Continent |
Europe |
Country |
Sweden |
Next Big City |
Visby, Gotland |
Next Town |
Klintehamn |
|
Type: |
Ocean |
Rider Ability: |
Beginner, Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Parking |
Water
Type: |
Shallow, Flat, Chop |
Hazards: |
Rocks |
Quality: |
Clean |
Best Tide: |
Tide independent |
Shallow in a big part of the bay, very flat from S to W winds. Bottom is sandy with some seaweed further out and some spread out big rocks in the water on the north side of the bay. The spot is not very big, more than 5-7 riders and some have to move further out so it doesn't get crowded.
Beach
Type: |
Grass, Sand, Pebbles |
Size: |
Small |
Hazards: |
None |
Beach Users: |
June, July, August |
About 100m of sand, the rest of the beach is pebbles or grass. There's a big grass field behind the beach which is suitable for setup and launching. The beach gets very crowded in the summer if the weather is nice, mostly families with little children. When this is the case, walk out on the pebble "peninsulas" south of the beach before entering the water.
Weather
Spring:
|
Normal |
Summer:
|
Shorty, Normal |
Fall:
|
Normal |
Winter:
|
Thick |
Water in April is 5-10°C and during the summer it gets above 20°C. Drysuit to shorty depending on the season. Off-season possible with drysuit.
Wind
Best Months: |
No information |
Wind Type: |
Frontal |
Best Direction: |
S, SSW, SW |
Main Direction: |
S, SSW, SW, WSW, W |
Winds are dependent on the weather systems moving in over Europe, no predictable trades or sea breeze. Best direction is S to SW. See the map provided, it is also possible to ride on the south side of Kovik so the "onshore/offshore" directions can pretty much be neglected, just avoid easterly winds.
How to get there
Transport |
Car |
Access
|
Medium walk |
To Gotland by ferry or air, arrive in Visby. Drive 30km south along the coast, a few kilometers before Klintehamn turn right at the sign "Kovik". Park at the parking lot and walk the last 300m to the beach. Absolutely NO parking allowed down at the village, leave your vehicle in the designated parking lot.
Extra information
Kovik is an old fisherman's village which is restored and maintained by volunteers as a museum. Take extra care not to irritate these people, they are not yet fully accustomed to our colorful toys and the amount of equipment we bring on a good day! So keep it clean and don't spread your gear all over the place. Give all other beach users "right of way" or they will likely complain with the group that runs the museum, it's a small place where everyone knows everyone.
Nightlife