot guide after a week of non-stop windsurfing. Coming from Hanstholm, we headed eastwards and first made two short stops on the northern Limfjord: Amtoft and Øsløs are two of the spots that are still somewhat well known: You can park directly at the spot free of charge and have endless space on the water, perfect for endless freeride sessions or a few freestyle tricks. Why were we alone on the water here on a windy, sunny Saturday in July? It's a mystery to us!
On the short way back to the coast, the landscape changes completely: the farmland becomes the Shire! In view of the green dune belts, gnarled conifers and the hilly relief, you expect to find a hobbit around every corner. Here, too, there are of course the typical Danish holiday home settlements, but places like Lild Strand or Thorup Strand have retained the charm of small fishing villages.
The Bulbjerg is one of Denmark's highlights
The conditions are perfect - we take to the water with 4-person sails, and even if the current is noticeable close to the shore and the waves in nearby Hanstholm are certainly a class above, none of us are sorry to have made the trip to Thorup Strand in view of the nice two-metre ramps and an XXL portion of fish'n chips for dessert.
Nevertheless, we are still drawn onwards, as we want to pay a visit to Bulbjerg: The 50 metre high limestone cliff marks the beginning of Jammer Bay and is certainly one of the scenic highlights in the north of Denmark. A spot check from above makes it clear that there are two spots here that appear to be surfable: a long sandy bay upwind with a big beach break and a reef plate a little further downwind, which seems to slide gently into the North Sea and sorts out the powerful swell. However, the fact that various rocks protrude from the water between the bay and the reef and that the current is already clearly visible from up here does not escape us either.
Almost as good as Hanstholm
The wind goes one better, 3.7 to 4.2 are the sails of choice. The first spot already has potential: if you leave the shore break and some rocks in the shore area behind you, you can shoot yourself into orbit over logo-high ramps. We also keep discovering clean faces to ride off and after the initial excitement has subsided, we take a ride down to the reef - of course with a good distance to the Skarreklit rock needle, which fell victim to an autumn storm here in 1978 and whose remains still make passable fin killers.
The great scenery and the fact that there are always good sets running over the reef that allow several turns to leeward make us overlook the fact that, realistically, Hanstholm is the cleaner and less complicated spot compared to Bulbjerg. On the other hand, we are completely alone here, while at the same time, 20 kilometres to the west in Hanstholm, 150 windsurfers are on the water at the same time.
The Limfjord is a real freeride paradise
At the end of the day, we can barely make it up the dune to the car park, we are so exhausted. The fact that everyone is "covered in vinegar" the next day has the positive side effect that I can convince my travelling companions to take a trip to the eastern shore of the Limfjord. At the end of the day, there was only one question on our minds: why is there hardly anyone on the water here? Whether Løgstør or Trend, the standing areas of these spots are endless, with sandbanks a few hundred metres out shielding the bays from the waves. You can park at the spot - without a parking meter or height restriction - and if you want, you can rent one of the nice holiday homes in the village or at a nearby campsite.
The wave spots Klitmøller and Hanstholm will remain the epicentre of the region in the future, and for good reason. But perhaps the following series of pictures and the detailed guide will persuade some of you to head out - out of your comfort zone and into the parallel world.
Western Jammer Bay and Limfjord - the windsurfing spots
1) Amtoft
Amtoft is a small village on the northern shore of the Limfjord. You can park free of charge at the small harbour. The best entry point is on the small sand and shingle beach to the right of the harbour; apart from a small standing area, it quickly gets deep here. South-westerly winds come sideshore from the right, but all directions from south (onshore) to north-east (sideshore from the left) are also possible. If the wind is blowing strongly onshore from the south, the wind can shovel a few small waves onto the beach, but if the wind is blowing from the west or east to northeast, the water remains quite smooth. Amtoft is a very nice spot with plenty of space for heating or freestyling. There is a nice sandy bay on the east side of the harbour, which offers a little more standing room. There is even a hose with fresh water on the shore to rinse off your equipment, toilets and a cheap pitch for legal overnight stays (from approx. 14 euros). There is a small supermarket in the immediate vicinity, so you can easily spend a few days here.
2) Øsløs
A few kilometres east of Amtoft is Øsløs, another beautiful shallow water spot. If you drive east along the main road 29, you can hardly miss the car park marked "Kitesurfing". Here, too, you can park directly at the spot free of charge and rig up on a meadow. The entrance is very shallow, the standing area stretches out for almost 200 metres, making Øsløs a good tip for intermediates too. Depending on the water level, however, you may have to walk out a bit to get enough water under your fin. There are sometimes a lot of kiters out here. Further out, you can expect deep water and typical fjord conditions with small chops and plenty of space. W to WNW offers very smooth water, as does wind from NE to OSO. Strong onshore winds from the south push short, steep fjord waves onto the offshore sandbank.
