Aruba

[ChicagoKitesurfing]

Just got back from 9 days in Aruba (8 possible kiting days). I kited all 8 days on the southeast end of the island at a beach called Boca Grande. I used my 8.5 (2x), 12 (4x), and 16 (2x) kites.

There are basically 2 areas to kite on the island.

1) The northwest, Palm Beach area (where the windsurfers sail) - this is all offshore or cross offshore flat water. In the primary windsurfing areas, you can only kite before 10am and after 5pm. If you go farther north, you can kite all times of day, but you will have less land to get back to and you loose some of the safety if something goes wrong as there may not be anyone keeping an eye on the people who get blown out to sea...The beaches were pretty much what you would expect for a Caribbean island.

2) Boca Grande beach, on-shore winds and waves. This is a small bay and is not a huge area, but you can work your way out to the sea if you want to get away from other kiters. I only saw 2 windsurfers there on 2 of the days. About 1/2 of the days, I was the only person kiting and on 2 of the days, there were about 5-6 other kiters. This beach was not too well kept up, there were plastic bottles and junk everywhere...I ran into a couple windsurfers from Chicago at Boca Grande one of the days, but there was not alot of wind that day and they were off before I was on the water (used my 16M that day). This was amazing as I only talked to maybe 5 non-kiters over the course of 8 days at the beach and 3 of them were from Chicago. The conditions at Boca Grande reminded me alot of Montrose, except the waves were spaced farther apart and the water did not taste the same...and you could see the bottom.

We snorkeled a few days, should have done more, but didn't realize there
were many good places to go that you can swim out to. The best for me was Baby Beach, just south of Boca Grande. It was like being in a giant aquarium....

The first part of the trip a kiting and windsurfing competition was going on in the Palm Beach area. I didn't see any of it (would rather be out having fun vs watching someone else have fun), but some of the competitors did come out to Boca Grande one of the days. One of them was from Bonaire. Said he had met V while he was out there...small world.

I brought 3 kites with me and my TOG "boogie board"...boogie boards are free, whereas kiteboards cost $100 each way. I carried the board in my snowboard bag. On the way out, the person at the Continental desk asked what was in the bag, but there were no questions on the way back.

Larry

[Guest]

Just got back form aruba a week ago, excelent time! This was a dual purpose trip, purpose one was to learn how to kiteboard, purpose two was for my honeymoon! Amyway, thanks to Armando Wester from kiteboarding aruba for the lessons for my wife and myself, anyone going down there, contact him at www.kiteboardingaruba.com. As I am just a beginer, I only rode at palm beach, not at boca grande or anything, still gotta say that aruba is one cool island.

[limey]

I need some kite lessons bad! I am going to Cancun in 2 weeks and I just found a kitesite that gives lessons in Puerto Morelos, anybody have any experience there?

if I can't get lesson in Cancun, I am going to Aruba for a week in June, is there more than one place to learn? anyone know how much lessons are?

any info greatly appreciated.

[V]

I think "Chiro Joe" gives lessons in Puerto Morelos. From what I hear from the boys in Mex, they say that of all the places to kite in the Cancun, Playa del Carmen area, Puerto Morelos is the spot to be. I've never kited there personally, but supposedly its pretty good.

Or you can hit Cozumel after taing the ferry, $7? I think was the cost. There's lessons on Cozumel as well, but not sure where.

[limey]

Got the details needed for the lessons in Cancun. Just have to persude the ball and chain to let me go for an afternoon.

If that plan fails, I have booked up with mike at kitesurfingaruba.com for the full monty.......yehaaaaa at last! I can't wait.