Where to go this winter? (Bonaire, Mauritius)

Went to Vass last July for 23 days as a complete noob. Learnt to waterstart, and... that's about it. It was nice, great atmosphere, great people, but choppy and gusty (thermal wind). Did nothing until December when I got a 125 L Tabou Rocket, and... have struggled ever since. I thought Vassiliki was rough, but Port Philip is way harder. I can waterstart, use the harness, get my feet in the straps sometimes (mainly the front one, or it's a rodeo ride with both feet), but consistent planing seems miles away. My main accomplishment is that now the mast mainly misses the nose when catapulting. Some dings, but nothing catastrophic so far.

tldr; I really need balls-to-the-wall day-in-day-out practice to progress. It took me 2 weeks of 4-5 hours of afternoon practice to learn to waterstart in Vass. Back home, it seems that whatever I learn in a session is all but forgotten by the next one. I am no natural, that's for sure.

So where to? Last year, before settling on Vass, I seriously considered Dahab, Bonaire and Mauritius.

Dahab was eliminated early (offshore wind, permanent revolution) and I think it's still off the table for me the same reasons this year.
Mauritius - tricky currents.
Bonaire - bloody long flight. Expensive for a non-major tourist destination. Really expensive if you stay right on the water, so a car is required. But other than that it seems perfect for a beginner-intermediate. Strong and consistent winds, huge shallow lagoon, flat water. 28 degrees air temp, 27 degrees water temp. Perfect. And I really I think I would have progressed more had I bitten the expensive bullet and went there instead of Vass.

I liked Vass, but I'd rather not go to the very same place two years in a row. I still spend a lot of time in the water, and one thing that I realised when I got back is how salty Mediterranean water is! I regularly went through a 2L camelback washing the brine out of my mouth. Back home, falling in is no drama (only a 1L pack is required ).

So any Bonaire tips? I can't think of any place else to go in July/August. I'm really tempted by Mauritius, because if anything the flight is relatively short. But the currents are tricky, it's relatively chilly and the days will be short in July.

Any other suggestions?

I have been to Bonaire now twice with each of my boys when they were 11yo to help them get more confident. I just got back from there a few weeks ago. It is an ideal place to learn/teach windsurfing. It is only a 4.5hour flight for me. Mauritius looks really nice! I hope I have the chance to go there someday.

Very consistent wind direction, and very flat due to outer reef. Winds are medium, not strong typically. It is a desert island, dry and hot ( still will need to drink water). Ocean water is very clean, clear and pleasant.

A very large shallow white sand bottom area makes learning to windsurf super easy. No big fins can be used. The deeper area of Lac Bay (the other half, is beautiful blue) with a shallow muddy mangrove area just before you reach the other side. I saw a ton of PWA freestyle folks training here and downwind by the boat ramp behind the launch area (they call Sorobon Beach?). Inspirational to watch them.

We stayed at the Bonrisa Hotel in town. A very nice Dutch manager and good breakfast each morning. Other guests (mainly European) were wonderful too. Felt safe. We rented a pick-up (I brought my gear), but you can catch the bus each day from the hotel to save money. Or you could rent a moped since it is dry. We bought groceries (near by) to save money. They have a small gas gill at the Hotel. We ate out Pizza and BBQ a few nights just to get out.

Jibe City and Bonaire Windsurf Place have a lot of good gear. No reason to bring gear unless you are a pro training (or freak-sized like me).

Best winds are early morning and late afternoon. This is when the staff and locals sail. Not a big deal.

It is very nice, but I agree, I am not sure it is worth such a long trip.

Cocos? Talk to the guys at 2ndwind.com.au as they always run Cocos trips.

I think there are a few places that do kiting trips over there, but as far as windsurfing goes, try 2nd wind.

There's even a link 2ndwind.com.au/travel/travel.asp

The page says the next trip is in 2006. But I'll contact them.

I've been to Mauritius a bunch of times and apart from in the swell at Le Morne, I can't remember there being any currents? Usually am there in August and it's STINKING hot and boardshorts whether so I imagine July is the same. I'm pretty sure nobody owns a wetsuit there so don't worry about the cold.

Myself and a few Brisbane guys are doing the MAURITIUS FREERIDE PARADISE CHALLENGE www.mauritiusfreeride.com/ (are you getting involved sav911 or just watching???) which is an awesome pro-am teams event. Looking to get more Aussie guys involved so we can have a bigger team. Last year we got killed by the French cause we only had 2 of us :-(

Ps, last year in August was there for 2 weeks and it blew 20-25 knots every single hour of every day.

