Where and when to go windsurfing?

By Gregg Dunnett

Since the world spins on its axis and around the sun, every windsurfing destination planet has its 'on' and 'off' season.

The on season is the one you're looking for, as that means it's more likely to be windy most of the time. Happily, the wind in many windsurfing destinations is powered by thermals, which means the windy season is usually also the hot and sunny season. Even better, most are in places that get so hot that the coolest place to be is out on the water. But where in the world gets the wind, and when? Here's a quick guide to the most popular spots.

Canary Islands
There is a lot of windsurfing in the Canary Islands. They get trade winds which are thermally assisted in the summer months when they can be unbelievably reliable, and incredibly windy. Pozo in Gran Canaria, El Medano in Tenerife and Sotavento in Fuerteventura are all sure-thing destinations from June to September, and a reasonable bet all year round. They tend to be most popular with good intermediate to experienced windsurfers, and also play host to the biggest professional windsurfing competitions every summer.

Mediterranean
The Mediterranean resorts, including Vassiliki in Greece, Kos in Crete, Porto Pollo in Sardinia and Alacati in Turkey, tend to have a shorter sweet season centred around the hottest months of the year. Some resorts only really get six to eight weeks of really reliable wind, others get closer to six months - check the wind stats carefully. If you're looking to learn there are plenty of lighter wind destinations which are perfect for learning the basics. Perhaps try Menorca or the Costa Brava.

Where and when to go windsurfing?

By Gregg Dunnett

Egypt/Red Sea
Sometimes described as having wind all year round, which it does because it's always pretty hot, the Red Sea still has seasons. The popular Egyptian resorts are at their most reliable and windiest during the summer, and at their least reliable during the winter. However, since the least reliable is often around 60% of days with force 4 or above, you can see where the reputation comes from. In summer, some resorts touch 95% days with force 4 upwards. Popular with all styles and levels, there are a few hidden 'wave' spots such as El Tur's Habibi beach.

Caribbean
The Caribbean fills a nice niche, coming into its own when almost everywhere else isn't working, and when it's just cold and dark in Europe. The best time to visit is from Christmas to around March, depending on the island of choice. Caribbean winds tend to be quite light trade winds, meaning you need bigger sails, and suit the more intermediate sailors. The most popular spots are the islands of Barbados, Tobago and Margarita, and Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, but almost every island has some sort of windsurfing scene, and some get great waves too.

Other spots
New spots making a splash are Brazil (Jericoacoara - August to December) and Morocco (Essaouira and Moulay - April to September). Old favourites include Australia (west coast centred around Perth - December to March) and South Africa (December to March), and the spiritual home of windsurfing, Maui (wind pretty much all year round, waves from December to June).

Gregg Dunnett is the co-founder of oceansource.net and former journalist for Boards magazine.

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