Aruba

seb · Since 07 Jul 2008 2 Posts New Member

Aruba has a mild climate and constant temperature of around 28C all year, has the sea border with Venezuela and is located in Small Antilles under Royal crown of the Netherlands. Nice destination for instruction & vacation in a beautiful Caribbean island and holiday resort of Aruba with loads of flat waters where to learn fundamentals of kiteboarding in a paradise like beaches and warm blue waters.

More info here
and here

Nick · Tue Nov 04, 08 9:00 am

Nice Lysander! Looks awesome.

carolb · Wed Nov 05, 08 6:29 am **riding conditions**

How's the wind? I heard where you could kite was limited. Has that changed? Also, I heard it was expensive once you got there. What's the scoop on the cost of visiting? Obviously beautiful!!! Very Happy

Kodiak · Since 01 Aug 2005 1114 Posts Slidey

I have been there a couple of times in my windsurfing days. It was a great place to windsurf, but I wouldn't have kited there. The prime location for sailing the wind was directly offshore, which makes for great flat water, but not so great if you have a malfunction in your gear. Next stop Miami.

It was a beautiful place with very consistent and steady wind.

Kodiak · Since 01 Aug 2005 1114 Posts Slidey

This is boarderchick!

It's a very long story maybe I'll share it over dinner sometime, but long story short, Jim was left stranded when his windsurfing gear "broke/malfunctioned".... I couldn't get SAILBOARD VACATIONS (the place that we were staying) to get the boat out to get him or the workers who saw Jim stranded with his hands in the air via binoculars. I took a kayak that worked not so well, needless to say after running around like a chicken with my head cut off, completely worried about him, he ended up swimming the entire way in with the damn gear in hand, and they didn't even apologize or give two shits about the fact they left him stranded out there for over an hour and a half! Jim was really sick for the next 4 days after having to do that damn swim. So when the subject of ARUBA is brought-up, I am definitely not the right person to talk to unless you want to know how they don't do rescuses when you are in the middle of BFE!

I heard from another guest (who was also trying to get the boat out there) it had happened several other times from the same place, and others stated that the other places around also leave people stranded.... Even those stupid banana boat floaties (like in jaws) would go by and not ever bother to provide assistance! So, people started to go to Bon Aire instead! The other guests that were there were appauled at what they did to Jim!

Carol regarding it being pricey.... When we were last there in 2000, it was pricey! The shops that are there are very very expensive, and of course touristy.... It's hard to find "local" restaurants that are inexpensive. Though, ever since that one girl "natalie" I think her name was disappeared there, they had lost business, so some prices may have gone down.... Oh, and there are big windshadows because the hotels were being built right on the beach and blocking the wind....

Never hurts to try it out, just be prepared! Smile

Janet

Chooch · Wed Nov 05, 08 8:31 am

I have a friend that goes there every year to kite. He says that you need to drive to the other side of the island where the conditions are side on. That is apparently where all the locals kite and the conditions are supposed to be great. He said the off shore spot is only good for school lessons with boat suport.

Kodiak · Since 01 Aug 2005 1114 Posts Slidey

Yeah, I would think that since Kiting has become more popular over the years, that more places are becoming a bit more safety consciencous (well some are), and that they have boat support, and watch out for the clients, etc... This was 8 years ago we were there and I won't go back, but that was windsurfing and off shore riding... Windsurfers never went to the other side of the island as they had stated it wasn't good wind or something, I cannot remember, so it was just a place to take tourists on jeep rides, etc.....

Things evolve....
Janet (boarderchick)