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FarNorthSurfer said..

@Foxi I would have liked to sail Walchensee a few more times, it was great and the backdrop was amazing. Very chilled out place to ride. Thanks for all the advice everyone, been a great trip made better with a few tips .

I enjoy reading your Lago impressions and hope to get there next week. Our wavey sessions take place @ Campione or Malcesine when northern Peler gets really strong. Currently impossible as good old northern Europe is to warm.

Well that's me packed up and leaving Limone Sul Garda in the morning. It's been a good trip all in.
Lucky for me the North wind was on this morning and I had a full on blast straight from the boat ramp at the campsite. 5m Slick SLS wing was more than enough and some of the swells were good to ride although very close together and all too easy to stack the nose in!
In five days I managed 4 sessions at Limone and 1 at Torbole. For sure the Torbole session was the most consistent but it was also the busiest on the water.
Used the 6.5m Duotone Slick v3 for all but the morning North wind session. Had Limone to myself most of the time, just a kite foiler out yesterday.
Best of all my wife had a good time as well and as she said 'didn't get sand blasted all day' which is what happens on Tiree and Fuerteventure trips.
The campsite is in a wind shadow but a short walk south to the beach in south wind and a small paddle out this morning (about 30m) got me into enough wind.
Thanks again for all the advice on the area it's been really useful. Great to visit Italy and foil new places.

Glad you had a good trip FNS. I echo your feelings, such a beautiful place and a great holiday for non-sailing wives, partners also

In search of family friendly windy spots I'm considering Garda for Spring. I'd be interested in the prospects for downwind. I saw this clip on instagram, but it looks light www.instagram.com/p/CzQDAWdrdwW/

The wind seems relatively strong but complex and has dead patches. Maybe not ideal for downwind?

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cornwallis said..
In search of family friendly windy spots I'm considering Garda for Spring. I'd be interested in the prospects for downwind. I saw this clip on instagram, but it looks light www.instagram.com/p/CzQDAWdrdwW/

The wind seems relatively strong but complex and has dead patches. Maybe not ideal for downwind?

Not ideal for anything but spending a ton of $. Your windsport travel $ goes further pretty much anywhere else, Sardinia, S. Spain, Pozo or El Medano.

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cornwallis said..
In search of family friendly windy spots I'm considering Garda for Spring. I'd be interested in the prospects for downwind. I saw this clip on instagram, but it looks light www.instagram.com/p/CzQDAWdrdwW/

The wind seems relatively strong but complex and has dead patches. Maybe not ideal for downwind?

Decades before wings, adventurous windsurfers did downwinders on Lake Garda in the morning, had lunch, and did another downwinder when the wind turned. That was in the time when most people were on big boards, so you'd be able to make it back even if the afternoon wind came in light. If you were on a sinker, you sometimes needed another way to get back to the start.

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boardsurfr said..

Decades before wings, adventurous windsurfers did downwinders on Lake Garda in the morning, had lunch, and did another downwinder when the wind turned. That was in the time when most people were on big boards, so you'd be able to make it back even if the afternoon wind came in light. If you were on a sinker, you sometimes needed another way to get back to the start.

Fantastic!

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Thatspec said..

cornwallis said..
In search of family friendly windy spots I'm considering Garda for Spring. I'd be interested in the prospects for downwind. I saw this clip on instagram, but it looks light www.instagram.com/p/CzQDAWdrdwW/

The wind seems relatively strong but complex and has dead patches. Maybe not ideal for downwind?

Not ideal for anything but spending a ton of $. Your windsport travel $ goes further pretty much anywhere else, Sardinia, S. Spain, Pozo or El Medano.

Thanks this is useful to know.

Tangential, but related: do you know of any spots in S.Spain, Canaries etc that run downwind shuttle services? Possibly more a surfski thing but something that would make logistics easier. Maybe Tarifa?

Garda is not the place to do winging or downwinders. Garda is too far south. The wind/waves in the morning come from north, the wind in the afternoon is from south. So if you like to do downwinders you have to start far north like Torbole, but there are no waves in the morning. Better Hotel Pier or here.
45.844966,10.863723
You can then go until Malcesine/Assenza on the eastcoast or campinoe on the westcost. Then wait until the ora, wind in the afternoon, and go back.
Regards

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cornwallis said..

Tangential, but related: do you know of any spots in S.Spain, Canaries etc that run downwind shuttle services? Possibly more a surfski thing but something that would make logistics easier. Maybe Tarifa?

Not specifically but the more popular destinations like Tarifa, El Medano and Pozo have Surfski traffic so it's likely possible to get in on a shuttle. Corralejo on Fuerteventura also has a ski business, can't recall the name though...

I love Italy, I'm even a non-resident Italian citizen. It's just become too crowded and overpriced.
Corralejo is now like 50% expat Italians.