3) Bulbjerg Strand
Bulbjerg marks the beginning of Jammer Bay, which stretches in a north-easterly direction for 100 kilometres to Hirtshals. With its beautiful landscape of green dunes and rolling hills, the area is reminiscent of the Shire from Lord of the Rings. If you come in calm weather, you can park in the Bulbjerg car park and enjoy the beautiful view from the almost 50 metre high limestone cliff. Windsurfers can park not far to the west in a second car park directly behind the dunes. The passageway to the beach offers a view of the limestone cliff downwind - in view of some visible stones in the water, it is not a good place to start directly in front of the passageway. It is therefore advisable to run a little to windward with your equipment towards the village of Lild Strand. A westerly wind comes in here sideshore from the left, WNW slightly cross onshore. With moderate winds, the waves remain manageable, but still break quite powerfully onto a shallow sandbank. Above 25 knots it can get really rough - shorebreak on the shore, powerful breakers on the inner sandbank and fat jump ramps further out make the spot more of a playground for experts. The current also becomes noticeable! As we were told by the few locals who sometimes surf here, the spot can also be fun when the wind blows from the NE - then with sideshore from the right, a good beach break wave and the sandy bay downwind for landing.
4) Bulbjerg Reef
Directly in front of the Bulbjerg, an extensive limestone plate extends far into the water. In strong WNW winds, the wave builds up far out and then runs more or less sorted to leeward into the bay. Logo- to mast-high sets are not uncommon on stormy days, with several turns to leeward. However, the area between the reef and the rocky beach falls more into the "shark tank" category, it's pretty choppy here and the wind window is limited to winds from W to WNW. On the reef, however, the wave is quite clean - there are fat ramps for jumping and riding in equal measure. The way to the break is not for the faint-hearted: you park at the car park behind the dunes, from where you have to walk with your equipment directly along the foot of the rocky Bulbjerg to the lee side to the entry point. Alternatively, you can start upwind in the sandy bay and surf downwind to the reef. But be careful: the remains of the once 16 metre high Skarreklit rock needle, which collapsed in a storm in 1978, lie in the water directly in front of Bulbjerg. The spot is generally awe-inspiring, and shoes are no mistake due to the many stones in the water. All in all, the top spot Hanstholm is better - because it's easier to surf and has a cleaner wave. On the other hand, Bulbjerg has a better backdrop - and certainly no fishy odour.
5) Thorup Strand
To the east of Bulbjerg is Jammer Bay with its endless dunes and kilometres of beaches - one of which is Thorup Strand, where the charm of a small Danish fishing village merges with that of a cosy holiday resort. There are numerous holiday homes on site and a campsite not far to the east, in Klim Strand. You can park directly at the spot, and there are also toilets and a snack bar. Thorup Strand can be a nice alternative to the well-known spots when the wind blows from the WNW, coming sideshore from the left. You can enter upwind of the harbour or downwind, behind the small jetty. Directly in front of the "harbour" is a small platform in the water on a shoal, which is marked with buoys. The current is particularly noticeable in the immediate shore area and can get really strong during storms, but further out there are uncomplicated and quite clean ramps that are fun to jump - the conditions here are almost reminiscent of the Rømø spot in the south of Denmark. The wave gets quite big further out (>2 metres), but breaks quite moderately. After your work is done, you can eat the calories you've burnt in the "Fiskehus" right on the beach.
6) Løgstør
The mussel town of Løgstør is located less than 30 minutes from the wild North Sea beaches on the Limfjord. You can reach the small town of 4400 inhabitants via the Aggersund Bridge, the spot is directly in front of the Limfjord Museum ("Limfjordsmuseet"), where you can also park. You realise that Løgstør has the nickname "shell town" in Denmark when you enter the white beach for a spot check - it doesn't consist of sand, but of finely ground pieces of shell. Winds from the west are ideal, as they blow onshore here. However, because there is a long sandbank a few hundred metres off the shore, the spot remains closed off from larger waves and you can freeride to your heart's content, freestyle or use the huge standing area in the left-hand part of the bay to hone your basic manoeuvres. Keyword "standing area". Depending on the water level/wind direction, it can sometimes be too shallow for long fins in the left-hand part of the bay, so check the conditions carefully at the beginning. In the right-hand (northern) part of the bay, the water is also deep enough for long fins. Shoes are not a mistake, as there are some mussel beds in the otherwise sandy water. We visited the spot on a sunny, windy weekend in the middle of the holiday season - and we were alone! In view of the quality of the spot, this is actually unbelievable, especially as the town also has all the necessary infrastructure such as accommodation, a campsite, restaurants and shops. Even with winds from the north and south-west, it's easy to get on the water here; only easterly winds are unsuitable due to the hilly hinterland.
