We have explored these spots for you:
- Kabbeelaarsbank
- German Bight
- De Punt
- Perry's
- Herkingen
- Grevelingendam (Ascender spot)
(Click here for the spot description)
Wf you look at studies on global warming, you quickly realise that our friends from the Netherlands could soon have an even harder time. More than a third of the country is already below sea level. Nevertheless, there is no sense of panic - perhaps because people in the Netherlands have always had to cope with the forces of nature and in some cases have had to labouriously wrest their "home" from nature and the sea. And no country has more experience in protecting a people-friendly habitat from the sea. The fact that the previous protective measures have also created large, tamed water areas between the dams is a great benefit to us windsurfers in the Zeeland and South Holland region.
Around 17.5 million people live in the Netherlands on 41,500 km². This makes the Netherlands the most densely populated country in the EU. However, the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee (South Holland) and Schouwen-Duiveland (Zeeland), where the spots in this shallow water guide are located, are rather sparsely populated. The Grevelinger Meer lies between the two islands, which belong to different provinces - Zeeland and Zuid-Holland. On the west side, facing the North Sea, the Grevelingen Sea is closed off by the Brouwersdam and on the east side, facing the Oosterschelde, by the Grevelingendam.
Alternative to the German north
I have been able to call Holland my home for eight years now and I have not regretted the decision to move here - and not to the coast of northern Germany - for a second. The Netherlands offers a great alternative, especially for young, ambitious windsurfers who are looking to study - with renowned universities and a considerable wind yield. Not only the endless sandy beaches along the coast from North to South Holland, but also the inland landscape near Zeeland has its charm and makes the windsurfing hearts of all flat water fans beat faster. From casual freeriders to ambitious freestyle or speed pilots - there really is something for everyone here. Just come and see for yourself!
Spot info
Journey
The best way to reach the Netherlands as a windsurfer is by car. Coming from the Rhineland, many will be familiar with the route Venlo (A40) - Eindhoven - Tilburg - Breda and this is usually the fastest route to the Dutch coast. But watch out! Speed cameras are merciless here. Most speed cameras shoot from behind and only the licence plate number is read. There is no picture, which means that many a trip to Holland can be a disaster, as you don't know when you are going to be flashed. The speed limit is 100 km/h during the day from 6am to 7pm and 130 km/h between 7pm and 6am. The Netherlands can also be reached by plane - the best airports are Amsterdam-Schiphol and Eindhoven (with very good Ryanair and Transavia connections).
Living and camping
The Netherlands has a lot to offer campers, with numerous campsites and pitches on almost every street corner. The hotspots and best-located campsites are in Scharendijke, Renesse, Brouwershaven, Ouddorp and Ellemeet. A good address is Camping Brouwersdam. Wild camping in the Netherlands is penalised with up to 500 euros per person. I can really only recommend that you go to a pitch, as the police are merciless here.
Food
Holland only has limited culinary highlights to offer. The cuisine is characterised by fried food and so the Frikandel Special with "Patatje Oorlog" is a must on a real trip to Holland. Of course, this is quality meat from happy, free-range pigs, paired with fries covered in mayonnaise and peanut butter sauce (pinda). Sounds perverse - but unfortunately it's awesome. For vegetarians and vegans, the whole thing is of course also available in a "vegetable" version - also a tasty treat. "Eet Smakelijk!" After eight years in Holland, I have to conclude that the Netherlands has no real culinary highlights to offer. Of course you can find good places to eat, but generally speaking, the country is not known for its cuisine. A hot tip: The snack bars that have been open the longest are "DIDI" and "'t Hoekje" in Ouddorp.
Surf schools and shops
Almost every windsurfer knows the "Brouwersdam Surf Centre"It is the most famous surf school far and wide and one of the largest in the world. Another great shop is from my friend Nick van Ingen (ex-PWA pro) and his girlfriend Marika, who run a small shop in Brouwershaven called "Moanasix" have opened. In Renesse there is another windsurfing shop called "Jonker Funsports". In general, there are of course other shops on Brouwersdam, such as Natural High, but these are exclusively dedicated to kiting, surfing and wing-foiling and are therefore perhaps less interesting for us stand-up sailors.
