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I love to windsurf and kiteboard, but I'm a wimp about
cold water. Although I've done some kiteboarding in the
San Francisco Bay, I still prefer to travel to warm water
destinations. Below is a brief review of the places I've
been to so far. The high season months are noted next to
the locations. I'm happy to provide more detail to anyone
planning their next windsurfing or kiteboarding trip.
Margarita (Jan - May)
Check out the VIDEO!
April-May 2004
Margarita is my favorite windsurf destination and I've also
been kiteboarding on my last several trips and it is fantastic.
Margarita Island is part of the Minor Antilles in the southern
Caribbean, just off mainland Venezuela, northeast of Caracas.
It is perfect for sailors of all abilities, and one of the
best places to learn with shallow water extending 200-400
yards from shore and steady side-shore winds that are typically
light in the mornings and increase in intensity throughout
the day to 25+ mph in the afternoons. These shallow Caribbean
waters must be at least 85 degrees and probably remain in
the high 70's to low 80's even after sailing out a few miles.
There are many places to stay right on or near the windsurfing
beach in El Yaque, which makes everything very convenient
and social. Most hotels include breakfast and the restaurant
options for lunch and dinner are typically very good. There
are a number of windsurf centers in El Yaque, but I always
book my trips with Vela
Windsurf. They are a first-class operation, with excellent
instruction and equipment, and an awesome staff that has
remained virtually the same for the past seven years. El
Yaque Beach has a number of kitesurfing schools as well,
which I tried for the first time in May of 2001. I recommend
Robby at Premium
Kiteboarding. Robby and his staff have amazing instruction
and are running an efficient operation with perfect equipment
for learning. Vela also has a kiteboard school partner and
they can book that for you. When you get to El Yaque, be
sure to have a drink at Gerry's Bar near the Vela center.
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Coche (Jan - May)
Coche Island is a 45-minute very wet boat ride from El Yaque
Beach on Margarita Island (mentioned above); it is between
Margarita and mainland Venezuela. The windsurfing at Coche
is all about speed with its perfectly flat water and consistent
18-28 mph offshore winds. I also just kiteboarded there
for a daytrip in Jan '03 and it was incredible. It typically
blows lighter in the morning, peaking in the afternoons.
Coche is not ideal for beginners, but great for anyone who
can waterstart and sail reasonably well upwind to get back
to shore. The turquoise water and wide white beach are beautiful.
You can stay on Coche but it is very quiet with very little
to do. I recommend staying and windsurfing in El Yaque with
day trips to Coche. Vela
Windsurf organizes trips and rents gear in Coche.
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Los Roques (Jan - May)
Los Roques is a stunning group of more than 50 uninhabited
desert tropical islands in the southern Caribbean approximately
160 kilometers north of Caracas. Day trips and multi-day
trips can be arranged from Margarita (mentioned above) and
there are also flights from Caracas. Winds aren't as consistent
or strong as in Margarita, but there are a variety of conditions
around the island with the windsurf center, including flat
water, bump and jump and a small wave break on the windward
side of the island. Vela
Windsurf is the operator in Los Roques. Be sure to explore
the deserted white sand beaches, snorkel in the magnificent
coral reefs, or kayak through the crystal clear waters.
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Bonaire (Jan - May)
Bonaire is part of the Netherland Antilles in the southern
Caribbean, just off mainland Venezuela, northwest of Caracas.
The windsurfing area at Lac Bay has the best beginner conditions
I've found so far with flat, shallow water and steady onshore
winds typically 15-30 mph. Lac Bay is a 20-minute drive
from the main part of the island where most people stay,
so renting a car is required, but the town is interesting
with local flavor. Watch out for donkeys in the middle of
the road during the drive back to town at dusk! Lac Bay
offers two windsurf centers adjacent to each other on the
white sands of Sorobon Beach. The two operators are Jibe
City and "The
Place". When I was there in 1999, "The Place"
had slightly newer gear. Be sure to save some time for diving.
The waters around Bonaire are designated as an official
marine park so diving Bonaire is like diving the Caribbean
the way it used to be - untouched and unspoiled.
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Aruba (Jan - May)
Aruba is part of the Netherland Antilles, in the southern
Caribbean, just off the northwest tip of mainland Venezuela.
It is beautiful, with flat turquoise water. There are some
shallow areas that make it easy for beginners, but I've
heard some complain that the large hotels cause a wind shadow
so the wind can be fluky near shore. The 15-30 mph winds
are offshore, which is challenging for beginner and intermediate
sailors on high wind days. One of my friends had to be rescued
after getting carried a long way out. There are plenty of
high and mid-range options for places to stay near the windsurfing
area, as well as options for windsurf gear rental and instruction,
however I recommend booking through Vela
Windsurf as the center and staff are excellent.
