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Best spots for newbies (N.America, Carib, Hawaii)?
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Itkouls



Joined: 03 Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:20 pm    Post subject: Best spots for newbies (N.America, Carib, Hawaii)? Reply with quote

Greetings all,

A newbie here, trying to master windsurfing.

I've taken a couple of lesson in the Mission Bay in San Diego, CA. Picked it up pretty quickly and feel like I can step it up a notch.

I'm looking for a place where I can progress to the next level with a little more (but not too much) wind. Prefer to avoid areas with strong rip currents since I'm just starting out.

Would you recommend the best spots for beginners? I live in Arizona, so places within the continental US would be ideal but I don't mind venturing out a little further, towards Mexico, Caribbean or Hawaii.
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gvogelsang



Joined: 09 Nov 1988
Posts: 435

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

South Padre Island, Texas and The Outer Banks, NC are the two that come quickly to mind.
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Itkouls



Joined: 03 Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks!

What about Mexico (Cabo for example) - would that be a good spot?
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

South padre Island is good in the early spring and fall., Not this time of year
The bay area is great all thru the summer. lake Mojave can have good winds with warm water but its hard to catch it right. Cabrillo beach in So Cal has a lot of windy days in the summer. I would highly recommend two California lakes. Lake Isabela and Lake Lopez Both get strong wind this time of year. That said, each spot has very low water this year and are not sailable. Rio Vista Ca is a nice spot but has a river current and a hard launch. The gorge has all kinds of spots...Happy sailing
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U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gvogelsang wrote:
South Padre Island, Texas and The Outer Banks, NC are the two that come quickly to mind.


Hatteras by far nr1. Texas Corpus Christi or south padre

If you have deep pockets Bonaire, or other Carribean sites.


A ABK clinic in Bonaire would be sweet

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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

North Padre Island (Corpus Christi) in the spring, but NOT in El Nino years. The summer is too hot even for Arizonians.
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gvogelsang



Joined: 09 Nov 1988
Posts: 435

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The great thing about Hatteras is that when you fall sailing in the Sound, you can stand on the bottom. That makes learning to waterstart, or learning to jibe, much easier, because the fear of falling is not such a determinant to going for it.

Unless I could already waterstart very easily, I would not want to take a lesson at the Gorge. I did take a lesson at the Gorge once, but I was already competent in the straps and water starting, and making some of my jibes.
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geohaye



Joined: 03 Apr 2000
Posts: 1437

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fully agreeing with these as the 3 very top recommendations:
Bonaire
Outer Banks, NC
South Padre Island, TX or Corpus Christi, TX

U2U2U2 wrote:
gvogelsang wrote:
South Padre Island, Texas and The Outer Banks, NC are the two that come quickly to mind.


Hatteras by far #1. Texas Corpus Christi or south padre

If you have deep pockets Bonaire, or other Carribean sites.


A ABK clinic in Bonaire would be sweet
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Itkouls



Joined: 03 Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for replies, everyone, lots of good info.

Has anyone windsurfed in Baja? Vela has a school about an hour north Cabo.

That would be super convenient getting to from Phoenix. Not sure about the winds there.

The Gorge is definitely on my list- eventually Cool
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of good places where people sail, but not are all good depending on what you need (gear, easy access) and want (wind quantity, reliability). If you want a place with gear ready and wind almost every day, relatively few places: Bonaire, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Margarita Island, probably some more in Caribbean. Most reliable wind in continental USA is summer in Bay Area and Gorge, but you have to drive around, rig yourself. Maui you take care of yourself too. At my age I don't need to sail every day any more, but when I was younger I hated the places that were only 50% windy days (Hatteras, Baja, So Padre). don't be scared of going to windy place. dhmark
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