So I've been windfoiling for a little over a year now and I continue to enjoy the uphill climb in terms of improving my novice skills. Since I live in an area where to my knowledge I am the only windfoiler, there's not exactly a local community of sailors to learn from, hence the value of forums like these.

But if I want to try something new, there's nowhere local for me to try new gear. If, for instance, I want to try a high aspect ratio foil, I could easily spend up to $3K US for a setup that may or may not work for me.

Can anyone recommend a center I could travel to for instruction and where I could try different types of equipment? I live in the southeast USA so somewhere regional would be good but I'm willing to travel. In years past, I used to windsurf in Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, but I've also sailed in Bonaire and Aruba.

Any suggestions are welcome.

North Beach Windsurfing (nbwindsurfing.com) is in St Pete Beach and they bring a trailer full of gear to the water every reasonably windy day. They rent high-end gear and give lessons. Huge stock of current stuff especially Starboard, Axis, Phantom and Slingshot. Certainly worth a drive and if you're in a gear wasteland I'd suggest spending a few days sometime during a reliably windy season (not summer!). It's the home shop for me (Jonny) and also I think Aeroengnr and Sandman1221. Look at the windsurf forecast and plan accordingly, or just call them - really helpful crew. Pricey but worth it.

If you wanted to travel further into the realm of the exotic then get in touch with Alex Morales at Tillo International in Miami. High-end custom board/foil/fin/sailmaker.

^I'll add to what AWS said above. You can rent gear from NB and they have been very helpful in getting some things sorted.

Andy Brandt came to Florida earlier this year and I think he will again in the fall/winter windy season (looks like currently only Hatteras and Corpus Cristi, TX on the schedule). He had a few different foils/foil boards but if you're interested specifically in higher aspect foils I'd ask him if he was planning on doing demos. I don't think he would be opposed, he lent me equipment the day before the lesson without knowing who I was nor that I was even registered to his class. He also liked to show some newer fanatic higher aspect stuff. I think I rode 2 or 3 of his different boards: fanatic wing board (higher volume beginner board), 98 liter skate and 4.8 Idol, big levitator board.

I'm not sure about other places but I know some locals that are in Bonaire right now, I just don't know about the foiling situation there as they went for 6.0 and below fin weather.

It's pricy but I also grabbed the Tricktionary book and started practicing lightwind freestyle and am hoping to start trying more foiling freestyle when the weather permits. Andy's lessons combined with practicing clew first/flips/helitacks/upwind 360s has really improved my sail handling. I cringe a bit watching older videos of myself...

www.abkboardsports.com/camps

Thought Bonaire had a good foil rental program, then there is an outfit on Padre Island Texas, and Hood River Oregon has several Big Winds and Sailworks. Though I would be careful about trying very different types of foils, like race versus freeride, could actually mess you up at the stage you are at because they are so different in term of technique and stance.

But what I really recommend is getting a foil lesson from Andy Brandt, or similar level foil instructor, nothing like having some experienced eyes to watch your technique and make corrections. A one day foil camp made a big difference for me.

For you, NB in St. Pete is the solution. They have low and high aspect foils. In the Gorge, Sailworks only carries SAB/Moses for Demo and forget about the other shops (limited brands). It really depends on the time of the year. Hotels, AirBNB ect. are really expensive right now in the Gorge and you need to rent a board. Wind is great at the moment. ABK clinics are great; I am not going this year. But Andy Brandt foils are limited in my opinion. He has always given me anything he had in his truck and works with local stores for demo products (except during COVID period). If you have a board and want to fiddle with different foils, then NB is your best bet. Wind in FL is subpar in the summers.

+1 for NB. Winds in Florida are great in November to March. You want to avoid summer months and hurricane months.

This past winter we saw ABK doing his thing at Tampa Bay and at Titusville.

I have foiled & windsurfed in all three Caribbean destinations you mention, and by far the best one with access to performance rental foil gear is The Frans Paradise @ Lac Bay, Bonaire. Cabarete is not a beginner foil spot (but great if skilled) but there is hardly any foil rental gear around (wing foil there is); I took my own foil. Aruba is more accessible for beginners despite most spots being offshore, but main issue again is lack of available decent foil rental gear.