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Alacati - Turkey (Jun - Sep)
Alacati ranks up there as one of my favorite places although
water temperatures are about 10-12 degrees (Fahrenheit)
cooler than the Caribbean. I recommend a shorty or thin
full wetsuit. Alacati (pronounced Alachati) is along the
Agean Coast of Turkey, one hour from the Izmir airport.
It is wonderful for sailors of all levels, including beginners
because it has a fairly shallow area that extends 200-400
yards from shore with side shore winds of 15-30 mph. Combined
with flat water, this makes it the perfect place to improve
technique and for slalom sailing. The other side of the
bay is only about a mile away (great for forced jibe and
tack practice) with several small beaches. The wind is typically
strongest in the afternoon. There are a couple of options
for staying right near the windsurf centers, but it is much
more interesting to stay in one of the towns because the
Turkish culture is wonderful. One option is the interesting
old town of Alacati. A great option is Ilica (pronounced
Ilija) which is a nice, small town with a local feel and
very convenient with a shuttle service to the centers. Another
option is Cesme (pronounced Cheshme), a bit further away
and more touristed with a louder nightlife and a larger
selection of hotels and restaurants. All are within a 10
to15 minute shuttle from each other. There are three windsurf
operators in Alacati. I recommend the German Surf
and Action Center.
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Vassiliki - Greece (Jun - Sep)
Vassiliki is on the southern tip of the Greek island of
Lefkada, located to the west of mainland Greece in the deep
blue Ionian Sea. Summer water temperatures are only slightly
warmer than the Agean, in the mid to high 70's; most sailors
wear a shorty or thin full wetsuit. Vassiliki has light,
onshore wind in the morning and a brisk side shore blast
of 18-35 mph most afternoons lasting for 2-6 hours. The
water is fairly flat so this is excellent for slalom sailing
and jibe practice. One downside to Vassiliki is that there
are odd periods when the blast doesn't come for 4-6 days.
The beaches are also primarily rocks so be sure to wear
sturdy sandals. Vassiliki town is wonderful with shopping,
fun bars and restaurants - many on the water. There are
numerous places to stay and many windsurf center options,
but I highly recommend Club
Vassiliki, which has good gear, a wonderful staff and
excellent teaching for all ability levels included as part
of the overall program.
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Paros - Greece (Jun - Sep)
Paros is a beautiful Greek island located in the Agean Sea
in the center of Cyclades. It is about 90 miles from Athens
and connected by boats with nearly all the Agean islands
and Crete. The Professional Windsurf Association has chosen
Paros for six or seven consecutive years as a World Cup
site. It is suited to all sailing ability levels although
I don't think it is ideal for beginners. It is windy year
round, but the well-known Agean summer wind usually blows
all day and is strongest in July and August. Winds are typically
side shore and blow 13-38 mph but can turn offshore and
blow as hard as 55-60 mph. Water temperatures are in the
low to mid 70's. There are several small windsurf rental
areas at Golden Beach on the south east part of the island;
I recommend going there first and then selecting a center
that has decent gear because it seemed like these centers
could change fairly often. Many advanced sailors prefer
Tsardakia, just north of Golden Beach. There are also at
least six other sailing spots around the island. Be sure
to explore the island if you go to Paros. It is beautiful
with interesting culture and history.
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Lake Arenal - Costa Rica (Dec - Apr)
Lake Arenal is a reservoir in central Costa Rica and faces
an active volcano. It was a natural lake artificially enlarged
in 1970 by the National Electricity Company to provide electricity
by hydropower. During high season the winds average 25 mph
but can blow much stronger with up to a 5-foot swell with
port ramps. Water temperatures are low to mid 70's. Lake
Arenal is not a good place for beginners and often not even
for intermediate sailors. The only day I was there it started
blowing 22 which seemed perfect, but this quickly became
35+ with big gusts, and large, choppy swell. When I lifted
my sail just out of the water to waterstart, the rig was
ripped out of my hands and blown 20-30 feet away from me.
Eventually everyone was blown off the water and I had to
be rescued! Although there isn't much beach or a lot of
interesting places to hang out on the lake, the area is
beautiful, and exploring this area, and the town of Fortuna
and the active Arenal Volcano a couple of hours a way is
very worthwhile. There are a few centers to book through.
The one I'm familiar with is the Tilawa
Windsurf Center.
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Mui Ne - Vietnam (Oct - Apr)
Mui Ne Beach is 200 km east of Ho Chi Minh City, 22 km east
of the town of Phan Thiet, and near a small fishing village.
It's a very long stretch of white sand with palm trees,
very cute bungalows, and small low-rise hotels and restaurants.
