Ijsselmeer / Workum (It Soal)
It Soal at Workum is one of the most popular spots on the Friesland side of the Ijsselmeer, with an easygoing, school-friendly vibe built around the harbour and beachside campsite. Wind is most reliable in autumn and spring but plenty of good days come through in summer and winter, and the spot works across a broad SW, WSW, W, WNW and NW band. The water is mixed: roughly 100 metres of shallow, gradually sloping flats near the beach that are ideal for learning, with deeper, choppier water beyond the sandbar. Launching is from a wide sandy beach reached by a small footbridge, leaving plenty of clear room to set up. It is genuinely busy in season, and from June to August you must launch and land in the water, keep to the kite zone north of the beach, and sign in with the school. Beginners through advanced riders all fit; the main hazard is swimmers, so stay alert downwind.