The Kitesurfing

The kitesurfing in Barbados becomes more and more rewarding the better you get. As such, this island is better suited to the intermediate and advanced rider as nearly all of the kitesurfing spots are wave orientated. The beach culture here is really strong, enhanced even further by the presence of Irie Man Brian Talma on the silver sands beach. Kiting in Barbados is about time in, on and around the beach, and doesn’t start and stop when you get in and out of the ocean.

All the beaches you can kitesurf off tend to be on the south and east coast, where the trade winds roll in off the sea without any obstruction. The west coast tends to experience lighter offshore breezes and is therefore generally not suitable for kitesurfing.

Waves are the order of the day for Barbados, with several reef breaks to choose from – it’s best to start out at Silver Rock, where you can chat to Brian or one of his team who will be able to tell you the best spots on any given day.

Wind strengths are normally between 12 to 20 knots, so bigger kites are needed – most of the beaches shelve quite steeply so the waves can rear up on the shoreline, however once you’re out, the waves are well spaced out.

Surfing is very much on the cards with many epic breaks; South point, Freights bay, Long beach and Kayakers point to name but a few.

There are two main kitesurfing beaches:

Silver Rock - located next to Silver Sands, this is the main kitesurfing spot with a white sand beach, cross shore winds with chop on the inside for the first 200 metres, followed by an amazing reef break that can offer up an amazing ride.

Long Beach - as the name suggests, this is a long, crowd free beach located further upwind of Silver Rock Beach. With waves that are more mellow, this makes it a better choice for your first wave rides. This beach is very undeveloped, with no lifeguards or rescue service, so it’s best not to kite alone here!

Barbados is made up of a huge collection of beaches that are hidden away, so exploration is part of the fun of visiting this island. Therefore, we always recommend hiring a car for your stay to make the most of this beautiful island.