Strapless Kitesurfing in Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Wind seasons, wave seasons, water conditions, and crowds.
If you somehow ended up on our page regarding strapless kitesurfing in Cabarete, you probably already know how to ride and control your kite decently. So, we are going to do you a favor and get right to talking about our spot on Kite Beach in Cabarete. You will read about the wind seasons, wave seasons, water conditions, and crowds.
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When Is It Windy in Cabarete?
We don’t know how many times we have heard, “Every time we look at the wind meter, it says there’s no wind.” Straight up, wind meters here are liars. Probably because calibration is off, and some of them are not in the best of locations. Also good to note that forecasts can be off because most don’t account for the thermal effect. We have a weather station and live webcam located right here on our property. We do our best to keep it operating properly, but we are not perfect either.
Otherwise, we wrote an entire post dedicated to answering the question, “When is wind season in Cabarete?” Also, here is a chart that illustrates the number of windy days per month for the past ten or so years.
Kitesurfing Crowds and Seasons in Cabarete
Tourist Season = Dec-Jan
This time of year is the busiest for Cabarete because this is when most people come to the Caribbean to escape the cold. There are a lot of European tourists here taking kitesurfing lessons.
Wind Season In Cabarete: May-Sept
This time of year is not so busy in Cabarete because although this is our windiest time of year, there are not as many snowbird tourists in the water. Some still say it is busy, but all good windy places are. In our opinion, June is the best time for wind and low crowds, but the waves aren’t as good.
Wave Season In Cabarete: Oct-April
October-November is the least busy time of the year, but it is also the most sporadic when it comes to wind. Technically, we will have about 15 days of wind during the month, but we will also have a fair amount of rain to go along with it. Also, a lot of places close down for low season. So the vibe iis a little more relaxed and private.
Cabarete Swells
We have two seasons here in Cabarete. Winter and Summer, Surf and Kite, but you can always do a little bit of both on any given day.
Summer Wind Swells (May to September): There are more days of wind than Winter, but the waves are smaller in the Summer. More practice, fewer quality waves.
East swells
Winter Ground Swells (October to April): There are fewer days of wind than Summer, but the waves are better in the Winter. Better quality waves, less practice.
North, North West or North East swells
No matter the season, you can almost always prone surf in the morning at Playa Encuentro, and that will help you on the waves when you get back in the wind with the kite. So, no loss there.
Water Conditions on Kite Beach
We are going to talk about water conditions on Kite Beach first since that is our location. We have a close reef that makes waves and at the same time protects the inside from chop. Yes, it can get shallow as with any reef break, but the water is clear making it is easy to see what’s happening under there. In lighter winds, the inside is flat making it ideal for beginner strapless riders just getting up on the board and also those just getting the hang of tacking and gybing. The afternoon wind will create a medium chop, but it’s a perfect segway for more challenging conditions.
Water Conditions In Cabarete Bay
The reef extends all the way down to Cabarete Bay, but it is much further from the beach. For this reason combined with the deepness of the water, the inside is more choppy than Kite Beach. The depth of the water also makes it less likely that you will have an accidental encounter with the reef, which is better for strapless riders who are ready to hop on waves. Cabarete Bay is only a two-minute moto ride from Kite Beach. So you can start you strapless progression on Kite Beach and in a few days time move on to the Bay.
Water Conditions at Playa Encuentro
Playa Encuentro is known as the most consistent place to find waves in all of the Dominican Republic. This statement usually refers to prone surfing, but it is also true for kitesurfing. The drop-ins are steep, and the waves are fast at Playa Encuentro, but it’s shallow, full of sea urchins, and the shore is rocky. For all of these reasons, Playa Encuentro is for advanced strapless riders only. Make sure that you take at least two friends, bring your line knife and you should know how to self-land because chances are, you will be the only kiters down there.
Downwinders in Cabarete
You can catch a cab all the way to Las Canas (about 30 min drive) and have a ball slashing the shore break and/or reef all the way down past La Boca, Embocca, Cabarete Bay, Kite Beach and ending up at Encuentro! You can customize your downwinder and start at any of the beaches above. We like Kite Beach to Encuentro the best.
If you are interested in Strapless Kitesurfing Lessons, let us know by sending us an email now.
Read more about Learning To Foil in Cabarete.
