Continent |
Europe |
Country |
Belgium |
Next Big City |
Brussels |
Next Town |
Bredene, Oostende |
|
Type: |
Ocean |
Rider Ability: |
Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Shop, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking |
Water
Type: |
Chop, Small wave, Medium wave |
Hazards: |
Currents, Wave breaker |
Quality: |
Cloudy |
Best Tide: |
No information |
Choppy waters, medium to strong current. Depending on the wind direction (NW is onshore, SW and NE are sideshore) and strength: big chop or small to medium-sized waves. Wave breakers every 400m, so be careful!
Beach
Type: |
Sand |
Size: |
Tidal |
Hazards: |
No information |
Beach Users: |
No information |
The beach is clean, soft and hard sand. No obstacles downwind. If the tide is low you have a quite big beach but when it's high you have about 60m of beach (wide). Length of the kite zone is 350m. Always big enough except when the wind comes from the Northwest (onshore).
Weather
Spring:
|
Normal |
Summer:
|
Shorty |
Fall:
|
Normal |
Winter:
|
Thick |
In the winter something around 5°C. Wetsuit, hood, gloves and boots required. In the summer the water temp. is 20-22°C but you always need a wetsuit. The die-hards kite all year long, but the season is from April until about November. Water: summer (June to September) 17-20°C, winter from 6°C (January and February) to 17°C (all other months). Air: summer 20-30°C, winter -5-20°C.
Wind
Best Months: |
March, April, May, September, October, November |
Wind Type: |
Frontal |
Best Direction: |
SW, WSW, W |
Main Direction: |
SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW |
Usually the wind comes from the SW or W which is best here. But not always as strong as wanted. February until April to May is windy by might be cold. In the summer you can have no wind all day or maybe a little breeze (10-14knts) from the NE. Fall and spring can give you up to 8-9 Bft, July is calmer with a regular 3-4 Bft, sometimes thermal breeze 5 Bft. August is pretty light most of the time.
How to get there
Transport |
Car |
Access
|
Short walk |
E40 Brussels - Ostend. From the Airport follow Gent, then Brugge to Oostende. At the roundabout 3th exit. Drive until you hit the beach, go to the right for approx 1.5-2 miles. The surf-club is located under the boardwalk at the corner of that same boardwalk. Is other side of road of the main entrance to the horse-race track. Parking space is scarcely during summer-time. Other months no problem or you can park your car at the parking of Hotel "Thermae Palace". Drive on for 500m after the entrance of the horse-race track and turn in left onto the parking.
Extra information
Only 2 zones allowed for water sports during July/August. All other months have no restrictions. Watch out for the wave breakers.
Nightlife