Ocean Dream Cabarete

Wing Foil Cabarete

Date: July 28, 2022

Why is Cabarete the best destination for Wing Foil?

Cabarete Bay is the perfect place to enjoy a variety of water sports. The bay is semi-circular and stretches for 3km, making it a safe and secure place to kite, windsurf, SUP, or foil.
The sandy beach within the bay is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the warm water, which has a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius all year round. There are no rocks, sea urchins, jellyfish, or sharks to worry about, making it a safe and enjoyable place to swim.
The bay is also free of sargassum algae, which can be a nuisance for foilers. This is because Cabarete Bay faces north and the algae never enters the bay.
The sideshore wind is perfect for all types of water sports and there is a progression of wind throughout the day, from 10-15 knots in the middle of the day to 15-25 knots towards the end of the afternoon.
You can foil anywhere inside the bay and on the outside reef, which is deep enough for any foil sport.

How to wing foil in Cabarete:

The wing foil is composed of a wing that you hold in your hands and a board with a hydrofoil (instead of the fins). As you are getting speed, the hydrofoil lifts the board off the water and allows the rider to cruise above the water.
When you start, you will be on your knees on the board with the wing positioned above your head. The wing shouldn’t be touching the water at all.

Is wing foiling dangerous in Cabarete?

The equipment could become a hazard quickly if you are not wearing the protection appropriate when you learn to foil. I recommend wearing an impact vest, helmet, and knee protection to avoid injuries or rashes (during the water start since you’ll be on your knees).

Is wing foiling hard to learn in Cabarete?

Wingfoil is not a difficult watersport, as long as you have the proper information from an instructor and the equipment adapted to learn safely. Just like kiteboarding and windsurfing, it’s a windsport. So you depend on the wind and the current in the ocean when you learn. When you learn, you want to make sure the wind is not too stronger, and the ocean is calm. This will make it easier the learning.
Just like windsurfing and kitesurfing, learning on a board with a big enough volume (above 110 liters) will allow the student to find his balance on the ear while dealing with the wing in his hands. A good rule of thumb is to have 30-40 liters of volume over your body weight. Once you are improving, you will be able to go on much smaller and maneuverable boards.

What size wing foil for Cabarete?

The wing size depends on the wind strength and the rider’s weight. The bigger the wing, the more power, the heaviest, and the less maneuverable (because of the wing spam). The ideal wing for someone learning will be between 4m – 5m depending on riders’ weight – kids may have to go down to a 3m.
The hydrofoil is composed of the mast, fuselage, front wing, and back wing. When you learn, you want to look for foils that are stable, have good glide, and have plenty of lift. When you learn, you’ll be bouncing around a bit on those first rides, making the board cavitate. My experience is that students using a taller mast (70cm +) is better for learning because it gives them height and keeps them from breaching in ocean chop or swell.

What are the best Wing centers in Cabarete?

AGK kite/wing school – https://agkiteschool.com/ with Aryen and his team.

Located right at the corner of our HARMONY beach front residences ( 1 min walk ) : friendly ambiance with instructors / supervisors ready to help you pump your WING with compressor , supervise your sessions and bring back your gear if you downwind for any reason or as needed .

CLUB VELA CABARETE : www.velacabarete.com with Jens and Audrey

The school is located on the east side of the bay , only a 5 min walk on the beach : great extra flats conditions if you are learning to waterstart.

LIQUID BLUE CABARETE : www.lbcabarete.com/ with Charles and Yanick

Located only a few minutes walk on the beach front our residences . You ll find a lot of useful information on the sport of Wing foiling on their website and Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/channel/UCl5zIGj7XVEOVdxvzjjd_Ww).

What Wing services are available in Cabarete?

STORAGE : KITE and WING school offers gear storage so you don’t have to carry your gear
COMPRESSORS available at all KITE/WING school
CADDY and SUPERVISION available for only 15USD/hour

Some quick infos:

The reef works in all swell directions, all year round.
The trade winds from the western hemisphere blow side/on-shore for 300+ days a year.
In the winter, the wind will average 8-18 knots, while summer averages 15-25 knots.
The trade winds with thermals here in Cabarete make for consistent winds for a large portion of the year, which means the wind starts picking up around 11 am-12 pm.
The thermal effect combines with trade winds for super consistent wind and lots of days of wind.