I was there in December 2003. It still isn't too crowded
with windsurfers or kiters, although it seems to be a really
great destination for wind sports so perhaps this will change
a lot in the future. It is easiest to fly into Ho Chi Minh
City and then it is a 3.5 hour ride by bus or taxi. The
dry season of October through April brings relatively strong
consistent winds and a nice swell. The rainy season (which
isn't supposed to be all that rainy in Mui Ne) also has
wind, but lighter, and blowing in the opposite direction.
It isn't uncommon to blow more than 30 knots in the afternoons.
I was on everything from a 16 meter kite when the wind was
terrible to a 6 meter kite when it was howling. August through
December can bring some pretty good waves. While we were
there the storm patterns messed with the wind a lot so one
week was pretty bad, many days were very gusty, and sometimes
there were six to eight-foot high waves breaking right at
the shore making it pretty challenging to get out past the
break. We were told this is pretty uncommon though. If not
for that, I'd say that the conditions are good for all levels,
with light side-on shore winds starting around 10:00am and
stronger side-shore winds in the afternoon. Jibes
is the main water-sports haven on Mui Ne Beach. It's run
by a frenchman, Pascal, who also runs a nice mid-range hotel
almost next door called Full Moon. They rent out brand new
windsurfing gear, surfboards, and give kiteboard lessons
and sometimes windsurfing lessons. They also have a good
restaurant and bar and it seems to be the only semi "happening"
place on the strip. They employ four "beach boys"
who are awesome - helping pump up the kites, helping us
launch and land, and they wash and put away the gear at
the end of the day. They'll even come out on a windsurfer
and rescue you or your board if you run into trouble. It
is pretty amazing that they offer this service. They seem
to do it for everyone that is around there (for free - although
hopefully most people tip them). Over time I suspect they'll
only be able to do it for those staying at Full Moon and
those taking lessons with them. They are doing the best
they can to keep the beach and people safe. Overall, Mui
Ne Beach is a very pleasant place to be. It's quiet, without
a lot of touts, a long strip of restaurants with great food,
and tons of guys on motorbikes cruising the main road who
will pick you up and take you virtually anywhere you want
to go for about US$.30. Everything is almost free relative
to US currency.
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Baja - Mexico (Nov - Feb)
There are several places to windsurf on the Baja peninsula
but the Sea of Cortez has the El Norte winds that blow from
November to March, providing excellent bump and jump conditions
on good days. I wouldn't put Baja at the top of my list
of favorite windsurfing spots because the water is still
pretty cold for me, and the wind is not as consistent as
I'd like. Baja is really best for advanced sailors because
the conditions are challenging. Winds average above 18 mph
and the swell can be pretty big during the high season.
Water temperatures range from 65-75 so most people wear
a wetsuit. Vela
Windsurf runs a first-class operation, and they also
offer mountain biking, kayaking and possibly kitesurfing
lessons by now. This is important because one downside to
Baja is the wind patterns. It typically blows for 3-4 days
and then stops for 3-4 days. My experience was very few
windy days in two weeks right in the middle of the high
season, so it was great having the mountain bikes and other
toys.
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Maui - Hawaii (Jun - Sep)
I love Maui, but it is not currently one of my favorite
windsurf destinations because the only windsurf center that
had gear rigged on the beach is no longer in operation.
This center managed to operate illegally for nearly 15 years
and someone finally cracked down on several businesses operating
like that on the North Shore. I also prefer the warmer Caribbean
waters. However, it is very convenient so it is likely I'll
be there rigging gear there soon, and I love watching the
excellent kitesurfers on the North Shore! Maui is known
for having windsurfing conditions to meet every need; flat
water on the south shore for beginners and intermediates;
chop, swells and reef breaks on the north-shore for intermediate
to very advanced windsurfers. Winds average 15-20 mph in
spring and fall, and 15-25 in the summer. Water temperatures
are typically in the high 70's to low 80's during the summer
months. On the North Shore, Kanaha is a wonderful long beach
that seems to be a good place for beginning and intermediate
sailors because of its easy launch site. Moving in the direction
of Spreckelsville, the sailing conditions get more interesting
and challenging. There are a zillion places to rent gear
in Maui. I would probably choose Vela
Windsurf because my past experiences with them have
been fantastic. Vela Maui also offers kitesurfing lessons.
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Future Trips
There are a number of places I still hope to try at some
point - I've heard that Cape Hatteras in North Carolina
and South Padre Island off of the Texas Coast are shallow
and warm with consistent winds during several months of
the year. I am looking forward to trips to Dahab and Safaga
in Egypt when it is safe to travel there again. Cape Verde,
Africa, the Canary Islands, and Tarifa at the southern tip
of Spain sound incredibly interesting, and I'll likely try
a few other Caribbean spots such as Tobago, St. Lucia, Barbados
and Cabarete. If you have been to these spots and have helpful
information to share, I'd love to receive it! Please send
me email at karen@www.18miao.cn.
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