SailRider Adventures

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The wind this year in Cabarete has been very unusual. Lots of light wind days, and then winds from the west! Locals tell me they have not seen this in over 15 years... The strong fronts in the north are starting to dwindle now, so hopefully the trade winds will settle in. The forecast today is for 15-20 knots, with winds increasing during the week.

April is my month in Cabarete. When I got here, the winds were light, and that was the general trend January through March. This week however, the winds finally materialized after 4 days of nothing. First day, I started on a 12M but quickly moved to my 9. The winds, as usual in Cabarete, pick up after 1-2PM and strengthen during the day until their peak around 5-6PM. For the next three days we enjoy 25-30 knot winds with large swells and wave riding fun. Got some footage on the GoPro for an eventual video.

Kiteboarding Kite Beach, Cabarete, DR

After Costa Rica, we flew to Cancun Mexico. Our final destination was the beautiful beach of Tulum. The winds were generally 15 knots onshore, so I managed to get a few days of kiteboarding in. This place is great for Yoga and kiteboarding as well. Restaurants in Tulum are great. Our favorite was the small restaurant in front of Cabanas Maalix where Victor, a really nice guy works. He will keep you entertained all day and has some great fresh food to offer!

Not far from Tulum is the Mayan ruin site of Chichen Itza. It is best to visit this place early in the morning, as by lunchtime hordes of tourists disembark from buses and block the view from anything meaningful, not to mention the excited sellers that do not leave you alone.

The Lake Arenal region of Costa Rica is an amazing place. Besides the magnificent Arenal volcano, one can find many springs and lush resorts, such as the Springs Resort and Spa that has 28 springs, all at different temperatures. The place is expensive, but one can take a day trip for a visit, something we found well worth it!

Lake Arenal also has a kiteboarding spot on its west side, the Tico wind/kite center. There is a $7 fee to enter and the red mud sticks to your clothes, but if the winds start blowing you will have a memorable day. We stayed at the Mystica Hotel near the center, it is definitely worth the value with great food and very nice rooms.

We traveled to the western coast of Costa Rica in January. The region has a so called dry rainforest, which is quite pleasant at that time of the year. We stayed near Nosara and regularly enjoyed dinners at La Luna restaurant that boasts amazing sunset views.

Costa Rica is well known for its surfing, and the surf in Nosara and also further north at Playa Avenalla is quite amazing. Winds generally blow offshore creating perfect glassy waters with large wave sets coming in decent intervals.