Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2000-04-01 19:00:00 | 100 views | 0 Comments

Cutting through the warm, shallow and flat water at full tilt onyour high-speed run, you bear off enough to initiate the carvingmega-G jibe of your life, only to rip it back upwind and start theprocess all over again. It's summer, it's Aruba. Wish you werehere.

CONDITIONS: Better than 300 days a year of dependable tradewinds that usually blow hard enough to push your shortboard. Mostlyshallow, flat water and offshore wind for wiring your jibes andwater-starts. But there's some fun wave sailing too, if you'readventurous enough to find it.

WHEN: Slalom sailing is epic here, especially during summer. Don't read us wrong: It's great in Aruba for most of the year, butMay, June and July usually blow the best.

SAILING LEVEL: Everybody's happy. High-end, high-windslalom sailors call Aruba Heaven. Intermediate sailors have plentyof room to grow or work what they already know. And beginners haveit made with the waist-deep water and killer instructionavailable.

GEAR: Slalom and high-wind slalom gear is the call, from 6.5down to maybe 4.0. You can take your own or choose from a ton ofrental equipment on island.

HOT SPOTS: Fisherman's Huts, Arashi Beach Park, Surfside,Barcadera and Boca Grandi.

COST: Cranking winds, flat water, tons of great gear, killeraccommodations, and all at home amid a very happening and partyingatmosphere: You don't get all that for nothing. Start savingnow.

CONTACTS: Vela Aruba 800-223-5443;  SailboardVacations 800-252-1070;  Roger's Windsurf Place 011-297-61918; Aruba Boardsailing 011-297-93111; Sunset Blvd. Studios011-297-863940; Windsurf Village 011-297-862527;  Aruba Hotel &Tourism Authority011-297-822-607; Aruba Tourism Authority 011-297-823-777.