Wijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands
The pier changes everything here. The Noordpier creates a unique pocket of shelter where you get manageable chop and organised swell in the same session; calmer close to the structure, wilder as you move north. One of the most technically interesting spots on the coast, with a striking industrial backdrop that makes for unexpectedly epic footage.
Best months: January, February, March, April, August, July, June, May, September, October, November, December
Wind directions: N, NE, S, SW
Water: Waves
Bottom: Sand
Sports: Windsurf, Kitesurf, Wingfoil
Local tips
There are several places where you can start here: right up against the pier, where you park in the parking lot at the end of the pier; the windsurfing path halfway along; and the bunker, which you encounter first. Kiters mainly sit near the bunker, and windsurfers near the windsurfing path. It is an established rule that kiters sit by the pier or the windsurfing path, while windsurfers have the section in between. Wingfoilers can basically go anywhere.