Bonaire Windsurfing
There is an island in the Dutch Caribbean that is fast gaining a reputation as one of the World’s top windsurfing destinations. Bonaire windsurfing is ideal for beginner and expert alike.
The little island of Bonaire sits in the Dutch Caribbean 30 miles from Curacao and 50 miles north of Venezuela. It is 86 miles east of Aruba in an area that is considered off the Caribbean hurricane alley. The island measures a mere 112 square miles, but is known for its warm and constant trade winds and it plethora of scuba diving and windsurfing opportunities. Bonaire windsurfing is ideal for both beginner and expert alike.
The winds blow inshore with an average speed of from 12-18 knots in the months of September to November making this the ideal season for the beginning windsurfer. The winds range from 15 – 25 knots the remainder of the year. The average temperature is 82 degrees and the water temperature averages 80 degrees making Bonaire a water sport paradise. Indeed, fishing, sun bathing, and scuba diving are all very popular activities along Bonaire’s off shore waters and its sandy beaches.
It is windsurfing, however, that is quickly gaining Bonaire Island a reputation as a prime water sports destination. The shallow waters and gentle in shore breezes of Lac Bay make it ideal for beginners, while the more challenging winds on the Islands leeward sign offer an ideal adventure for the stronger and more experienced windsurfer. The winds on the leeward side blow the windsurfer past the small uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire, or Little Bonaire Island.
Bonaire is a center for training and lessons in Windsurfing for the entire family. Some of the friendly schools offer programs for kids from the ages of 5 and up. One of the programs used to teach younger children is a five day course that was developed to teach a group of locals who became known as “the Bonaire Kids.” This group entered many competitions and brought home many trophies and medals to the Island. The same techniques are taught in the local windsurfing schools.
Although it has retained a bit of an unspoiled atmosphere, Bonaire also offers all the amenities of a major resort area. It is an ideal vacation spot for families and singles alike. Of all of its attractions, windsurfing is, perhaps, what Bonaire Island offers as its biggest claim to fame. It has earned its place as one of the prime windsurfing destinations in the World.