What is the best place you ever sailed and why? Name+country, flat or waves doesn't matter.

If you can't choose, pick 2.

Maui I'd say

Maui for consistency
south afrIca for variety
Pacasmayo for longest wave
oahu for all different kinds of watersports

Without hesitation: Maui. As a windsurfing crazed teenager I was always dreaming about windsurfing over there. Never went as it was too expensive. Then when I got out of a relationship at the age of 37 I decided to book a ticket as it might be my last chance before life would take over again. I went, this was in 2008 and the place over delivered on just about all my expectations! The place itself is beautiful, the people are so kind and sailing Ho'okipa for the first time was epic and unforgettable!

Sandy Point on a 40Kts+ WSW for pure visceral SPEED adrenaline
Lake George for just so much flatwater fun - so much variety of flatwater sailing and just soooo different from anywhere else in the world!
Coronation Beach for fun sailing in the waves.

+1 for Lake George, with Albany sharing the #1 spot.
Peel Inlet (Coodanup, Point Grey, Liptons, all within a 15 minute drive).
Flat water that you have to experience to believe. Doing 35-40+ knots on glassy water is a surreal experience.

For bump and jump conditions and best choice of kit, Club Vass on Lefkas Island in Greece, great for beginners in the morning and then after lunch the catabatic wind kick's in, easy to swap gear and great tuition.
Tarifa is cool, some waves, lot's of wind and a cool town to go for a meal.
Kos islands and Crete too.

Experience wise, Wheatland r?servoir number #3 is definitely absolute insane:
- zero trees
- zero civilization
- arid super windy
- beautiful
- remote
- free camping
- zero people
- can blow from any direction

Biggest sail ever used 5.3.

Otherwise for year round warm but not as consistent wind wise, Cabarete.

- small to medium waves
- correct tack for jumping
- affordable
- direct access from Europe or US (max 6hr time difference)
- most times alone on the reef
- need one board, one sail, never rig again until sail is broken
- no need for car
- gear right on the beach waiting for you
- great for family, young or old people
- Spanish language with lots of English spoken
- nice grocery stores
- nice internet
- proximity to several international airports
- lots of expats from around the world
- can also travel by car to other spots nearby
- can surf, wing, wind, k1te then your sessions can get close to 365 unless you are sick or working
- no sh4rkies
- board shorts 27-32?C year round air & water

I can go on but I'm biased.... more here:

windsurfing.lepicture.com/

Maui is right up there for year round conditions.

For the northern hemisphere summer, the Columbia Gorge offers everything from flatwater-lightwind teaching and blasting all the way up to nuclear wind bump and jump on 15' waves, all on the same day, all within a 60 mile stretch of river. Just pick your poison, and go shred. Some people make "summer" run from March to December. You can also make 60 miles into 200 miles if you extend the range from Dalton all the way out to Port Kelley.

Maui and Lake George, best of both worlds.

Inverloch Area. So within a 40 min drive is world class speed sailing on any wind direction. Wave sailing , Bump n jump and freestyle. No wind go surfing

Some good replies already, where are the European spots?

I have many favourite spots but if I'd have to pick two:

Coronation Beach in WA for it's amazing conditions, strong winds, easy and playful waves, camping on the beach, and the great people that sail there!

Bonaire, Caribbean for it's trade winds, beautiful scenic location, warm weather year round, everything you need from gear rental & repairs to food and drinks on the beach, laid-back vibe.
Lac Bay is a truly amazing flat water spot perfect for both beginners and advanced riders. It's also a heaven for freestylers and amazing to see many pro sailors practicing here. Can sail on the open ocean with some good jumping ramps outside the reef.
The other side of the island has amazing flat water and swell with stronger (offshore) winds (Pink beach) and you can even sail to a beautiful little island so lots of diversity. Neighbouring island Aruba is amazing too. For the less windy days, it still has healthy reefs and is a snorkeling and scuba dive paradise. I was lucky enough to live there for a few years and have sailed hundreds of sessions, highly recommended! It's only 8 hours from US and Europe and there are four rental centres on the beach so a perfect holiday location, also family friendly.

For me, now, 67, happily married, able to sail at most maybe four hours/day without ruining some essential body part - Lake Garda. Verona right nearby for my wife who doesn't sail but loves good food, good shoes, nice clothes and opera.

For me if I were in my twenties and single - Tel Aviv/Jaffa and nowhere else is even close. Incredibly stoked and skilled young windsurfing crew, and then the sun sets...

