Flying to the Caribbean in mid-Winter was somewhat of a new experience for me. The goal of the trip wasn't exactly to kite, but sail between french Martinique and the Grenadines archipelago. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to leave my kites and new board at home!
So, I managed to squeeze some magical kite sessions between stops. Not wanting to post a complete guide for kiting in the area, I'll give you an idea of the spots I tested and/or had time to check.
In Martinique I did a quick car trip that allowed to see some spots, but I only stopped and tried kiting in Cap Chevalier. Twice in the two weeks trip, I inflated my 12m kite in the clear sand of Anse Michel. It's a flat water bay, ideal for all levels and protected by the coral reef. The spot is easy to find and get to, so here's just a couple of photos, to give you an idea:
Setting my new board for the first time (can't find much better than this as a spot to test it)...
...then the kite, and off we go to the crystal water!
Don't really know how to explain it any other way, but sitting on the deck and looking at the sail, I couldn't stop thinking that sailing felt like a very logical way to travel from spot to spot, for a kitesurfer.
In the Grenadines, Mustique is not like other islands... Every hill has a huge mansion with the size of a small village, two of which belonging to none others than Mick Jagger and David Bowie. And they're not the only rich and famous that chose to buy a place to escape here, which is enough reason to understand why everything is picture perfect, starting with the "entrance" through the small dock...
I didn't kite in the island, but I could take a look at two big beaches (marked on the map below) with some waves and a lot of potential.
Another island with a lot of potential and a big choice of spots perfect for the Trade winds (the Alizés) is Canouan. The island is quite "thin", so if you're sailing and anchoring protected from the wind, you won't have to take your gear very far to try a spot.
Between Glossy and the airport, you can actually anchor on the spot, with some protection from the Trade winds ("normal" direction marked on map below) when on the boat and with enough air for kiting otherwise.
Just South of Friendship (a great name, that totally agrees with the friendly character of the local population) is a dream spot. When I was there, the wind meter was marking 22kn and there wasn't any kite in sight...
As it should be, I'm saving the best for last! A lot of times, when kiting in the Grenadines, you'll be alone (or almost) in a spot. I'm guessing that that's because a lot of them aren't easy (or inexpensive) to get to, if you're not on a boat. In the Tobago Cays, that is taken to another level! A small group of islands, protected in a natural park, offer a view that you normally only see in perfect postcards...
As soon as I got there I only had one thought: "I have to kite here!"
Easier said than done because, due to the strict park rules, you can only kite to the left of the island on the photo below which (as you can see from the marked area on the top of the map at the end of this post) is completely offshore! So you need to have an inflatable with a good engine in your boat (and a friend to pilot it) or pay one of the "boat boys" to act as safety backup, to avoid getting a scare...
Another solution (which is what I did) is sailing around the coral reef and anchoring (very carefully due to the shallow depths) North of the Petit Tabac. Now, this is a postcard island if I ever saw one! A small line of white sand and coconut trees protected by the reef.
With the wind at 15kn at arrival, all there was to be done was to get the gear from the boat...
...to shore...
...and go kite!
I'm guessing you can imagine the big smile I had at the end of this session... Well, time to drink the daily "ti punch" and enjoy the sunset!
Here's a couple of links to give you an idea:
