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Budget WWW locations for winter

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Created by Sea Lotus > 9 months ago, 13 Dec 2019
Sea Lotus
314 posts
13 Dec 2019 11:33PM
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WWW at topic meaning warm+waves+wind :)

Before i get to the subject i need to say that experiencing ocean waves first time in my life, I immediately fell in love with it, surfing in the morning and windsurfing in the afternoon, that lifestyle... So after i come back to real life from that holiday i just can not stop trying to plan about a very long term travel, even if that will mean i will have to quit my job and face the consequences for a year or two.

So considering having a very very limited budget, to live pretty minimalistic for maybe 4 months or more, maybe in a camper van if its cheaper, which locations would you suggest with warm water, good wind and nice ocean waves at winter months?

Looking at Vietnam and Peru for now but it looks its hard to stay long there, any ideas?

segler
WA, 1597 posts
14 Dec 2019 12:40AM
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Punta San Carlos in Baja. From December through April. Ocean waves. Live in a tent. Eat fish.

philn
725 posts
14 Dec 2019 2:35AM
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segler said..
Punta San Carlos in Baja. From December through April. Ocean waves. Live in a tent. Eat fish.


Punta San Carlos only starts blowing in April and lasts through September. March and October can blow too. June July August is the best likelihood for good waves.

Gestalt
QLD, 14123 posts
14 Dec 2019 6:57AM
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the water isn't warm in baja

Thailand and Brazil should prob be on the list too. Vietnam is high up on my list of places.

bowsa
QLD, 600 posts
14 Dec 2019 7:48AM
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I spent 6 weeks living on the beach windsurfing every day eating fresh fish in Masirah Island in southern Oman in July and August it had amazing conditions but very isolated. It was the best adventure I've been on yet

Relapse
VIC, 574 posts
14 Dec 2019 10:42AM
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Good topic, I'm looking for a winter escape too in July, August. Pozo was really fun last year but not a DTL wave spot, warm and affordable though.

Any wave spots in Vietnam that are accessable without a car?

obenebo
NSW, 41 posts
14 Dec 2019 11:57AM
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Winter months in northern or southern hemisphere? I've been considering Penghu, an island off Taiwan, which looks to be a October-March destination. I was recently in Taiwan for the first time, and thought it was a really cool place. Great food, friendly people, and easy on the budget. Did not visit Penghu, but if it is as laid back as the rest of Taiwan, and has the conditions to match the youtube clips, it definitely has my interest.

Relapse
VIC, 574 posts
14 Dec 2019 4:06PM
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obenebo said..
Winter months in northern or southern hemisphere? I've been considering Penghu, an island off Taiwan, which looks to be a October-March destination. I was recently in Taiwan for the first time, and thought it was a really cool place. Great food, friendly people, and easy on the budget. Did not visit Penghu, but if it is as laid back as the rest of Taiwan, and has the conditions to match the youtube clips, it definitely has my interest.


Surfed Dulan in Taiwan 2 years ago, there is an awesome break there for Windsurfing but getting your gear there is tricky without a car. Can't remember when the windy season is but there are a couple of Spanish guys who sail there and run a restaurant/camp ground. Japanese PWA guys train there

Sea Lotus
314 posts
14 Dec 2019 10:34PM
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I live on northern hemisphere so October to May is cold here.

Yes, Brazil is at the top of the list, a little expensive though.
I heard good wind is not common in Thailand.
Oman looks nice too, should be cheap, but maybe worry about safety and convenience in general.

Wow i didn't know about Taiwan beaches, looks great, not so expensive, many spots. Thanks guys, i will check details soon.

Does anyone have experience in Cape Verde?

motogon
175 posts
31 Dec 2019 12:12AM
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Did anybody been on Barbados in February? November to March supposed to be windy season there.

Sea Lotus
314 posts
31 Dec 2019 11:00AM
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I had been doing some research, mainly focusing on budget, must have consistent winds, here are my top locations for October-April:

1- Vietnam, Mui Ne and My Hao:
Warm and very windy all year, very cheap, waves are not so good, can not rent car.

