Downwinding in the Netherlands

There’s really nothing like a downwind ride. The wonderful feeling of riding waves, doing big airs, and cruising around effortlessly without having to climb even a meter. But what exactly is a downwind ride? What makes a downwind ride so fun? And what are some handy places to do downwind rides in the Netherlands?

What is a downwinder?

A downwind is a trip along the coast where kite surfers sail from spot A to spot B with the wind in their backs. This means you are downwind, with the advantage that you don’t have to climb up hills (upwind sailing). The only thing you need to arrange for a downwind is your transportation. It is of course ideal if someone is willing to pick you up or take you away. It is also an option to park a car at the spot where you are going to kite and then leave from your home spot. A downwind is often done in a group of kite surfers, which makes it very enjoyable and provides a degree of safety. Always be careful of one another. It is a good idea to have one experienced rider in front and one experienced rider behind. This way they can always help in case of emergency.

What makes a downwind so fantastic has plenty of reasons. From my own experience, I can say that it is perfect for wave riders, big air riders, and riders who just love cruising around. When you, as a wave rider, have to climb up every time, that gets a bit annoying. With a downwind, you never have to worry about that; you can take one wave after another without having to worry about anything. For big air riders who can easily fly 20 meters or more across the sky with just one jump, it also saves a lot of upwind sailing. Time for some big megaloop jumps, then. It’s also great for the regular rider. The alternation of jumping, cruising, and wave riding gives a good feeling.

Mystic Mega Downwinder

Once a year, around June, the Mystic mega downhill race is organized. This is a downhill race from Scheveningen to Zandvoort with stops in Katwijk and Noordwijk. About 250 riders participate in this event. Every weekend in June is considered a window of opportunity to participate. This is very exciting to experience once in a while.

From Hoek to Helder

In addition to this, this year a kite marathon was also held for the charity Hartstichting for the first time. HoektotHelder, a downwind race from Hoek van Holland to Den Helder with various stops in places like Scheveningen, Noordwijk and Ijmuiden. This downwind race is about 130 kilometers long and is only recommended if you are an advanced kite rider with equipment from 2015 or younger. This year almost 50,000 euros were raised.

Sailing downwind along the Wadden Islands

The most beautiful place to practice downwind surfing in the Netherlands is undoubtedly the Waddeneilanden. With beautiful wide beaches, little kiters, better waves and stronger winds than in the rest of the Netherlands, the spots are wonderful. The only drawback is the somewhat cooler northern wind. A trip from Texel from buoy 9 towards the lighthouse is particularly recommended.

Next to this, there are beautiful downwinders to be found from Noordwijk towards Langevelderslag; compared to other spots, you can easily park at Langevelderslag for just 2.00 euros per day. If you want to make a slightly longer downwind, start from Scheveningen towards Noordwijk or even towards Zandvoort with a relaxing stopover in Noordwijk, which is about halfway through the route.

It is important to know that it is very dangerous to make a downwind run and to sail past Ijmuiden. This is because it is very busy here, with many large ships. This also applies to Hoek van Holland/Rotterdam; the fines you can get are very high. In Scheveningen you can still pass by the harbor, but be careful! It can also be dangerous there.

Parking spaces perfect for downwinders

• Noordwijk: Beethovenweg 10, 2202 AH Noordwijk (free parking). Only 300m from KSNoordwijk.
• Long Beach: Long Beach 20, 2204 AH Noordwijk (3.00 euros per day in the summer and 2.00 euros per day in the winter). Only 250m from the beach.
• Katwijk: Noordduinseweg 9, 2221 BL Katwijk aan Zee (2 euros per hour, day pass from 10 euros and free on Sundays). Only 300m from Airtime Katwijk.
• Scheveningen Noord: Zwarte pad 2, 2586 HZ The Hague (1 March to 1 November: 2.60 per hour; in winter free). Only 250m from the beach.
• Scheveningen Harbour: parking in the harbour is still free in many places, but your car will then be left unattended. It's about a 5-minute walk towards the beach.
• Scheveningen Zuid: Markenseplein, 2583 KR The Hague. Free parking about 5 minutes from the beach.
• Zandvoort: Free parking is virtually impossible in Zandvoort. Therefore, park your car on the boulevard or in one of the parking areas/garages.
• Texel: introduce a parking vignette for 15.00 euros (valid for one year). Vuurtorenweg 189, 1795 LL De Cocksdorp Texel; Hoornderslag 8, 1797 RT Den Hoorn Texel (signpost 9).