Windsurfing & Kiteboarding in Antigua

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Windsurfing & Kiteboarding

Most major hotels offer windsurfing equipment. The best areas are Nonsuch Bay and the east coast (notably Half Moon and Willoughby bays), which is slightly less protected and has a challenging juxtaposition of sudden calms and gusts. Patrick Scales of Windsurfing Antigua (Dickenson Bay. 268/461-9463 or 268/773-9463) has long been one of Antigua's, if not the Caribbean's, finest instructors; he now offers a mobile service in high season. He provides top-flight equipment for $25/hour ($60 per day), all-day lessons for $85, and specialty tours to Half Moon Bay and other favorite spots for experienced surfers. KiteAntigua (Jabberwock Beach. 268/460-3414 or 268/727-3983. www.kiteantigua.com) offers lessons in the Caribbean's hot new sport, kite boarding, where a futuristic surfboard with harness is propelled only by an inflated kite; kite-board rentals (for the certified) are also available. The varied lesson packages are expensive but thorough. KiteAntigua closes from September through November, when winds aren't optimal. The center is on a stretch near the airport, but road trips to secret spots are arranged for experienced kite surfers seeking that sometimes harrowing "high."