Weather, wind, tides & neo recommendation
As almost everywhere in Northern Europe, low-pressure areas from westerly directions provide the best and strongest wind here. However, there are generally suitable spots for all wind directions and you can sometimes catch beautiful surfing days even with high pressure. For example, during easterly wind phases in spring, or when thermals from the north to north-east squeeze through the English Channel on warm summer evenings. A good wetsuit of around three to five millimetres (depending on the time of year) is a must in Holland. You can probably count the days for the shorty on two hands. North and east winds - except in the height of summer - can also quickly cause an acute risk of sharking. From the end of November to April, it's generally uncomfortable and if you go out on the water, it's best to wear full winter gear.
In spring, the shallow water in the Grevelingen Sea warms up quickly and the water temperatures can often be noticeably more pleasant than on the open sea. Shoes are a must, especially in the Grevelingen Sea, as there are many oysters here, which spoil the holidays of hundreds of surfing tourists every year. Watch out, these things are sharp!
There is little to do with tides in the Grevelingenmeer, as there are several locks here that keep the water supply constant; only in winter can the water level drop by a few centimetres, which is not a problem at almost all spots. On the North Sea, on the other hand, there is a tidal range of up to four metres between high and low tide. In general, the spots on the North Sea are also rideable at all tides, but there can be small differences in spot quality depending on the water level.
You can find out more in the spot descriptions. There are no breaking waves and no shore break on the North Sea side of the Brouwersdam. As a sandbank around five kilometres off the coast absorbs the waves, this is a very moderate North Sea spot. Only a slight current can develop when the water is running out.
Alternative programme
There are various cycle routes along the dams, which are rewarded with beautiful dune landscapes along the North Sea. There is a small mountain bike park in Westenschouwen (pros: don't expect too much). If you would like to do a little yoga, the "Yoga studio Ouddorp" at Bellatrix and can even do beach yoga on the beach in summer (recommended: Sunday morning yoga on the beach at Natural High at 10.00 am). For real cycling fans, there is also the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships on the Ossterschelde dam in Zeeland, which takes place once a year from wind force nine. Worth seeing! Day trips to Rotterdam (45 minutes) and Amsterdam (110 minutes) are also a great option. Be careful with campers when parking here, as the charges are exorbitantly high.
Good to know
The Netherlands is a very safe destination, has excellent infrastructure and is home to Europe's largest harbour in Rotterdam. The country is also very family-friendly with its numerous entertainment options for children. Top bonus: The island of Goeree-Overflakkee has the most hours of sunshine in the whole country!
The best surf spots on Brouwersdam and the surrounding area
1. choppy hair bench
The Kabbelaarsbank on the inland side of the Brouwersdam is one of the most famous windsurfing spots in Europe. Numerous professional careers have been forged here. The surf centre is a real all-rounder and probably the best-equipped surf centre in Holland. The centre offers the perfect combination of beginner courses and hot chocolate with cream for young and old. The spot is also a real all-rounder: winds from the west are the most constant, but actually any wind direction makes freeriders' hearts beat faster. Depending on the wind direction, you can park around the entire bay and thus always find an entry point where the wind arrives more or less unhindered. Parking is now free and there are many beautiful spots right by the water, with a green meadow for rigging, right in front of the car. However, neoprene shoes are a must, as there are numerous oysters at the bottom of the water.
Freestylers - including pros like Davy Scheffers - particularly like the small "shallow water pool" right next to the centre. When the wind is blowing from the west-south-west, you can work on your latest tricks in the mirror-smooth water directly behind the pier. However, the pool is also often used for beginners' lessons - then you have to slalom between the surfing students and that can be dangerous. The small entrance to the spot is well signposted coming from the N57.
2nd German Bight
Due to the density of German motorhomes crowding the roadside at the northern end of the dyke, the Dutch call this spot the "German Bay". At the north-eastern end of the dyke there is a basin bordered by stone embankments. At medium to high water levels, a clean shallow water slope forms behind the stones when the wind blows from the north-west. At low tide, the stone dam protrudes too high, so that it covers the wind - at high tide and with a lot of wind, the water sometimes spills over the stones and it gets choppy. So everything has to be just right here.
