Scheveningen – Noord (harbour wall)

Scheveningen (The Hague) · Netherlands and Belgium · Netherlands

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Scheveningen – Noord (harbour wall) (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/scheveningen-noord.

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The beach north of the harbour entrance is the centre of Dutch surfing, with most of the surf schools on the Noorderstrand. The harbour wall shapes the banks and gives shelter from south-west wind. Conditions are often messy, with close-outs and shifting sandbanks, but on its better days it is fair to good.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Jetty, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish on good days; a longboard when small.

When it works

✓ A north-west swell from 0.8 m with a south-east wind, at mid to high tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Wind blowing along the coast from the north: it pushes a strong current out along the harbour wall.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents
  • crowds
  • rocks

Best months

January, February, March, April, October, November, December

Local tips

A current often runs out to sea along the harbour wall; it can carry you outside, but stay well away from it in strong northerly winds. Watch for half-hidden breakwaters further north. The North Sea is about 5–7 °C in winter: a 5/4 wetsuit with boots, gloves and a hood.

Getting there

Take the tram to Scheveningen and walk south along the Noorderstrand to the harbour; parking is expensive.

History

On 11 May 2020 five experienced surfers and lifesavers drowned near the harbour wall, in strong wind and a thick layer of sea foam.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent for the Netherlands: the harbour wall helps in south-west wind, and it picks up north-west wind swell. Summer is still mostly flat.
Crowd and vibe
The busiest spot in the country: about half of Dutch surfers live around here, so expect crowds whenever it works. Most locals surf the peak by the wall.
Camping and vans
Camping Duinhorst is about 5.5 km away, near Wassenaar; Vakantiepark Kijkduin about 6 km south. Nearest campsite about 5.5 km away.
Facilities
Surf schools, shops, beach clubs, showers and summer lifeguards along the Noorderstrand.
Water quality
The EU bathing-water site Scheveningen Noorderstrand is rated sufficient for 2025 in the European Environment Agency data. It was good in 2023 and 2024. Avoid the water near the harbour after heavy rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NNW best, SW–NNE works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 2.8 m
Period
5 s minimum, best from 8 s
Wind
Offshore E–S; handles onshore up to 15 km/h
Tide
mid, high best
Faces
NW (319°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Netherlands and Belgium · All spots

Sources