AbstractSandy soils are often water repellent when dry. In sloping areas this may result in surface runoff and erosion. Water repellency in soils can be classified with the solid‐liquid contact angle which is difficult to determine. Another method is the water drop penetration time. This method is not only easier to apply but provides a more useful scale for classifying water repellent soils. Moreover, it is directly related to erosion hazard because runoff depends on the time required for the infiltration of rain drops. A close relationship was found between the contact angle and the water drop penetration time in dune soils along the coast of the Netherlands.