Kitesurfing on Usedom

Unlike many other places along the German Baltic Sea coast, Usedom offers water sports enthusiasts an almost unlimited number of opportunities to spend their free time on the water.

The undoubtedly best water sports paradise on Usedom is the 14-kilometer-long sports beach at Karlshagen. Here, kitesurfers, windsurfers, surfers, and stand-up paddlers can enjoy themselves on a vast expanse of water. Of course, there’s a separate swimming area for swimmers, ensuring that there’s no interference between water sports enthusiasts and swimmers during the height of summer. Especially during the early and late seasons, when it’s windy and cooler, you’ll have the sandy beach—which is usually up to 50 meters wide—almost entirely to yourself for launching and landing. Accommodations right at the kitesurfing spot are available at the 5-star “Dünencamp Karlshagen” campground.

Anyone interested in learning kitesurfing or another water sport will find a water sports school on the sports beach that offers courses for all age groups.

A little further north of Karlshagen, on the beach at Peenemünde, there is another large standing area where lessons are also held. There is a large fee-paying parking lot here, and the kitesurfing spot is just a two- to three-minute walk away.

Another kitesurfing spot is located on the Achterwasser near Café Knatter in Ückeritz. At the surf school, which is part of Café Knatter, you can learn kitesurfing and windsurfing and also rent equipment. This inland body of water features a very large flat area, which makes it easier for beginners in particular to get started with kitesurfing. On Usedom’s Baltic Sea coast, easterly, northeasterly, and southeasterly winds are best suited for kitesurfing, while the Achterwasser also offers kitesurfing spots suitable for westerly winds.

The kitesurfing spot near Café Knatter has paid parking, and you can also take a shower after your session. Simply check in at the surf school before your kitesurfing session to get information about the spot and its facilities. You can also stay overnight at Café Knatter in rooms overlooking the Achterwasser. For the ultimate “out of bed and onto the board” experience, there’s hardly a better place on Usedom.

There is also a kitesurfing spot in the popular Baltic Sea resort of Zinnowitz. The sports beach is located near Exit Q. During the summer months, you should pay special attention to swimmers and the swimming area marked by buoys, as Zinnowitz Beach is extremely popular with swimmers. The standing area is relatively small, so beginners are better off heading to Peenemünde and its large standing area.

Another kitesurfing spot on the Baltic Sea is located south of the seaside resort of Ahlbeck, on the border with Poland. You can park at the border parking lot near the sand sculpture exhibition, and a forest trail leads to this kitesurfing spot. Of course, you’ll need to be considerate of swimmers here as well, though it’s less crowded than the main beach by the pier, where most swimmers gather. This kitesurfing spot also features a kitesurfing school that offers lessons in either Ahlbeck or Kamminke on the Szczecin Lagoon, depending on the wind direction. In late June 2018, the “Kitesurf Masters” were held in Ahlbeck. The “Kitesurf Masters” on Usedom have since grown into a full-fledged festival with a wide-ranging program. In 2019, you can once again admire kitesurfing pros from around the world competing in various disciplines in Ahlbeck. If you don’t have your own kitesurfing gear, you can, of course, rent it from the kitesurfing schools for a fee.