Algemeen / Freeride

For an overview of the Cabo Verde island and spots see:
http://www.capeverdekitesurfing.net/

Interessant stukje en waar rook is ...  Toch vindt ik het ook wel een eenzijdig verhaal tegen de grote boze touroperators. Waarom staat de lokale overheid dit toe? Welke factoren spelen er nog meer mee? Wat als de resorts er niet waren? Zijn er dan helemaal geen voordelen voor de bevolking? Iemand lokaal staat het toe. Waarom en hoe wordt die er beter van?

Money and power in Cabo Verde is in the hands of a small minority. Amongst them are the owners of construction companies. They have benefited a lot of building these resorts. From the politicians point of view, these projects have been used in their campaigns promising more jobs. Local media have not helped. In general, the media is shies away of reporting the negative aspects of the all-inclusive projects.

Local government is absolutely useless. We tried for 5 years to run a project, setting up a kitesurf center as a vehicle to help locals. We as westerners put a significant amount of private money in, taking zero earnings and donating all to locals. What did the local government contribute? Nothing !

Geen wind voor een hele week is inderdaad uitzonderlijk. Geen wind voor 3 weken op rij is niet ongewoon tijdens El Nino / La Nina. 

De regering heeft TACV een extra lening gegeven om financiele problemen te overbruggen. De grootste problemen lijken voorbij te zijn.

Volgens de commerciele baas van TACV is A'dam - Fortaleza een van de belangrijkste routes  en zal TACV er alles aan doen om klanten een goede service te geven.

Ik heb al veel gevlogen met TACV en ben normaliter een supporter van TACV.

Toch een waarschuwing.

TACV zit krap met geld met krankzinnige situaties als gevolg:

- afgelopen vrijdag waren alle vluchten geannuleerd (wanbetaling navigatie software)

- gedurende de afgelopen maand zijn alle vluchten naar de USA geannuleerd (wanbetaling in de luchthavens van Boston en Providence)

- TACV probeerde onlangs een vliegtuig te leasen (ter vervaning van vliegtuig voor reparaties). De leasingmaatschappijen vroegen om  vooruitbetaling. TACV kon dit niet betalen.

- In Augustus duurde het heel lang voordat het personeel betaald werd. Uiteindelijk heeft de regering ingegrepen met een lening.

Voor niews (met source): http://kitesurfcaboverde.com/index.php/blog/

TACV vliegt nu van Amsterdam naar Brazilië via Sal

Nu kun je 1 week in Brazilië kiten en vervolgens 1 week in Kaapverdië !

De prijzen zijn redelijk:

1) 660 euro voor een combinatie van vlakker water bij Fortaleza met golven in Sal

2) 650 euro voor een combinatie van golven ten noorden van Recife met golven in Sal

Heen vanuit A'dam op Vrijdag naar Fortaleza / Recife

Van Fortaleza / Recife naar Sal de volgende Vrijdag

Van Sal naar Amsterdam de volgende Zaterdag

Dit is goed te doen (wind) in November en December.

Hier de details: https://flytacv.com/?lang=en (kies "Multi Destinations")

[Closing Kitesurf NOW (temporarily)]

We’d like to make you aware of some news affecting those of you planning a kitesurf holiday in Sao Vicente (Cabo Verde).

As you are probably aware,  Sao Vicente has very little tourism and very few kitesurfers on the water so…..

the bad news: the only kitesurf center will no longer be run by Kitesurf NOW, however …..
the good news: Kitesurf Cabo Verde will be running the center.

Closing Kitesurf NOW (temporarily)
Unfortunately, we had to decide to close our company until November 2017.
For the first time since our 4.5 year existence, we made a little profit in January 2015, but this highlight was overshadowed by a building contractor causing huge irretrievable losses.
We will take the next two-and-a-half years to save enough money so we can further invest in Sao Vicente and will take the time to organize a world-class training of locals.
Our ambition is to offer world-class service for kitesurfing, food and drinks and accommodation when we open again in November 2017.

Opening Kitesurf Cabo Verde
Two of our Salamansa staff, Jair and Gogo have performed well and were extremely loyal to Kitesurf NOW. We want to make sure that they are rewarded for that. We want to optimize their chances of being able to earn enough money while Kitesurf NOW is closed.  We have therefore decided to support Jair and Gogo in setting up and running their own kitesurf business.