7) Rønbjerg
A little further south of Løgstør is Rønbjerg, which is primarily known for its large holiday centre. So if you want to stay close to the spot and can appreciate the charm of the centre, you can definitely set up home here. The spot itself is located to the right of the small harbour, where you can also park. Winds from SWW are ideal here, as Rønbjerg lies in the wave cover of the island of Livø, which is around five kilometres off the coast. The entrance is via a pebble beach with some larger stones, it gets deep quite quickly here. In SWW, there are only small chops, but when the wind shifts to WNW to N, there are also more swell waves that form a small "surf belt" in front of the beach. Intermediates should definitely head for Trend, Løgstør or Øsløs, but Rønbjerg can be a good spot for heating with long fins or foiling.
8) Trend
The trend goes to Trend! While we were mostly among ourselves at the other spots, Trend was almost full with ten windsurfers. However, they were spread out over a two-kilometre-long bay. As in Løgstør, an offshore sandbank shields the spot from larger waves so that you can ride kilometre-long strokes parallel to the shore, protected behind the sandbank. The water remains quite smooth, with the usual chop, and most of the bay is shallow. The short, steep fjord wave breaks over the sandbank in strong westerly winds, so if you want to gain your first experience of micro-surfing and don't use a fin that is too long, you can also let off steam here. In SW and NNW winds, Trend is also rideable, but the turns to the sandbank are then shorter. Offshore easterly winds are also still rideable, although of course not ideal, also because the water can then become very shallow and you have to run out a long way to get enough H2O under the fin. The main road 533 runs directly alongside the water, and there are several small car parks (with no height restrictions) directly on the road where you can rig up on grass in a relaxed manner. Residential and shopping facilities close to the spot round things off and make Trend an absolute tip for all flat water fans and intermediates.
Jammerbucht in Denmark - general information
Journey
The journey is comparable to that to "Cold Hawaii" and is made via a well-developed road network. From Hamburg, you can reach the Thorup and Bulbjerg spots in north-west Jutland in just under five hours. The spots on the east side of the Limfjord are even a little quicker.
Living & Camping
Although Denmark is a comparatively expensive holiday destination, living here is one of the cheaper things to do. This is also due to the fact that the range of cosy holiday homes is huge. The prices for holiday homes are highly seasonal - during the holiday season you pay between 600 and 1000 euros/week for a house for 4-6 people, depending on the facilities, and in the low season sometimes only half that price. Offers can be found mainly through the major providers such as Novasol ( www.novasol.de ), dansommer ( www.dansommer.de ), Dancenter ( www.dancenter.de ) or also www.dansk.de .
Denmark is also the promised land for camping fans - the pitches are usually of a good standard and are available in large numbers. Accordingly, you have no arguments with the police if you are caught wild camping. The fines for this are hefty (from 80 euros), so please respect the general ban on wild camping, don't leave any rubbish behind and use the official campsites!
Here is an overview of the campsites near the featured spots:
- Amtoft: www.amtofthavn.dk
- Bulbjerg
- Løgstør: www.logstor-camping.dk
- Øsløs: www.bygholmcamping.dk
- Thorup Strand: www.klimstrand.dk
- Trend: www.facebook.com/troldebakkencamping.dk
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations
The north of Denmark is also one of the windiest corners of Europe in the summer months - the frequency of crosswinds (>12 knots) fluctuates between 50 and 70 per cent throughout the year. The wave spots on the north coast come to life when low-pressure systems approach from the west. Small sails should always be packed, days with 30 knots and more are possible at any time. In spring (April-May), stable high pressure systems often establish themselves, bringing with them fresh temperatures, but also constant winds from easterly directions and sunshine. Summers are quite cool in the north of Denmark - daytime temperatures are usually between 16 and 20 degrees, with more than 25 degrees being rather rare. With water temperatures of 18 degrees, a 4/3 long-sleeved kayak should therefore also be in your luggage in summer. In spring and autumn, a warm 5/3 neo is essential, and shoes and a bonnet should also be packed.
Waves & Tides
In order for Thorup Strand and the Bulbjerg to be supplied with waves, winds from the west to north-west are required. The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves tend to be - anything from knee-high to mast-high is possible. Every now and then, however, a wind-independent swell from the North Atlantic also cheats its way to the coasts and provides great surfing or SUP conditions. The tides play a rather subordinate role, the tidal range is only a few decimetres.
Surf stations
You must bring your own surfing equipment here, as there are no surfing centres with equipment hire either at the North Sea spots or on the eastern Limfjord.
Shops
The nearest surf shop is in Klitmøller, at WestWind ( http://klitmoller.westwind.dk ) you can get replacement equipment and also hire surfers and SUP boards.
Alternative programme
The area between Bulbjerg and Trend on the Limfjord is quite tranquil. Party lovers are definitely in the wrong place here, but nature lovers are definitely not. The large dune landscapes and beaches invite you to go hiking or biking. If you have a surfer or SUP board with you, you can enjoy water sports almost every day, because even without wind there are often a few clean waves on the coast. Sightseers should pay a visit to Aalborg, around 60 kilometres away, with its beautiful old town, the Jomfru Ane Gade pub street and the Museum of Modern Art. And hot water? That's available in the family fun pool at Danland Vigsø.
Shady sides
The weather can be changeable and cool even in summer.
