Live wind
Water & wetsuit
Loading water data…
About this spot
Kotu is the Gambia's package-holiday beach strip, part of the wider Kotu / Kololi / Senegambia belt a short hop from Banjul airport. Kite Insider records it as the country's single spot, in season November to May, and lists no kite school in its directory — a point Kite Jungle makes too, stating plainly that it has no kite school listed in The Gambia.
The community spot guide is explicit that this is not a beginner spot: the water runs from flat calm in light wind to choppy with small waves, it is shallow enough to wade a reasonable distance — about 30 m — and then shelves steeply, with waves breaking 200–300 m offshore. It warns that rocks appear on the left at low tide and suggests a beginner walk a few hundred metres to the right for lower waves.
The beach itself is sandy but full of shells, launch space is shared with other beach users and inquisitive locals, and the guide notes that people at the beach bar will help you set up a kite. Kite Insider adds that this place needs a 4x4 to get around and carries a permit/rule note of its own, while Kite Jungle states that it is the rider's responsibility to check whether kitesurfing is allowed and whether a permit or local club membership is needed. Arrange local support or instruction before travelling, and confirm the water depth and rock positions for the tide you are riding.
3-day forecast
Speed / gusts in knots. Colour = rideability for this spot. Bottom row = recommended kite size for your weight — not recommended outside this spot's 12–28 kn range.
Conditions
- Water
- flat, choppy, waves
- Depth
- Shallow for roughly the first 30 m, then shelves steeply
- Seabed
- sand, shells, rocks on the left at low tide
- Skill
- intermediate, expert
- Beginners
- Not for beginners — intermediate and up
- Wind range
- 12 kn – 28 kn
Access & parking
Kotu Beach on the resort strip west of Banjul; a 4x4 is reported as needed for getting around, and the launch should be chosen for the tide.
Parking: Beach parking and access are unverified — confirm locally, along with any permit.
Amenities
- Beach bars, restaurants and accommodation on the strip
- Local help with kite set-up reported at the beach bar
- Banjul airport a short hop away
Needs local verification: Sources: https://www.se.kiteforum.com/kitesurf/spot/kotu_beach (levels, shallow then steep shelf, rocks at low tide, shells, bystanders, Nov–June season), https://kiteinsider.com/countries/gambia and https://kiteinsider.com/destinations/kotu-gambia-gambia (single recorded spot, season Nov–May, no school recorded, 4x4 and permit note), https://kitejungle.com/kite-places/gambia (no school listed; permit/membership is the rider's responsibility to check). No school in the directories we checked, so no beginner teaching is claimed here. Coordinates approximate Kotu Point, not a verified launch; confirm permission, launch section and tide-dependent rocks on site. Water-temperature fallback values are estimates — the Kite Jungle temperature row for Kotu is air temperature and was not used. No verified local live webcam was found; Windy links are searches/maps.
Local hazards
- Rocks exposed on the left at low tide
- Steep shelf beyond the shallow area
- Shells across the sand — a hazard to kites and feet
- Bystanders and beach users crowd the launch
- No kite school recorded in the directories we checked