This site is dedicated to my passion, the sport which keeps me fit, motivated, challenged, intrigued & fulfilled: windsurfing. Here you will find my videos, findings, tips & tricks, and blog from my latest sessions. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram! As a father of two girls, I am fortunate to live minutes away from the windsurfing spot in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. With a background in web development, I created and maintain this website to share knowledge and entertain. Please do contact me with any requests. Happy sailing! *NEW* Now open, the STORE! Looking for original gift ideas for windsurfers or for yourself? This is ZE place! All designs are original and unique. They are available as apparel, home decor items, cell phone accessories, stickers, and much more. More details on the brand new SHOP page.
|
|
|
Looking for gift ideas for windsurfers? I decided to start making my own windsurfing designs!
Check out my all new STORE page for more awesome products such as retro t-shirts,
hoodies, mugs, hats, and even home decor!
Each of the following models is available for women, men or kids in a variety of colors.
Please, do forward me your ideas or requests, I may totally create something for you.
Come back often for updates :)
View all designs in my store...
View all designs in my store...
Fall 2019: This is WINDSURFING, Believe the Impossible - An inspiring video to remind us that no matter how remote things may appear to us, we need to believe. Believe the impossible, and it may just happen! #believetheimpossible
Some nice windsurfing material and gift ideas :) !
Sessions & Blog top ⇧
These are some of my latest sessions from Cabarete, Dominican Republic. I average about 200 sessions a year.
Conditions vary from bump & jump (with at least 1m waves to jump, only scarce) to massive mast high side wave
riding (rare). Most sessions are side-on 15-25 knots with 1.4m to 2.4m waves.
Most times I wear a rashguard (or 2!) to stay cooler, have some padding, and to put less sunscreen on, sometimes (in the winter 25-27C) I put
a shortie on to be comfortable but it's not necessary. (It's easy to become used to the warmth here!)
May 2019: A short vid to show the spot. Come visit me!!!
May 2019: The dreaded CATAPULT! This one made my head ring. I think it landed flat on its side,
glad to be wearing foam ear plugs!
April 2019: 30 knots, a bit overpowered, landed a few speed loops and working on higher backloops.
December 2018: Intense early Christmas session with landed front loops, back loops, wave riding, fast tacks, and clew-first waterstart.
December 2018: A magical sunset session!
September 2018: My first captured speed loop! A bit more wet than my previous ones but at
least this one is caught with my GoPro :)
Also landed a backloop in the same session, a first!
April 2018: First time sailing at Encuentro, 2m waves, a bit out of my
comfort zone (sea urchins, shallow waters, etc.) but amazing experience!
February & March 2018: My first landed backloops. The first one came
as a total surprise. It was the one and only jump for the day where I sailed my 5.0 which I'm
not completely comfortable with... crazy feeling!
January 2018, a low-pressure system hit Cabarete over three days. Winds varied between 15 and 45 knots in gusts and violent squalls side swiped the spot.
Go to the Storm Chase page for awesome photos and videos.
January 2018: Over a year of sessions summarized in a series
of videos demonstrating why I love windsurfing. Episode II.
January 2018: Over a year of sessions summarized in a series
of videos demonstrating why I love windsurfing. Episode I.
July 2017: 3 days working on spin loops, Day 3 is obviously much closer with some
decent crashes too!
2016-2017: 100% Crash, summary of one year of windsurfing to work on moves. White water climbing,
frontside wave riding, backloops, frontloops, wymaroos, jibes, jumps and transitions, but only crashes!
December 2015-January 2016: Little wind but strong swell!
From 2 to 4m high waves, it allowed me to improve my white water climbing and surf sailing skills.
November 2015: Not a whole of wind in November here,
perfect opportunity to make a light wind freestyle video!
October 2015: Few waves but still windy. After realizing that I wasn't ready
mentally for loops, I'm announcing the Return of the Wymaroos!
September 2015: Freestyle, wave riding, jumps, and of course the best crashes of the month!
August 2015: A little comedy but yet inspiring version of what it can be to windsurf waves with friends along with
some tips too!
July 2015: Upon landing a light-wind jump, my front foot
left the strap and with the back foot still in, my knee got tweaked and the kneecap
got dislocated. It hurt like hell but healed pretty fast.
June 2015: With an entertainment touch, here are this month's adventures.
Jibes, tacks, white water, cutbacks and heli tacks.
Do you find Windsurfing HARD?
May 2015: After many years, I have finally purchased a new board.
Read the full test of my 2013 Starboard Quad 82L here on my board tests page.
April 2015: Brief summary of the month. Huge jumps with very good wave riding hits.
