Noord Holland

If your destination is Noord Holland , be ready for something completely different – the North Sea spots between Den Helder and Zandvoort are all out-and-out wavesailing venues. Numerous sandbars create an ever-changing beach-break, most fun in north or southerly winds which blow cross-shore along the straight coastline. Cross-onshore is also sailable and sees the biggest swell, but it’s a bit chaotic and the shorebreak increases markedly. Onshore only makes sense in moderate winds: if it’s nuking onshore, don’t go out – it’s not worth getting beaten up for. Huge waves mean strong currents along the whole coast. When currents and tide pull in the same direction, even advanced riders endure the ‘walk of shame’ back up the beach. The country’s biggest dunes offer an amazing backdrop at northern spots, but also long walks to the water and breakwaters in some places. Noord Holland’s cleanest waves break at the jetties of Wijk and Ijmuiden, although the scenery suffers with a steelmill on the dunes and an industrial port next door. All Noord Holland spots can only be accessed from the south via the ‘Amsterdam Ring’, where traffic-jams are the rule rather than exception...