Kitespot Sylt in Germany

Kitesurfing on Sylt: why the island works in almost any wind

At the mainland spots on the North Sea, the wind direction decides whether you get on the water at all. On an easterly, St. Peter-Ording, Büsum and Cuxhaven are offshore and therefore off limits. On Sylt you drive twenty minutes down to Hörnum and have the exact same system sideshore on the Wadden Sea side. That is what makes the island the most reliable target for a kite trip of several days: you plan around the right side of the island, not around a weather window.

The price you pay is planning. Every spot has its own window in the tide, its own zone boundaries, and plenty of current on the Wadden side. Once you understand how the four areas work together, though, you get more days on the water here than at any other German spot.

Wind, water temperature and the best time to visit Sylt

Sylt sits exposed enough to catch the wind earlier and stronger than the bays on the mainland. Across the year, the stations on the island measure around 14 knots from west to southwest, with gusts around 20 knots. The windiest stretch runs from October to March, while the best balance of wind and water temperature comes in April to June and in September and October. Midsummer goes light more often, because the thermal here is weaker than in the Mediterranean.

Gear for Sylt: kites, board and wetsuit

1. Kites: Two sizes cover most days, classically a 9 and a 12 square metre at around 75 kilos. In autumn a 7 belongs in the bag, since days with 30 knots plus are no exception here. For summer, a big light wind size is worth having.
2. Boards: Twintip for the Wadden side and flat water, plus a strapless surfboard for Westerland and K4. Foil only works at the Ellenbogen with enough water under you, so plan on a short mast or on the window around high tide.
3. Wetsuit: April to June 5/4/3 with hood, July to September 4/3, October and November 5/4 with hood and gloves, winter 6/5/4 with everything.
4. Booties: Compulsory, not optional. Oysters out on the flats.
5. Protection: Helmet and impact vest for the west side. The shorebreak there forgives very little, experienced kiters included.

Nature protection and kite zones on Sylt

Sylt lies inside the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. Kiting and winging are banned there as a rule and permitted only in designated zones, laid down in the North Sea navigation ordinance (Nordsee-Befahrensverordnung). In practice that means buoy lines are boundaries and not suggestions, bird and seal protection areas stay unridden, and you keep away from swimming zones and from the groynes on the west side. The information boards at the spot are more current than any article, so read them before your first session. If you are unsure, ask one of the kite schools on the island which zoning rules apply.

Learning to kitesurf on Sylt

For a first course, Sylt is a solid choice but not the easiest one. The standing area at the Ellenbogen gives you exactly the conditions that make a course safe, but tide and current come on top, which you do not get at the standing spots on the Baltic. If you are travelling purely to learn, you will progress faster at Wulfener Hals on Fehmarn or at the Graswarder in Heiligenhafen. If you like the island anyway, book locally with one of the schools in List, Hörnum or Westerland and you come out of the course with four riding areas for the days that follow.

Frequently asked questions about kitesurfing on Sylt