2- Dominic Republic, Cabarete:
Good accommodation for price and cheap in general, nice waves, warm and windy all year, beautiful place.

3- Cape Verde, Santa Maria or Boa Vista:
Good accommodation for price and cheap in general, good waves and wind but 23-25c is not so warm, no trees :(

4- Mauritius, Le Morne:
Beautiful place, great waves, good accommodation for price, convenient to travel but windy season ends in November.

5- Brazil, Jericoacoara or Gostoso:
Nice warm place but a little expensive to find good accommodation. Good waves and good wind.
for adventurers
6- Venezuela
War may be problem
7- Mozambik-Tanzania-Kenya
Good places are expensive, hard to travel to

Taiwan is crazy windy but a little cold so can not make it to this list in my opinion.

I couldn't get much info about Peru Pacasmayo but it looks like weather is a little cold and winds are not so good. Anyone have any info?

Gestalt
QLD, 14123 posts
31 Dec 2019 1:32PM
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just thinking out loud with no prior knowledge is malaysia any good

Gestalt
QLD, 14123 posts
31 Dec 2019 1:37PM
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Philippines
fiji
new caladonia

Sea Lotus
314 posts
31 Dec 2019 11:44AM
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There is an area where Vietnam coast channels winds towards the area between Thailand and Malaysia, that area seems to get some wind but still not consistent enough, at least according to windguru. Same goes for Endonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippines.

Sea Lotus
314 posts
31 Dec 2019 12:04PM
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Gestalt said..
fiji
new caladonia



I didn't know about these places, they look amazing! Fiji looks budget friendly too. Unfortunately too far to me and no convenient flights.

seanhogan
QLD, 3424 posts
31 Dec 2019 2:45PM
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no waves in new cal (unless you're keen for a massive reef break) and not budget either :-)

Gestalt
QLD, 14123 posts
31 Dec 2019 4:22PM
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Guam and Marshall islands look awesome.

marshall islands has had some big names tour there.

Gestalt
QLD, 14123 posts
31 Dec 2019 9:18PM
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Pohnpei, Patagonia, kosrae etc in micronesia.

peterowensbabs
NSW, 443 posts
31 Dec 2019 11:35PM
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Gestalt said..
just thinking out loud with no prior knowledge is malaysia any good


Not really. Occasional good windy day but not much of the coast is user friendly, I love the place and have lived there on a few different occasions on both coasts and sadly its mostly scruffy mangrove with lots of litter and scrappy illegal developments like wharves piers etc for fishing. (great fish eating on the other hand!)

motogon
175 posts
31 Dec 2019 9:07PM
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Sea Lotus said..

2- Dominic Republic, Cabarete:
Good accommodation for price and cheap in general, nice waves, warm and windy all year, beautiful place.


Wind is not reliable there on winter time. Prime season for Cabarete - from Spring to end of Summer.

peterowensbabs
NSW, 443 posts
1 Jan 2020 12:26AM
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Sea Lotus said..
I had been doing some research, mainly focusing on budget, must have consistent winds, here are my top locations for October-April:

1- Vietnam, Mui Ne and My Hao:
Warm and very windy all year, very cheap, waves are not so good, can not rent car.

2- Dominic Republic, Cabarete:
Good accommodation for price and cheap in general, nice waves, warm and windy all year, beautiful place.

3- Cape Verde, Santa Maria or Boa Vista:
Good accommodation for price and cheap in general, good waves and wind but 23-25c is not so warm, no trees :(

4- Mauritius, Le Morne:
Beautiful place, great waves, good accommodation for price, convenient to travel but windy season ends in November.

5- Brazil, Jericoacoara or Gostoso:
Nice warm place but a little expensive to find good accommodation. Good waves and good wind.
for adventurers
6- Venezuela
War may be problem
7- Mozambik-Tanzania-Kenya
Good places are expensive, hard to travel to

Taiwan is crazy windy but a little cold so can not make it to this list in my opinion.

I couldn't get much info about Peru Pacasmayo but it looks like weather is a little cold and winds are not so good. Anyone have any info?


