Kites over the sea side of the dam. — Photo: Mathias Reichel

Airborne over the North Sea chop at the Schouwen end. — Photo: Mathias Reichel

The sea-side beach at the Schouwen end, near Ellemeet. — Photo: Fantaglobe11

A storm front rolling in over the sea-side beach. — Photo: Fredseigenkijksewereld

Sunset over the North Sea from the Brouwersdam beach. — Photo: Christian Reimer

Netherlands

Dec · 74% rideable

Brouwersdam

What it's actually like

Kiters get the North Sea side: wide sand, shallow water hundreds of metres out and safe winds from south-west round to north. Stay off the Grevelingen lake, where kitesurfing is banned, and be off the water between sunset and sunrise.

Six and a half kilometres of dam between two islands, the North Sea on one side and the Grevelingen on the other. The sea side is the kite beach: wide sand and shallow water a long way out. On a windy weekend the sky is so full of kites that you pick your gap before you launch. The lake side is salt water behind the dam, out of the swell, and it belongs to the windsurfers and the sailing school.

The wind on the dam is not just a summer thing: the rideable share holds steady all year, and no single month stands clear. So plenty of the proper hooning days land when the sea is at its coldest, about 5°C in February. You change behind the car with sand blowing off the dune path. Hood and boots go on before your fingers stop working, and the first run of the day warms you up quicker than any coffee.

The directions that work run from the south-west round through west to north. Anything from east round to south blows off the beach and out to sea, so stay on the sand. When it is right, the first kites go up and the whole beach is rigging. Then you are out, powered up over the chop. When a winter front comes through it can go from not much to nuking. Rig for the mean. Nobody on the dam thinks less of you for the smaller kite.

The kite beach is Brouwersdam 2, on the border of Zeeland and Zuid-Holland, in front of Natural High. Park on the dam, walk the dune path and you are on the sand. The water stays shallow for hundreds of metres, so crash, stand up, sort your lines and go again. De Ooster, about 5 km offshore, takes some of the rough sea out of it. The kitefoil launch zone, where the water is deep straight away, is for kitefoilers only. Keep twintips out of it.

Rules and safety. The Grevelingen decision bans kitesurfing on the whole lake all year except in the designated zone at the Grevelingendam. The bylaws ban kitesurfing and windsurfing between sunset and sunrise and in harbours, locks and their approaches. The Goeree-Overflakkee beach decision bans windsurfing between beach accesses 13a and 15. Its text bans kitesurfing from access 9 to the border, but its map allows it from access 15. Bollen van de Ooster is closed: a smaller part all year, a larger part from 1 November to 1 April. Follow the signs at the beach access.

Kites and wings share the sea side, so on a busy day keep your head moving and give the learners room. Winging out here is honest work: you pump through the lulls, then the next gust fills in, the foil lifts and everything goes quiet. Windsurfers have the lake side at the Zeil- en Surfcentrum. Kabbelaarsbank-oost, east of Port Zélande, is closed all year, so sail round it, not through it.

Summer is a different beach, and a gezellig one, which is Dutch for cosy and sociable. From May to September the schools are teaching and the holiday season is on. November to February is quiet, some schools close for the winter, and a winter sesh is you, the wind and a handful of riders in hoods and gloves. Bring your level card, because Natural High and KBC ask for it before they rent you kites.

Check the signs, check the forecast, and come in before the front does. When in doubt, size down. Tot straks, which is Dutch for see you later.

When it's good

Is it for you?

LevelBody dragger
Flat, shallow water for hundreds of metres: crash, stand up, sort your lines, go again.
WaterMillpond to small chop
Flat and shallow a long way out off the main beach, with chop further out.
LaunchBarefoot
Wide open sand with hundreds of metres of beach at low tide: room to rig.
WetsuitHood, gloves, flask
Sea about 7 °C in December: hood, gloves, boots, and a hot flask for after.
AprèsLights out at nine
No bar within 5 km, but 30 places to eat: early nights, early sessions.
Cost€120 a day, complete kite set
A complete kite set hires for €120 a day at Kiteschool Brouwersdam.

Where to launch

Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.

Launch
Hazard
Parking
School
Stay

Brouwersdam 2, sea side

North Sea beach on the border of Zeeland and Zuid-Holland, in front of Natural High and Kiteschool Brouwersdam.

For kite, wing. Directions: Google Maps · Apple Maps
Zeil- en Surfcentrum, lake side

Grevelingen side of the dam at the Zeil- en Surfcentrum Brouwersdam, Ossenhoek 1, Ouddorp, where the windsurf school teaches.

For windsurf. Directions: Google Maps · Apple Maps

Getting there

Nearest airportRotterdam The Hague (RTM). Rotterdam The Hague is about 46 km away in a straight line. Schiphol (AMS) and Brussels (BRU) are bigger hubs if flights are cheaper.
Getting aroundBy car on the N57. The road runs along the dam, with free parking at the spot and a bus stop at Port Zélande if you’d rather not drive.

Stay, learn and rent

Full details for every place are in the Pocket Guide.

Brouwersdam Stay

Rooms and beach lodges at the Zeil- en Surfcentrum on the Grevelingenmeer shore, open all year. Breakfast is included, you get 10 per cent off the centre’s water sports, and the lodges sit in the dunes by the water.

Book on Booking.com

Center Parcs Port Zélande

Holiday park between the Grevelingenmeer and the North Sea beach: cottages for two to twelve, apartments and lodge tents, with lake and sea both close.

Website

Resort Land & Zee

Hotel rooms, studios, holiday homes and a campsite behind the dunes at the Scharendijke end of the dam. About 150 m from the North Sea beach, with a restaurant.

Book on Booking.com

Book links to Booking.com and Agoda may earn WindChaser a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Pocket Guide

Brouwersdam, in your pocket

Everything you need on the beach in one PDF. Save it to your phone and it works with no signal.

01The month: wind, conditions and water02Every hazard, and the local rules03The launches, with maps04Getting there with kit05Stays, schools and kit hire06Where every score comes from

Brouwersdam

When it's good

Is it for you?

Where to launch

Brouwersdam 2, sea side

Zeil- en Surfcentrum, lake side

Getting there

Stay, learn and rent

Brouwersdam Stay

Center Parcs Port Zélande

Resort Land & Zee

Landal Beach Resort Brouwersdam

Camping Brouwersdam

Minicamping De Hoge Blok

Natural High

Kiteschool Brouwersdam

KBC Brouwersdam

Brouwersdam Surfschool

Natural High

Kiteschool Brouwersdam

KBC Brouwersdam

Brouwersdam, in your pocket

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