Having the opportunity to go sailing in the BVI is a thrill all on its own. There is nothing like picking up a Sunsail Yacht, setting the sails and island hopping for a week. Each Island in the BVI has its own special charm that keeps people coming back time and time again. But what makes the equation even better is when I can combine my love of sailing with my love of kitesurfing.
A few weeks back, I was able to spend each day in a different paradise on my board. It was a magical playground and I am going to share with you the top spots to catch some wind kitesurfing in the BVI.
To give you a back ground, I'm a keen sailor which was my first job with Sunsail; teaching people to sail yachts prior to their flotilla holidays! After that I spent many years teaching windsurfing traveling the globe to places like Greece and Egypt. Then 10 years ago I made the switch to kitesurfing and didn’t look back! For years I was a sponsored kite surfer and found myself living on the island of Margarita in Venezuela where I set up my very own kitesurfing school. I lived in Venezuela for a total of 5 fun years and loved the small town and the people that also came to enjoy the reliable strong year round wind. Finally home called and I returned to the UK where I now kitesurf at every opportunity, even when there’s snow on the ground! So you can see that when I get an opportunity to jump on a plane with my kitesurfing gear for warmer climates I take it!
While the BVI does not have a ton of different places to kite, the places that you can kite are so amazing that it still rates highly as one of my favorite kite locations. If you were planning to go to the BVI for a kiting trip with no interest in sailing, it would still be absolutely worth it! We had a solid 20 knots of wind each day which is typical for this time of year but from January to May you can look to get up to 25 knots. Which leads me to my top spots for kitesurfing in the BVI....
North Shore of Anegada
Here you will find a flat, shallow spot. If you are new to the sport this is the perfect place for learning. In fact, Tommy Gaunts Kite School is located here at the Anegada Beach Club and, if you are looking for a few nights on land as opposed to your yacht, this is the place to be. The team who work at the kite school are friendly and professional.
The location is only a 10 minute taxi ride from the south side anchorage of Anegada. Alternatively, you can rent a truck or jeep for the day so not only can you spend time kiting, but you can discover the secluded, sandy beaches of this stunning island.
I spent hours kiting at this particular spot, so it may have been nearly impossible to pry me away to see other beaches. I was able to land a new trick here after many attempts on previous holidays so I was thrilled!
After the end of our last session of the day we took a relaxing swim in the pool at the Beach Club with a cocktail in hand and laughed hard whilst we relived the best wipeouts of the day and congratulated ourselves on a good day’s kitesurfing! Then it was time to peel ourselves away from the pool and head back to get freshened up for a lobster dinner on the beach which we’d defiantly earnt!
Sandy Spit
An epic spot! The next place that is a must visit for kiting would be the famous Sandy Spit, BVI. This dreamy little island almost looks like a sand bar and appears to be right out of a Corona commercial. You must arrive by boat and drop anchor.
This particular spot is flat-water bliss.Your yacht will be anchored off the little island so you have easy access to your yacht to enjoy lunch and a cold beer before getting back out there.
The rider ability here is going to be intermediate to advance as the wind is offshore, and it can get crowded with boats and beach goers so use caution and try to get your sessions in at either the start or end of the day when it’s quieter.
From Sandy Spit you can end your day in Cane Garden Bay or Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke. We decided to end our first day with a painkiller at the Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay on Jost Van Dyke which is always a good decision. We loved kiting at Sandy Spit so much so that we decided to do it all again the next day only this time we had arranged for a local company called Timeless Films Media to come and do a drone shoot for us. I would recommend doing this if you want to get some of the best photos you’re ever going to have of you kiting! Dane, our photographer and drone pilot, was great and was already waiting for us at 6.30am on Sandy Spit ready for action when we arrived and dropped anchor!
Press play on the video below to see us shred it.
North Sound, Virgin Gorda
Do you recall seeing the videos floating around online of a post-presidency Barack Obama learning to kitesurf with billionaire Richard Branson? The choice destination was North Sound, which is within eye sight of Branson's Necker Island. On holiday me and the rest of my crew were able to visit Necker Island. We were lucky enough to have an invitation to spend the morning on Necker Island being chauffeured around in a golf buggy to see all the various wildlife and finally we were taken to the main house for a lovely glass of Necker Champagne! The island is a spectacular wonderland and this was definitely a case of “who you know, not what you know!”.
North sound is protected with flat and shallow water that is clean, clear and beautiful. This is a great place for beginners to learn the trade. Launching beaches are limited. The best spot to launch is in the middle of the sound from a dinghy.
After a huge day of sailing and surfing, hop in the pool at Leverick Bay before grabbing whatever you might need from the market store, or head out for a quick sunset fish and catch yourself some fresh snapper for the BBQ!
If you are looking for your next kitesurfing adventure, look no further than the mind blowing BVI! If you need any more details on the destinations I have listed above, please send me an e-mail which you will find in my bio below.