I have been to Cocos and it is amazing and very relaxed, I would love to go to Mauritius as it looks great. I found this video on sailing in a volcanic crater in the Azores, now that's a long way from Australia.

That's awesome and I'd never heard of it! - put me down for 2015! Would have gone this year but Maui is all booked

Hey guys. Is there accessible flatwater at Mauritius or is it more bump and jump like Maui?

I'm with you Mr Cranky - I wish Bonaire was easier to get to!!

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MrCranky said..

Any chance you've been to Bonaire? If so, how does it compare?

I've been to Aruba ...kinda next door. I assume the conditions are similar there and in Curacao. Decent 20 knots most days... SUPER warm all year :-))) Dead flat water.

How the hell a guy from Australia came out with Bonaire in his destination ahahah??!!

For your information, a few good places to go in Caribbean are Bonaire(quite hard to find a flight), Aruba, Cabarete, Barbados, St-Maartin, Maragarita Island(really hard to find a flight), but all those places got some gear for renting.
But you have to go probably in July...the more you go toward august...the more chances you have to have a tropical storm, hurricane..and that will stop the trades, bring lots of rains..and frustration.

Since you want to travel far, why not Maui?
Why not in, Jericoacoara in July, August? (super flat)
Why not Greeks Islands, Morrocco (wavy however), Dakhla(with both world) , Corscica, Sardingnia, Canary Islands and TARIFA!!!.

To my point of view the Caribbean are less reliable than other places.

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NordRoi said..

How the hell a guy from Australia came out with Bonaire in his destination ahahah??!!

For your information, a few good places to go in Caribbean are Bonaire(quite hard to find a flight), Aruba, Cabarete, Barbados, St-Maartin, Maragarita Island(really hard to find a flight), but all those places got some gear for renting.
But you have to go probably in July...the more you go toward august...the more chances you have to have a tropical storm, hurricane..and that will stop the trades, bring lots of rains..and frustration.

Since you want to travel far, why not Maui?
Why not in, Jericoacoara in July, August? (super flat)
Why not Greeks Islands, Morrocco (wavy however), Dakhla(with both world) , Corscica, Sardingnia, Canary Islands and TARIFA!!!.

To my point of view the Caribbean are less reliable than other places.

I thought Bonaire is below the hurricane belt? Anyway, flights to Bonaire are a real chore. Of the big windsurfing destinations, Maui and Mauritius are the easiest to get to from Australia. Maui has no club operating on the beach, and I really like the club aspect (no need to rig, and they grab your rig as you come off the water, LOL). What attracts me about Bonaire is that it's a huge flat lagoon. Supposedly it's quite shallow in a lot of places. I can waterstart, but standing on the bottom beats treading water. There must be a reason why Bonaire is a mecca for freestyle pros.

Awesome FN. Was Margarita good??

Sean as a professional sailing traveller, do you have any tips for travelling with your own gear? I've been unable to find a wheelie bag for slalom gear - most seem built for wave lengths. Any hot tips for packaging everything up and getting gear to and from and through airports etc? Is it hugely painful?

Has anyone found any nice flatwater in the Cook Islands or anywhere else in the Pacific in July/August? I did Nananu-I-Ra (Fiji) a number of years ago but don't think I would go back.

Anyone done Rodrigues?

Thank you!

Was in Margarita in late January for two weeks and got planning everyday for 13 days, was using sails from 5m to 6.4m with the 7.8 getting used for an hour early morning when the winds are lighter.

Yes there are a few locals hanging in the shallows but don't let it pit you off, the water is reasonably flat so smaller freeride boards and FSW the normal gear being used.

I also went to Coche one day, yes it is super flat as it's offshore but a lot lighter airs. Easy to get to by boat trips that run regularly. I sailed over there from the mainland and the wind just dies in the middle!

Rent you gear from club mistral or Natalie Simone as they have the biggest choice of boards and rigs.

As for flights it is hard to get to but worth it as there is half the number of people on the water than the old days when there many direct flights. Iberia are rumoured to be flying direct there from Madrid from June.

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FormulaNova said..
Now you are making me want to go back to see what its like in the windy season! I suspect its much better.