What's more: There is also a lot of kiting in the basin. But that's not a bad thing, because if it gets too crowded or the tide isn't right, you can simply sail in front of and next to the basin if the wind is blowing from south-west to north. You won't find pure flat water there, but rather bump & jump conditions. The Brouwersdam can be accessed by car from all sides. The Beach Club Natural High is signposted - the pool is about two kilometres north along the dam from there. The dam is very spacious overall and there is plenty of room - even for large motorhomes. You can simply pull over to the side of the road anywhere and go to the water.
3. de Punt
De Punt is very similar to the spot at the surf centre on the Kabbelaarsbank, only a little smaller and not quite as crowded. A nice beginner and intermediate spot with shallow water between the shore and the stone jetty running parallel to it. Experienced surfers often head further out of the bay onto the Grevelingenmeer. South to south-westerly winds come onshore here and nothing can happen - apart from a cut by sharp oysters! Bring wet shoes here too! As almost everywhere on the Grevelingenmeer, you can park directly at the spot. It's less than five metres from the car door to the water.
The spot is hidden behind a small wood, so winds from the north - compared to the Kabbelaarsbank - are clearly covered here. Parallel to the N57, a side road runs east along the water on the embankment, from which you can turn off over the railway tracks into the small wood to the signposted spot.
4th Perry's
Perry's spot is located at the southern end of the Brouwersdam: an alternative spot on the North Sea side if the "German Bay" gets too crowded and you are looking for a quieter spot. You can also park here directly on the dam at the spot. It's also a nice spot for non-surfing companions to watch the action, as you're slightly elevated and have a view of the entire spot. If you look a little to the south, you can see the beach café Perry's, after which this spot was named.
It's best here at low tide, as you have smooth water on the inside with northerly wind directions - on the outside there are small but fine chop-hop waves, which are also perfect for the odd spin loop: A nice mix of flat water and bump & jump. From the centrally located beach club Natural High, the spot is a good two kilometres along the dam to the south-west. It is easily recognisable by the two large concrete platforms. You can park on the more southerly of the two and stand right next to the spot. There is plenty of space here too.
5 Herkingen
The Herkingen spot is located in the eastern part of the Grevelinger Meer. Directly at Marina Herkingen, there is a 500 metre long, dead-straight, flat stone pier that juts into the water from the shore to the north, providing mirror-smooth water in combination with a constant wind. This attracts many speed riders as well as ambitious freestyle pilots in westerly winds.
Watch out: On the east side, i.e. the side where you surf in westerly winds, there are poles in the water that mark out the marina. These are large and hard to miss, but when it gets crowded and the speed riders are trying to set their records, they can be fatal if you suddenly have to take evasive manoeuvres.
What not so many people realise is that the spot works at least as well in an easterly wind, i.e. on the opposite side of the pier. There are no poles in the water here. You can park directly at the marina: from there it is a good 200 metres to the water. If the wind is blowing from the east, you can also park directly on the other side of the pier at the skate park and go into the water on the small beach. From the N215, it's a long drive across the countryside to the village of Herkingen - but the journey is worth it and is usually rewarded with a unique shallow water experience. If you enter "Marina Herkingen" in the sat nav, you will be taken directly to the spot.
6. Grevelingendam - promotion spot
We have reached the easternmost part of the Grevelinger Meer - where the Grevelingendam forms the end. From here, it's over half an hour's drive to the Brouwersdam, on the coast. If you come by car from North Rhine-Westphalia and go onto the water at the Grevelingendam rather than the Brouwersdam, you save half an hour's journey time. If the wind is blowing from the north, this is definitely worth considering, as the wind then blows evenly across the Grevelinger Meer, allowing you to perform your manoeuvres on a perfect flat water course behind the stone piers.
The piers always have small openings so that you can go straight out with one stroke and conjure up chop hops in the Dutch sky with a small choppy wave. In strong autumn storms, you can still venture out onto the water here with a small sail, as we are further inland and the wind is slowed down by the surrounding land masses.
In moderate, onshore northerly winds, beginners and intermediates should also feel very comfortable in the standing area behind the piers. Please note: There are occasionally some deeper spots in the basin at the openings. You can park directly at the spot (for a fee in summer) and the meadow that runs around the spot offers plenty of space to set up. Coming from the N59, the spot is very well signposted. In Google Maps, you can select "Surf Parking" as the destination.