Please help us to help them ! Please do not hesitate to visit Jair and Gogo at Salamansa for a truly authentic , uncrowded, kitesurf experience.

We will donate all our equipment to them and will make sure they can use our building for free. We will also make sure that the building will be updated by November 2015, creating more wind-sheltered space and toilet facilities.
We will also make sure to support Jair and Gogo with administration, marketing and customer service. This way, they can focus on helping you in Salamansa with kitesurfing, food and drinks.

Al you need to do to help Jair and Gogo is to show up in paradise and pay extremely reasonable prices for their services!

100% Of what you spend at Salmansa will go to Jair and Gogo (and the Salamansa locals). Their company will be called: Kitesurf Cabo Verde.

We hope that these changes will not affect your holiday plans too much. Ola and myself will promise to do our best to help you to navigate the challenges of finding flights and accommodation and will help Jair and Gogo to provide an adequate level of service to you.

@HkerkMarthijn

Forecast is for wind which is slightly less than average, but more importantly wind coming from NNE instead of NE (for shark bay a more Northerly direction is not ideal with wind little less strong and less  consistent)

So for 85kg and (normal size twintip?) 12 and 15 most likely to be used.

Anyone interested in being a kitesurf instructor in Sao Vicente (Cape Verde)

We are looking for someone from now until June (may be up to the end of June).

We provide for free:
- flight tickets
- accommodation
- lunch
- kite materials for personal use

The instructor is paid by the lesson. The income is not much at all but just to give you an idea: in November (not a busy period) our instructor started on Nov 7 and during that month he earned approx 550 euros.

contact: marc@kitesurfnow.eu

@wereldreiziger25
Don't worry. There are quite a few amazing kitesurf spots around the world without large Dutch crowds.
Tip: follow the French - they seem to be the true pioneers in finding good authentic locations without mass-tourism.

The period mid-November till mid-December had a lot a days with little wind.
mid-December till yesterday had a lot of days with more wind than normal (even used 4m kites at one point).
Now, prediction is for little wind for 3 days.
Temperature is lower than normal
We received a tiny bit or rain

All of the above is abnormal

I do think the weather will normalize in the next few weeks so hope that by the end of March the normal weather pattern will be back again.

Hi folks!

Thanks for your interest!
We've been extremely lucky:

- one of our clients who visited us last season who fits the profile perfectly volunteered.

[Minimum requirements:]

We own of a kitesurf center on Salamansa beach in Sao Vicente (Cape Verde) and need to be back in Europe to earn money that is needed to invest in the kitesurf center.

Therefore, we urgently need a Kitesurfing Host(ess) starting in January 2014 ending 30 June 2014.

The job will be to make sure that kitesurfers are >100% satisfied and safe. Examples of tasks are to give advice on where to kite, what kite size to use, suggest and take customers on kitesurf trips (other spots, other island), help clients to retrieve their boards, give tips on how to pass the waves and how to keep the kite in the air when caught by waves, ask the center director to keep the beach clean and keep the beach clear or rocks advise the center director on safety precautions. If you are a certified kitesurf instructor, you also have the option to teach.

You’ll be part of a team of about 20 Cape Verdean employees: 5 at the kitesurf center (a hostess for food and drinks, a kitesurf safety manager, a generalist / technician and 2 trainee instructors), 2 for accommodation services, 3 for land-based activities and 10 for general company support (including 2 customer service directors).

Minimum requirements:
•   A mature, highly responsible individual
•   Driven by customer satisfaction (a natural helper)
•   Good interpersonal skills
•   Advanced kitesurfing skills (tricks not needed but highly safety orientated)
•   Drivers licence
•   Good English

Desirable
•   Certified as kitesurf instructor
•   Good French

Remuneration
This is voluntary job.
•   Flight tickets are paid by Kitesurf NOW
•   Accommodation is paid by Kitesurf NOW
•   Breakfast and lunch are free at the kitesurf center
•   In case you are a kitesurf instructor: we offer you €30 per lesson of 2 hours

NOTE: do not expect to earn a lot. We have government imposed restrictions on max number of kiters on the water (18) and we have waves (Salamansa is best suited to intermediate & advanced riders), so expect no more than 1 lesson per day.

Windguru does gives some idea (but be aware it is a record of forecasts, not of actual wind readings).