When I was there, I am pretty sure I was the only non-Spanish speaker (well not good anyway). It was pretty interesting trying to explain that my sail had a split in it, I wanted it taped up so I could go sailing anyway, and that it wasn't important as I paid for insurance. I think in peak season they would have more people that speak English as there would have to be a lot of English speaking tourists.

Was Natalie Simone the JP/Neil Pryde place on the right hand of the beach? That's the place I used as they were open, and seem to have the biggest boards and sails for my weight.

Do you go to these way-out places specifically for the windsurfing or as part of a bigger trip? Because I would have thought that from an intermediate level onwards, Maui and Mauritius seem like a no-brainer for a windsurfing trip from Australia. Heck even WA seems like a better deal. In fact when I was in Vass, I met a Perth bloke (who used to live in Mebourne, but moved to WA for the wind in the 90s), who straight up told me "WA is better than this. The wind is smoother, the water is flatter. This is hard sailing."

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MrCranky said..

Do you go to these way-out places specifically for the windsurfing or as part of a bigger trip? Because I would have thought that from an intermediate level onwards, Maui and Mauritius seem like a no-brainer for a windsurfing trip from Australia. Heck even WA seems like a better deal. In fact when I was in Vass, I met a Perth bloke (who used to live in Mebourne, but moved to WA for the wind in the 90s), who straight up told me "WA is better than this. The wind is smoother, the water is flatter. This is hard sailing."

I have gone to WA every summer for 2 to 3 weeks each time since about 2005. I agree with the bloke from WA, WA is better normally. In fact the first few years I went were awesome where the wind would start at lunch time and get up to a strong 25 knots or more. It was small sail weather almost all the time.

I went to Dahab because a mate was traveling over that way, and I figured it would be a good opportunity to check out Dahab. I reluctantly looked at the pyramids and all the temples, but it was good to see in the end. When I was in Dahab, I ran into a guy that used to teach windsurfing in WA, and asked him 'is it always this gusty here'. His response was something like 'yes, you may not realise it but WA is world class'.

I went to Margarita, because I thought I'd go somewhere a little different, and I'm trying to learn Spanish. It was a good experience.

Trust me, I intend to go to Maui and Mauritius one day. I'm not a 100% sold on Maui just yet. A friend went a few years back and when asked about it he said 'it was windy', not 'I loved it'. I am not sure if it was challenging for his level of sailing or whether it was difficult sailing.

Its good to be able to combine a windsurfing trip with a bit of cultural experience. It's good being able to think back to the call to prayer every morning in Dahab, and the 'fun' of navigating a country that doesn't speak much English in Margarita. Even in Fiji, it was fun to interact with the locals at the markets. If I wanted just a windsurfing holiday, WA would be enough, plus they speak a variant of English

For some reason though, the idea of sailing in Alacati, or in the Dominican Republic, just sound far more interesting. If only I could afford it.

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MrCranky said..

Do you go to these way-out places specifically for the windsurfing or as part of a bigger trip? Because I would have thought that from an intermediate level onwards, Maui and Mauritius seem like a no-brainer for a windsurfing trip from Australia. Heck even WA seems like a better deal. In fact when I was in Vass, I met a Perth bloke (who used to live in Mebourne, but moved to WA for the wind in the 90s), who straight up told me "WA is better than this. The wind is smoother, the water is flatter. This is hard sailing."

All my trips are about windsurfing or occasionally snow. For me it's also about time of year. WA is awesome but Summer is okay at home too. Winter is crapola so I try to go chasing a Winter fix. My gybes are still ordinary so I'm always chasing somewhere I can do some intensive gybe practice - preferably somewhere flat where I can spend less energy waterstarting and more energy practicing gybes. Definitely wouldn't go anywhere other than WA in late Spring/Summer.

We could nearly put a trip guide together from this thread. I did Maui last year - had a great time but it was bump and jump sailing and not flat. Hoping for somewhere flatter this year. Did Prasonisi Greece a few years ago. Flat but wind was not super reliable. Fantastic holiday and beautiful spot though. Long way to go. Been to Cocos twice and loved it to bits, but the sailing can be very tide dependent. The spot also leaves you very dependent on your hosts if you can't take your own gear. Nananu I Ra at Fiji once. Nasty reef at low tide and only about 4 days planing conditions out of 2 weeks despite being there peak time.

On the Winter list - Bonaire. Mauritius, Fuerteventura, Green Island. On the bigger wish list - Shark Bay, Lake George, New Cal. Would love to do the Cook Islands too but I think maybe too hard to get gear there.