IJburg, Markermeer, Amsterdam, IJmeer, windsurfing
Six spots around IJburg/Markermeer/Amsterdam, purple are weed sensitive area in summer |
I work in Amsterdam, next to the largest lake of the Netherlands the Markermeer. I work there over a year now and have tried many windsurf spots. A few insights for those interested to windsurf here:
- Spot at the electricity power masts, no weed over here all year round. Disadvantage are some rocks underwater around the mast. And you have to windsurf between the professional boats (cargo shippers, boats up to 80~100 m long). No parking fee;
- Spot at the waterscooter spot. Easy to rig, no parking fee. Weed in summer and only works with North or South wind;
- The IJburg/Amsterdam windsurf school. Easy to rig, spot with sand beach. Does require to pay for a parking ticket. In summer weed (lots);
- According to the signs illegal parking, however my car didn’t had a parking ticket yet. Also weeds at the start in summer;
- Popular windsurfspot, you can stand everywhere. Also loads of weed. Sometimes difficult to find a parking spot nearby the beach;
- A sandy beach, car cannot be parked close to the waterline, a weedy zone has to be crossed, however after this zone it is quite OK.
Summary
Windsurfing can be done with most winddirections. Spots 1-6 work all year round. However spot one could be dangerous (large cargo shippers). I would not recommend spot 1 to everyone… There is little to none flat water spots. the flatwater zones all have loads of weed.
Erik Loots
Erik is windsurfer for 10+ years. In his daily life he is professional in construction dewatering, advisor, troubleshooter. Erik likes adventures, explore and to challenge himself. During his life he is trying to get the best out of it and have respect for the earth, nature and future generations. The modern world is about sharing, in this blog Erik shares his experiences, selfreflection and lessons learned.