For sure there are so many more:
- Greece
- Japan
- Barbados
- Brazil
- France (Brittany, Corsica, etc)
- Spain (Galicia)
- Portugal
- Morocco
- Venezuela
- Ireland

Lucky Bay Applecross.

Decent strength sea breeze most summer days.

Awesome grassy rigging area.

Free abundant parking.

Warm weather.

Sandbank for the learners.

Flattish water.



Downside....

Bull sharks lurk for those who fall off.

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ka43 said..
Maui and Lake George, best of both worlds.

Beachport has some great world class surf breaks, just need to sail out to them

Chili
Nor Cali

Best places for waves margs or Yells (port tack) Australia. diamond head ( Maui). Sprecks for Slalom.Some places in the N.W of OZ Gerro thru to shark bay are good. Heard some parts of morocco are good. Spain ( canarie Islands). l could not pick the best yet, because l have only sailed most of Australia.but Maui is on my bucket list.

I reckon this isn't so much as which is the best, but more about the best personal experience you have had, so everyone is going to go with that.

Due to where I was for work, I've been fortunate to windsurf a few different places in both Greece and around Asia but my two favourite places are Mauritius for the nice waves, scary big and small (and because my son learned to go in the waves there) and Naxos Greece for the old town charm. Never been to Maui or SA or Oz, but every time I see a Video of Geraldton, I want to go. Getting too old for monster waves these days, quite happy in smaller ones :-).

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Lake George for GPS sailing
Kanaha / Specs for bump & jump and wind wave foiling

Manawa for wave riding

^^^
I forgot to mention Mauritius,never been there.its got it all .waves,Slalom,kiting,wingdinging,surfing & Sup.l probably prefer that place over Maui.l have sailed lake como when l went over to Europe.friggin cold water.

The 3M. Maui(Northshore),Margarita(Playa El Yaque), MoonBeach(Gulf of Suez, West shore of the Sinai). 2 of the 3 are more or less gone. British windsurf friend loves Mauritius. Common theme. Ms.... The 3Ms all have 3 things in common. Solid trade winds, thermo, and "venturi" effect due to mountains/valley.

There are hundreds of tasty looking atolls out there. You have a lagoon with flat water and waves over the reefs. You just have to pick one that's not in the doldrums, with tourist facilities and an air strip. What about Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia...? The list goes on and on.
Jez used to run a tour to Cocos Keeling.

Narrabeen Lakes, learnt there 40 years ago, to sail any where else would be a compromise.

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GasHazard said..
There are hundreds of tasty looking atolls out there. You have a lagoon with flat water and waves over the reefs. You just have to pick one that's not in the doldrums, with tourist facilities and an air strip. What about Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia...? The list goes on and on.
Jez used to run a tour to Cocos Keeling.

Spent weeks zooming into south pacific in google earth with amazement, i am sure one can spend a lifetime in pacific searching for spots and can always find better ones throughout.

I always imagined those parts of the world to constantly have violent storms, but when i checked from windguru, those areas seem to have light winds and a constant mild temperatures. I don't know if thats true but it made more sense in my mind about Polynesian history too.
Windguru data suggests south west part is the most suitable in terms of wind, New Caledonia and Fiji line, both look amazing, NC a little expensive though.

OP question:
I havent been to many places but, all things considered, my favorite spot is Le Morne.

Coronation Beach but I am totally biased. The only other places I have windsurfed are Mauritius and Fiji and they made me realise how good I have it at home

pozo izquierdo Las Palmas Spain!!
best ramps and insane +30knots winds all day everyday in summer! Crazy place

Safety Bay ,Denham WA, and plantation Island Fiji .but would love to travel more and explore sounds like
there's so many good spots , Aitutaki cook islands looks amazing .

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Tardy said..
Safety Bay ,Denham WA, and plantation Island Fiji .but would love to travel more and explore sounds like
there's so many good spots , Aitutaki cook islands looks amazing .

I didn't sail there , but Aitutaki is amazing . In some spots the water is so blue it looks fake . More beautiful than photo shopped pics . Very relaxed place . No dogs allowed and the place is full of cats . Some strange logic there . I hired a motorbike , no ID needed, two days later ,( no rush ) , went to the cop shop to show the one local cop that I could ride , ( had the missus on the back ) , and got a local licence , NZ $2.50 . When I asked if he wanted to check if I could ride , he asked if I crashed getting here . I said no , he laughed , I got licence . Paid for the bike at the end of my stay . Did I mention how relaxed it was . Not much to do there except explore the beautiful place . It would be hard to get windsurf gear there . Smallish plane . There were kiters there .

Australia

Western Australia... The End.