Looking to Wing foil in Barbados?
Here are a couple of the best spots for Wing foiling in Barbados:
- Maxwell Beach
- Sandals Beach
- Silver Rock Beach aka Silver Sands
- Brighton Beach aka “Hot Pot”
Maxwell Beach
Maxwell Beach is an ideal location for wing foiling. If you are interested in learning to wing foil or you are an intermediate to advanced rider this is a great spot. Located just 15 minutes from the Grantley Adams International Airport and 20 minutes from Bridgetown (the city), this spot is superb. There is parking right across the road from this beach with easy access to the beach itself. Ideally you want to get here during the mid low going to high tide as it is quite shallow closer to the beach. You will have to swim or paddle out just a few yards to start off, depending on the length of the mast on your foil. The best time of year is from December to June for this location and ideally the wind needs to be a bit more side-on.
For a beginner rider, wing foiling here is very forgiving as you push off from the most eastern part of the beach and with the wind and currents blowing you further down the beach its quite forgiving. Just a short walk back up the beach if needed.
For an intermediate rider, it is also a great spot to practice your runs, however, if you are looking to ride the waves this may not be the most ideal spot as the swell running here is few and far between.
For an advanced rider, this is a good spot to just work on your runs and practice jumps, flips etc. Occasionally there might be a swell running which you could get some fun rides on but not the longest ride to be had.
Maxwell Beach also is within 10 minutes walking distance to the Oistins Fish Market where you can get delicious local cuisine at one of the many food stalls located there. Fresh fish or catch of the day is available with an array of delicious side orders from French Fries, sweet potato, macaroni pie, rice and beans and everything in between. There are also a number of bars situated at the Fish Market. In addition there is a cafe approximately 5-7 minutes walking distance away from the beach called, Surfers Cafe, where you can also dine in and have your typical surf and turf meals along with cocktails, beer and other beverages. Its also right on the water. There is sometimes live music there too.
Sandals Beach
“Sandals Beach” though not its official name but more so because it sits in front of Sandals the famous hotel chain, is another great spot for intermediate to advanced riders. The beach is located just about 5 minutes west of Maxwell Beach. The wind direction and conditions are quite similar to Maxwell Beach however at certain times the swell can get a bit larger and provide some good wing foil surfing at this spot. Definitely recommended for more Intermediate to advanced riders also because of the presence of a large groin (rocks) nearby. There are no facilities at this beach where you can wash off your equipment or rinse off with fresh water. Might be best to bring your own container of water. While there are some bars or restaurants nearby, it would require a bit more of a walk or a drive to get to the famous St. Lawrence Gap. There, you can find all sorts of bars and restaurants.
Silver Rock Beach aka Silver Sands
Silver Rock beach more commonly referred to as Silver Sands is the mecca spot for everything wind and surfing related. This is where you can kitesurf, wing foil, kite foil, paddle board, surf, windsurf or even have fun on a sponge board in the shore break. Silver Rock definitely has everything. Its located just 10 minutes from the Grantley Adams International Airport and 25 minutes from the city of Bridgetown. There are public bathroom facilities as well as showers to rinse off after a session out on the water. You can wash off all your gear and freshen up here. Nearby, there is also a “rum shop” called, London Bar, where you can grab a beverage of your choice and you can also get some good Bajan food here. There is a public park with picnic tables set back from the beach also if you just want to spend a few hours at this spot.
The wind direction shifts around here throughout the year so for most of the year you can enjoy doing most of the aforementioned water sports here. For Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Kite foiling and Wing foiling it’s best to catch the wind here when its more off-shore. While this is the best spot for all these sports, it is not a very forgiving beach for beginners. I learnt to kitesurf mostly at this beach and it was not an easy feat but as they say, if you can learn to kitesurf here, you can probably manage just about anywhere. There is also quite a bit of room on the beach if you wish to bring your partner along or your family to have a fun day at the beach.
Silver Rock has an outer reef that can get waves as large as 6-8 feet sometimes bigger but for the most part throughout the year the swell will be around 2-3 feet. These waves can provide an adrenaline pumping playground for jumping or launching off the waves. Great for practicing those tricks and getting some big air. My favorite location for kitesurfing!
Brighton Beach aka “Hot Pot”
This location is one of the lesser known spots to wing foil just because its one of those spots the wind has to be coming from a very specific direction. Hot Pot is situated on the south west coast of Barbados and sits just on the outskirts of the city (Bridgetown). Its approximately a 25-30 minute drive from the Grantley Adams International Airport. Heading north on the Mighty Grynner Highway (formerly Spring Garden Highway) coming from the city, you’ll want tp make the second left turnoff to get to the Hot Pot. This beach is called Hot Pot because there is a particular spot in the ocean where the water is extremely warm almost hot to the touch. People tend to come here to swim as the belief is that the warm water has healing effects. The wind direction for this location has to be coming from the direct south or even west south west for here to be ideal for wing foiling. Not ideal for beginners just because the wind is not usually consistent here. However, having said that, the sea is very calm on this side of the island and under normal windy circumstances would be ideal for a beginner.