April 2015: The full crew at work, Dominique, Franzie, Tiki & Tony.
Surprise visit of Boujmaa Guilloul.
April 2015: April was windy but a little disappointing wave-wise.
So perfect opportunity to focus on entertainment, enjoy the vid!
March 2015: After a long wait, good conditions are back!
On the menu: white water, high jumps, loops (not by me... yet), tweaked jumps and front-side wave riding.
Changed to 960p, athough it does flatten the water a bit, in the end more gets in the picture.
January to Mid-February 2015: Wow wow wooooow, so much rain!
Small waves, rare wind, need to be ready to go out whenever.
So perfect timing to try various boards without worrying about wasting sessions...
On the Line: 2010 Fanatic NewWave Twin 86, 2010 Starboard Quad 86, 2011 and 2012 JP Single
Thruster 82, 93 & 99, 2012 Starboard NuEvo 86, 2014 Angulo Chango 74.
Find all tests here on my board tests page. (Update 3/27/15: now with even more tests!)
View all designs in my store...
Here are some of the products I use and recommend:
Cabarete, Dominican Republic top ⇧
Here is a little bit about Cabarete, the spot where I live and sail. Located on the North Coast of
the Dominican Republic. We pretty much have good winds from late December to end of April, and
mid-May until October. Side-on-on to almost side waves, temps in the 80s. Live music on the beach.
The center of town is based on the beach pretty much with a strip of restaurants and businesses,
as well as a decent-sized grocery store. Smaller (getting bigger) hotels, overall not a huge town (yet).
Currently, we have 3 windsurfing centers; Vela Cabarete, ION Club Cabarete and Cabarete Windsports Club at Villa Taina.
The equipment at Vela includes JP Australia, Starboard and Goya boards with Neilpryde and Goya Sails. ION Club rents out Fanatic boards with Duotone (formerly North Sails) sails.
Windsports has F2 and Tabou boards with Ezzy sails. Anyone is welcome to store their own equipment at the centers right on the beach. ION Club Cabarete has two locations one farther upwind for beginners, or
when the shorebreak gets a bit difficult, and the former Club Nathalie Simon (CNS) location farther down near Le Reef
condos and Front Loop restaurant.
A few ideas in regards to higher end accomodations:
The View,
Beach Palace,
Le Reef,
Cabarete Palm Beach Condos,
Ocean One,
Villa Taina.
September 2018: One day this little 4-year-old girl decided to try front flips in the pool
after watching me and basically nailed them instantly!
Then, she'd been trying backflips from the bench inside the pool and decided to throw them from the pool's edge.
Sure enough, nailed them on her first day and this wasn't from watching me as I can't do them! Amazing
ability to learn at such an early age.
March 2018: A large swell generated by a huge low-pressure system East of the US
reached the North Coast of the Dominican Republic and damaged the beached. Sand level dropped and
little by little the beach is shrinking.
September 21, 2017: Hurricane MARIA at high tide. Waves were reaching even higher
up than Irma. Winds were gustier varying between 5 and 55 knots!
MARIA at low tide and peak winds blowing close to 60 knots.
Here is a link to the aftermath and beach clean-up.
September 7, 2017: Hurricane IRMA decided to pass 65 miles north of us,
generating large swell and gusty winds. I wandered outside in the morning before it got too windy.
September 7 & 8 2017: This video is from the afternoon and the
next day when rebuilding was taking place. Cabarete didn't sustain much damage, only weak
or old wood structure, the odd tin roof, and some trees got affected. Some sand was moved around but overall, things
remained unchanged and most importantly didn't flood!
In the summer, this is often the size of the shorebreak even though we can
have 4.2/4.7 winds.
Exceptionally, we can have huge shorebreak (here close to 2m at times)
where timing is important especially on semi-sinking wave gear.
Even then a strong intermediate can go through, the reef waves can be brutal as
seen in the photo below.
This is about as small as it gets here. Note the few people at the peak!
Days like these, the reef can be challenging to go through.
There is a channel on the East (right of the reef) where waves are easier to go around but
can still form quickly. Also, on the lower part of the reef (more on the West)
waves can lose some power and make the whitewater more manageable.
Sometimes visibility can be an issue ;o) !
There's an awesome four-day jazz festival which starts in Puerto Plata and
ends in Cabarete. It's usually early November.
There's lots of fresh fish, crab, lobster, prawns, available right out of the ocean.
Doesn't get better than this!
Sunsets in the summer can be fabulous, they are more to the right (to the North)
while in the winter it sets more to the left behind the coconut trees, always amazing when sailing out on
the water though!