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bel29 said..
I have foiled & windsurfed in all three Caribbean destinations you mention, and by far the best one with access to performance rental foil gear is The Frans Paradise @ Lac Bay, Bonaire. Cabarete is not a beginner foil spot (but great if skilled) but there is hardly any foil rental gear around (wing foil there is); I took my own foil. Aruba is more accessible for beginners despite most spots being offshore, but main issue again is lack of available decent foil rental gear.

Bel, what makes Cabarete great if skilled at windfoiling?, and not if you are not?

Just came back from 2 weeks in Cabarete, windfoil rental is very limited, but conditions : every day was on 3.3 M2 Fringe this time. Sometimes wind was good enough for the same sail +my 80l tri fin . At Vela area, minimal or no shore break, uncrowded, not pesky kites, side on/off shore, flattish to choppy, ocean swell,waves, deep water, so no worries about water depth, any condition you want

Yes, Cabarete is definitely windy and generally deep enough for foiling, but the area inside the reef is relatively narrow. choppy and swell closer to the reef, which is great to play in when you know what you're doing but trickier to deal with for beginning foilers. northern part of the bay (in front of Vela) is indeed flat but the wind there is also much gustier, and the flat is still a fairly small area. you can also foil outside the reef, the pass being plenty deep, but again you have to be confident enough to foil in swell, and be able to make your way back through the pass. I took my own race foil with me and found a reasonable (though somewhat beaten up) JP foil board at Vela that I used every day I was there, RAF sails between 7.4 (morning) and 5.9 (afternoon).

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bel29 said..
Yes, Cabarete is definitely windy and generally deep enough for foiling, but the area inside the reef is relatively narrow. choppy and swell closer to the reef, which is great to play in when you know what you're doing but trickier to deal with for beginning foilers. northern part of the bay (in front of Vela) is indeed flat but the wind there is also much gustier, and the flat is still a fairly small area. you can also foil outside the reef, the pass being plenty deep, but again you have to be confident enough to foil in swell, and be able to make your way back through the pass. I took my own race foil with me and found a reasonable (though somewhat beaten up) JP foil board at Vela that I used every day I was there, RAF sails between 7.4 (morning) and 5.9 (afternoon).

Thanks for clarification bel, appreciate it!

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Sandman1221 said..

Thanks for clarify bel, appreciate it!

sure. overall I much preferred bonaire for foiling, even though Lac is small as well and you need to stay in the deep part of the Bay (which is fairly easy to do as the water is very clear so it's easy to see when it's time to tack or jibe). you can also foil outside the Bay by making your way upwind and outside the pass, which is great but also more for the experienced foiler. but please watch out for turtles....!

unlike most centers, Taty & Tonky have some proper high end gear (both fin and foil by the way, and both boards and sails), and their center is also located at the deep end of Lac so you can foil straight off "their" beach (unlike Jibe City & Dunkerbeck Pro Center, from where you'd have to wade through the shallow water for a good while before hitting deep enough water to foil). also did a nice LD trip with Taty around Klein Bonaire (small island on the leeward side of the main island, launching from one of the beaches near the airport). and of course bonaire is also a fantastic diving/snorkeling destination so there's always something to do when there is no wind (rare!) or you're too tired from sailing all day (common!)

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bel29 said..

Sandman1221 said..

Thanks for clarify bel, appreciate it!

sure. overall I much preferred bonaire for foiling, even though Lac is small as well and you need to stay in the deep part of the Bay (which is fairly easy to do as the water is very clear so it's easy to see when it's time to tack or jibe). you can also foil outside the Bay by making your way upwind and outside the pass, which is great but also more for the experienced foiler. but please watch out for turtles....!

unlike most centers, Taty & Tonky have some proper high end gear (both fin and foil by the way, and both boards and sails), and their center is also located at the deep end of Lac so you can foil straight off "their" beach (unlike Jibe City & Dunkerbeck Pro Center, from where you'd have to wade through the shallow water for a good while before hitting deep enough water to foil). also did a nice LD trip with Taty around Klein Bonaire (small island on the leeward side of the main island, launching from one of the beaches near the airport). and of course bonaire is also a fantastic diving/snorkeling destination so there's always something to do when there is no wind (rare!) or you're too tired from sailing all day (common!)

That was helpful thanks again, did not know about T&T, so did not think Lac bay was the best for foiling, last time I looked at Bonaire was pre pandemic.