At the beginning, choosing the right surf spot is more important than you might think. The suitable spot for beginners helps to get ahead as quickly as possible and enjoy surfing from the start. Newcomers to windsurfing should always choose a spot with a large area of shallow water as this allows you to concentrate on learning the technique. A large shallow area also helps to save your energy. Ideal for your first couple of training sessions is a large protected bay or lagoon. The wind should not be too strong, 3-4 beaufort are usually quite enough for the start. Offshore wind directions (the wind is blowing from the land) should be avoided because of the risk of unintended drifting out onto open waters. In winds that are blowing from sea to land or along the coastline, you avoid such risks.
A list of recommended spots for beginners:
Fuerteventura / Sotavento The training lagoon on Fuerteventura is a perfect spot for learning. Here you will make fast progress and first results won't be long. The conditions are ideal with shallow and well-tempered water throughout the lagoon.
Porto Pollo / Sardinia Porto Pollo on Sardinia has two bays for windsurfers. One with shallow water which is perfect for beginners. Once you feel comfortable enough you can progress to the second bay which has a slightly bigger wave coming in. This provides for a natural progression once you have conquered the first levels.
Naxos / Greece Knee-deep water, sandy grounds and absolutely flat water in the lagoon at St. George Beach makes your first windsurfing sessions easy and great fun. Perfect conditions will keep you out on the water for hours on end. In addition, the island offers everything a surfer could wish for besides the beach and the water.
Kos / Greece An extended shallow stretch and good cover from the waves along the shore make this spot suitable for beginners. Outside the sheltered area there is a wave of up to 1.5 meters. So once you have mastered the basics, further challenge are waiting for you here.
Lefkada / Greece In the morning this spot offers great conditions for beginners: onshore wind, water flat like a mirror and sufficient shallow water provide optimal training conditions. From the early afternoon on, thermal winds regularly produce top speed and freestyle conditions here.
It is easy to get to the coast of Cornwall and Devon from London by car, train or domestic flight. Here surfers and kitershave more than 300 great beach spots to choose from...
Alacati / Turkey A shoal bay well sheltered from waves leaves no unfullfilled wishes for beginners. It is easy and enjoyable learning all the way. In the summer months the Meltemi blows with 4 - 6 bft and very pleasant temperatures. The bay is very safe and a perfect place for the first long distance surfs.
Dahab / Egypt The large bay stretches out for 2 kilometers and is confined by a headlands, thus providing great beginners conditions. And all of this right in front of the scenic Sinai mountains.
Hurghada / Red Sea Just optimal conditions for beginners. A big shallow area, flat to choppy water, sideoff- to sideonshore winds. In strong winds there is a shelteres training lake with shallow water.
El Yaque Isla Margarita / Venezuela Probably the most wind-stable, flat-water spot in the Caribbean with a huge shallow area. It surely makes beginners hearts beat faster!
Le Morne / Mauritius Upmarket hotel standards and an almost perfect training location combined with moderate winds in the winter months and a large shallow area will make you fit for the summer back home at Europe's beaches.
Tobago / Caribbean The Pigeon Point Beach Park is pure Caribbean. Turquoise, warm water all year round and optimal training winds are just perfect for beginners. "Trinidad is nice - but Tobago is a paradise" is an apt saying of instructors and locals.
Bonaire / Caribbean With the fine, white sand and its huge bay with turquoise blue water, the island of the Lesser Antilles provides laboratory conditions for flat water freaks. The shallow area extends up to 2 km² and is the ideal training ground for any windsurfing newcomer.