Gahlkow / Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / Germany

Gahlkow is located on the northern coast of Germany looking out onto the Baltic Sea and is a popular spot for sailing and kitesurfing and wind surfing of all abilities. The surfing season runs from April to October although off season is possible with a thick wetsuit, mask, gloves and shoes.

There is a small but beautiful sandy beach with some grass in places and there's not an awful lot of space to launch a kite, so you may have to launch in the shallow water. The summer months can get pretty crowded with beach goers so you might be best to arrive really early in the morning or give it a miss. You can get here by driving towards Loissin/Gahlkow and when you arrive at Gahlkow take the Boddenweg to the beach.

The winds are predominantly frontal westerlies and are at their best during fall and spring. They vary a lot and can be 0-10 Bft. The summer winds are quite light on the whole although sometimes you get some nice easterlies, although not too often. The water quality is clean and is usually flat to choppy. There are no tides at this spot, so the water remains much the same throughout the day. There is a large shallow area which is great for beginners to practice. A wetsuit is normally needed throughout the year with water temperatures ranging between 10-20 degrees through the season and air temperatures between 10-30 degrees. The winters get very cold with both water and air temperatures struggling to get much above 5 degrees.

There are shower and toilet facilities here plus places to get food. N earby Greifswald has a lot more in the way of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes, plus there is some good night life there if you want to party on.

Watch out for crowds on the beach in the summer months.