Kenya is an awesome windsurfing location but is mostly Kite territory now. Diani and Malindi are some of the most consistently windy places in the world, never too windy and seldom too little to get out. Fringing reef on the red sea super clean awesome lagoon blasting and small wave bump n jump to mid size surf. Super friendly and cheap accommodation.

Sea Lotus
314 posts
23 Jan 2020 5:22PM
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I am going to My Hoa, Vietnam tomorrow, but i have to leave the country after 25days, for at least 15 days due to visa policy. So, i am planning to continue to Boracay, Philippines for a month, but still couldn't find an airline which accepts ws equipment. Any idea?

There are two better spots with better wind in Philippines if anyone is willing to go through transportation hassle.
Northest point of mainland and far out in wild, very hard to reach this spot (kingfisher) especially carrying equipment, no rentals but storage, very isolated, very beautiful, good waves and wind but a little cold.
Other spot is Cuyo island at south, no rentals but storage, relatively less isolated and easier to reach.

Sea Lotus
314 posts
17 Apr 2020 11:08PM
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Small review of My Hoa/Phan Rang:

My Hoa is a fishing village, its 2,5hrs drive north from more famous and crowded Mui Ne. There is an airport (cxr) 1,5hrs north, or you can take a sleeper cabin train from Ho Chi Minh which takes about 7hrs. Problem is you can't fit ws gear in the train and 6hrs taxi costs about 200$.
Best season Dec-Feb, sideshore 30+kts and 2-4mt waves almost every day, water is always warm shorties and lycra are enough, 26-28c air but need long clothes at nights as its windy 24hrs. After Feb it gets a little warmer at nights too and temp up to 30c, still windy most days but smaller waves and 30+kts is less often. After April winds are one week on and one week off, waves are rare.
Lagoon is empty on low tide and over knee at high tide, its very tide dependent, sandy bottom but many rocks and pipes. Southern part of lagoon is a little deeper, this is where you can rent the ws gear too, they have Severne dynos and blades, but bring finS since most are broken or in bad shape. There is reef break 500-600mt far (you need to walk your gear till here most of the time because its too shallow in lagoon), waves break where reef is 1-2mt deep so its quite safe. Outside is choppy with swell. Fishing boats create a nice view.
There are several kite schools with accommodation on the beach, or two guest houses 30mt from beach. One of them have ws gear for rental. Food is nice with both local and western type. Its a quiet and peaceful place, locals are very friendly and its very safe. Life in general is very cheap but not so cheap at the facilities on the beach. 90% kiters, all ws friendly and everyone is chilled. Lagoon is huge and it sideshore so its not crowded.
There is a surf spot and waterfall 30mins drive north. National park beach 10mins drive north for snorkeling. The city Phan Rang is 30mins drive south, there is a big beach in city with thermal winds, onshore, you need to watch out for fishing nets. Water is choppy and more dirty. If there is no wind in my hoa there will be more in city, but my hoa is more windy normally.

Overall i really recommend this spot, #1 in my list as for the budget oriented www spots, hopefully i can come back again next winter. Only downside is you may need to walk a little when tide is not high, and maybe break some fins if you try your luck in the lagoon. You can olso see some plastic on beaches but other than that nature is beautiful.

Watching great conditions being wasted for one month as its not allowed to do watersports, but still great place to be in lockdown :)

Manuel7
1232 posts
17 Apr 2020 11:28PM
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Yes please, COME, COME COME !!!!

Waiting4wind
NSW, 1871 posts
18 Apr 2020 12:12PM
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Gestalt said..
Philippines
fiji
new caladonia


I've sailed all of the above and new cal would be the most consistent wind in its season, with the benefit of being able to get the best advice from a local WS and SB member Sean.

patsken
WA, 703 posts
18 Apr 2020 11:14AM
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Waiting4wind said..

Gestalt said..
Philippines
fiji
new caladonia



I've sailed all of the above and new cal would be the most consistent wind in its season, with the benefit of being able to get the best advice from a local WS and SB member Sean.


The heading does say BUDGET though !
I wouldn't think of New Cal as fitting that category.



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"Budget WWW locations for winter" started by Sea Lotus