Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2003-12-30 14:00:00 | 963 views | 0 Comments

Port Aransas

Port Aransas is about a 40-minute drive from Corpus Christi and is one of the premier Fall through Spring sailing locations. The primary sailing spot in Port Aransas is between Horace Caldwell Pier and the Port Aransas (South) Jetty on the Gulf of Mexico. Best wind direction is N and NE, usually found after a cold front passes over the Coastal Bend. During the fall, winter, and spring cold fronts, you?ll find both kiters and windsurfers sharing the mile wide beach and up to logo high surf. Good longboard surf spot if the wind isn?t happening. Port Aransas caters to the vacationer and tourist with many restaurants and vacation rentals.

Port Aransas eateries:

• The Island Café: Greasy spoon with the best breakfast menu.
• Beeman’s : Coffee and pastries on the access road to the H. Caldwell Pier sailing spot.
• Shells: Great pasta and seafood at reasonable prices.
• Buelah’s at the Harbor: Upscale sushi bar, piano bar and without doubt the best food on the coast.

Port Aransas Hotels and Motels:

• The Beachcomber: Rustic and inexpensive place to stay within walking distance to the beach. If you are bringing all your friends, you can rent the Beachcomber-Beachhouse and split the bill.
• Seabreeze Suites: A fairly new 24 suite motel on the access road to the beach. You can check the wind and surf from your balcony.
• Best Western: It’s a Best Western.

All the sailing sites in Corpus Christi are only about a 20-30 minute drive apart. Here is the low-down on some of the sites:

Laguna Shores and Bird Island Basin

Laguna Shores is on the mainland along the Laguna Madre and sheltered from the Gulf of Mexico by Padre Island. Windsurfing is best on S and SE wind, which is the primary wind direction during the majority of the year. Spring through the end of summer is the best seasons. Laguna Shores is surrounded by residential neighborhoods with few restaurants and places to stay. Your best bet is to rent a condo on Padre Island or stay at the Holiday Inn at Emerald Beach and drive the 15 minutes to Laguna Shores. Staying on Padre Island also puts you about the same distance from Bird Island Basin.

The Worldwinds Windsurfing rental and lesson center is located on the beach at Bird Island Basin, one of the best year round flat water sailing sites along the Coast. Bird Island is located along the Padre Island National Seashore and managed by the National Park Service. There are no hotels or restaurants in the park and most folks camp along the Laguna or drive in for the day.

There are only a few restaurants on Padre Island, including:

• Island Italian: Local hangout with good, inexpensive Italian food.
• Snoopy’s: Located under the causeway bridge, Snoopy’s has good, cheap seafood and hamburgers. Nice place to take in the sunset while eating on the outdoor patio, overlooking the Laguna Madre.

Ropes and Cole Park

Both located along Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi. Cole park is the site of most windsurfing and kiting events in the city and has a solid group of locals that hang out practically every day from April to September. Ropes is about 2 miles upwind of Cole and has a smaller parking area with a rocky launch; booties recommended. Both places have some of the best bump&jump sailing conditions in the area and 15-25 mph sideshore winds during the season. A 10 minute car drive from Ropes or Cole Park gets you to downtown Corpus Christi and the Harbor Marina. There are many hotels and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Check out:

• The Executive Surf Club for after sailing grinds in a laid back atmosphere.
• Water Street Seafood Co. and Water Street Oyster Bar for great fresh seafood.
• Vietnam Restaurant: Classic Thai and Vietnamese food in an elegant setting.
• The Republic of Texas Bar and Grill: You?re in Texas and if your looking for the best steak, this is it. Expensive and formal but worth it. Don?t forget to make reservations.

For more information log onto www.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us (City of Corpus Christi), www.corpuschristi-tx-cvb.org (Convention and Visitors Bureau), or www.corpuschristiwindsurfing.com (The Corpus Christi Windsurfing Association).

South Padre Island

The town of South Padre Island is located about 3 hours south of Corpus Christi near Port Isabel and Brownsville. It caters to tourists and vacationers from Texas and nearby Mexico and offers a large number of vacation rentals, motels, and hotels located just steps of the beach. SPI offers primarily flat water sailing in the Laguna Madre but can serve up very good wave sailing conditions when you happen to catch it right. Windsurf, Inc. and Windsurf the Boatyard are two rental and lesson facility serving the SPI area. For more information on South Padre Island log onto www.spiwindsurfing.com and check out their links.