Trinidad and Tobago for the winter

[raztec]

I'm looking an alternative winter destination to La Ventana and came across Tobago as an option.

Has anyone been kiting there? Looking for info about the best time of year, kites to bring, where to stay etc.

Many thx

[juandesooka]

I visited for a work conference. Got 2 days on the beach in Tobago.

Word was....don't bother seeking on trinidad. Too much driving and possible safety issues.

Tobago was great....pigeon point. Flat water or waves offshore. With boat rescue.

Brett at radical sports tobago right there runs a good shop. Will rent kite and surf or sup gear, if needed. I went in Nov....worst month for wind. 17m attempt but only brief. Apparently from Jan through spring is best time.

I rented a sup and paddled to the onshore reef about 500m out...
Great waist to chest high waves solo...was wishing someone else came out

Also surfed at the main break half hour away....name escapes me for the moment.

I stayed at hotel just outside gates of pigeon point. Decent quality and nice people. I rented a car but you could walk or cab it and not need wheels. Will post name when at computer.

I hope to go back some day

Search radical sports Tobago videos...youtube I think

[frank]

Mt-Irvine is the main surf spot jus upwind/north of the Bucco Reef.

I've spent 6 months anchored between Mt-Irvine and Pigeon Point, and was my favorite stop in the Caribe.
but like all the caribean the wind is on the lightside.
If you are flexible with your timeframe, try to catch the Christmas wind, they are usually in December-January, and will signified the return of the trades, will last about 7 to 21 days in a row of 20-30 knts. if not indeed December to june is best.
the hotel that Sooka is referring to is probably the best location, right on the beach, with a north swell you can surf right in front of it, you can walk via beach to pigeon point kitelaunch, or walk to town for dinner.

The Island is small, gorgeous, it is like the Switzerland of the Caribe, bioluminescence in the lagoon, the perroquets of Charlotte Bay, the manta ray of Mt-Irvine, amazing drift dive, I was fishing tuna from the anchored boat or from the dock like the locals.

The lagoon is big enough to play inside for flat water, and has a few reef break around depending on the wind direction...I mainly windsurfed/kitesurfed the "engine Block" reef (3-4 turn right wave)...but the secret is the "Graveyard"reef, with a north swell it get compressed, and jackup really big (like Jaws) but doesn't break much, just the mushy top, if you can nail a Christmas wind with a north swell, you never want to leave!!! when Mt-Irvine is head high the graveyard is 2-4x overhead...I event surfed it with the dinghy a complete afternoon in 15 feet high!!!and it was smooth!! see radical sports website for spot diagram.

[juandesooka]

Wow, this makes me want to go back even more Frank!

Graveyard sounds like the spot for tow-in foil surfing ... not when it's huge, but when it's smaller, so it mounds up but doesn't quite break. Perfect foil walls.

[frank]

indeed would be an amazing foil spot, big or small!!! too bad I wasn't foiling then!!!!!??

in Polynesia, they call that kind of wave a Maoti...chasing maoti is fun!!!

[Geoffy]

When I go home I usually bring 4.0 to 6.1 windsurf sails, so 6 to 12 m kites. Foil is ideal, will work for all breaks except maybe Boca which gets a fast and steep Hookipa-like wave in the years I've seen it go off. December winds can be good but very spotty, best seems to be February-June, better in El Nino years in my observation. Weather patterns are changing there so check into when they anticipate the rainy season will end this year (usually if it's predicted to end in mid-December as normal then good winds can happen late Dec-early Jan.)

Also bear in mind that Pigeon Point (as nice as it is) is really there as a tourist destination and is actually located on the leeward side of the island, get a rental car so you can kite the windward side, way windier (always), good spots around the golf course (Little Rockley Bay) and there are one or two breaks offshore from there (off Lambeau, just South of Town) that can be really fun, plus the shore-break along that side can be great fun as well.

Trinidad is less safe from a personal perspective (third-world crime and lack of respect) but has super good options and cheaper/better food. Toco area has awesome wave sailing, as does Moruga and sometimes Guayaguayare, and Mayaro Beach has great on-shore daytime thermals in almost all conditions with constant Atlantic wavetrains. Moruga and Toco area are true side-shore.

Hotels are expensive there - find a guest house! Sea is always 28-29 degrees but Pigeon Point Lagoon will be warmer, a long-sleeve rashie is a must for extended visits, reflected sun is brutal like I've not seen many other places.

If you go - enjoy!

[raztec]

Thanks for all the good info.

I'm a novice and really prefer the flat water. I've only got 9 and 12m kites.

Am thinking over xmas and new year and won't have a car. Is the windward side better in that respect or Pigeon point?

Thx

[Geoffy]

Pigeon Point is your best bet by far then if you are novice with those size kites and prefer flat water. Windward side is never flat (but not large waves) and there are fewer options for guest houses/hotels there, unless you can spring for the Grand Magdalena! In which case you are staying right on the kiting beach.

Be great if you could bring a 7 m as well, but there are rentals at Pigeon Point by Radical Sports. You'll be in the restaurant row and walking distance from everything including airport if you stay anywhere in Crown Point.