For a normal season,

the wind strength depends on the spot. Most common wind is an 15-17 knots (average, not peak). If you stay for 2 weeks, the chance you experience 20 knots or more (average, not peak)  is very small.

Waarom praat je overigens Engels? Dit is een NL forum en volgens mij ben jij ook Nederlander?

Sorry, ik heb al 25 jaar bijna niet in NL geschreven ! Kost veel tijd, veel fouten en bijna iedereen begrijpt het Engels.

gewoon goede sluikreklame... 5 dgn geen wind in de maand...  ooh wat errug!!!
stelvoor dat je niet moe weer aan het werk gaat na je vakantie.

The normal reaction I expect from potential clients is not to come to Sao Vicente or postpone. We have also written to all our clients intending to come or considering to come. As a result some are cancelling and some are postponing.
- a warning about a long period (till the end of March 2014)
- cancellations and therefore a substantial loss of income.

Does that sound like: "Sluikreclame" ???

We did exactly the same in the first part of the season in 2010 because of a global weather pattern called La Nina. At many winter kite destinations around the word, kiters were complaining about the lack of wind. As far as I know, we were the only kite center warning (potential) clients in advance.

Does that sound like: "Sluikreclame" ???

Eigenlijk een meer dan correcte ondernemer op het eiland.
Ik zou ze lekker laten komen als ik hem was...

The 2 pillars of our company:
1) customer satisfaction
2) contribute to the local community

Not having enough wind does not support customer satisfaction, so:
- forget short term gains
- stick with your reputation which is important in long-term

[please keep in mind that during the 2013/2014 season, the % of time with good wind may be much lower than normal !!]

Dear readers,

We would hate for you to get disappointed about the wind in Sao Vicente (a Cape Verde island). Normally the time with good wind from mid-October until the end of June is above 95%.

Judging by abnormal Atlantic weather patterns during the past summer and the lack of wind at the beginning of this season, we predict a bad year. So,

please keep in mind that during the 2013/2014 season, the % of time with good wind may be much lower than normal !!

Here's why we predict a bad season:

This season so far (starting mid-October and looking ahead at forecasts till mid-December), we will get dramatically little wind in Sao Vicente!

From past experience, La Nina occurring during the winter is associated with a dip in wind strength.
But this year we do not have La Nina! (nor El Nino). So are there other anomalies that could be associated with the lack of trade wind in the Atlantic? The anomaly this year seems to be the lack of hurricanes (intensity of hurricanes is lowest since 1984 -2013 and was the sixth-least-active Atlantic hurricane season since 1950).

Can we check the theory of association between low hurricane season intensity and lower intensity trade winds? Another recent year with lower than usual hurricane activity was 2009 (hurricane intensity was below average but not as extreme as 2013).  So how was the wind during that season?
It was in fact a season with less wind than usual (5 days without wind per month usual versus the usual 1-2 days without wind per month).

So perhaps a summer of low hurricane activity is predictive of a season with less wind than usual.
Of course, we don’t know for sure. Time and rigorous research will tell.

But if it is true, we are in for a bad 2013/2014 season. Judging by the extent of lack of hurricane intensity (more pronounced in 2013 compared to 2009) and earlier start of the period without wind (November, instead of December), if one super-imposes on the 2009/2010 experience, we may be faced with many windless days until the end of March 2014!!
In terms of time with good wind, during normal years this is above 95% for the period mid-October till end June. During the bad season of 2009-2010 this was 83%. During this season, it may be as low as 60%!!!

Just in case you are considering buying tickets to go to Sao Vicente (Cape Verde):

 
we have not had wind for the past 3 days and for the next 7 days: no wind expected either !!

 
So please avoid Sao Vicente for at least 7 days if you want to be kiting.

 
OF NOTE: this situation is extremely unusual. Normally we have good wind in November / December more than 95 % of the time.

Hoe ga je ervoor zorgen dat er niet een enorme "selection" end "non-response" bias is in je "onderzoek"?

Zon, kiten & duiken (http://www.dive-tribe.com/) + nog veel meer  zijn top op Sao Vicente (een van de eilanden van Kaapverdie).
Maar......  Sao Vicente is niet een goede keus  voor all-inclusive grote hotels.

Hi Romop

For the waves, numerous spots around the world. Examples:
- Chile, Peru. South Africa (but cold water), wind in Peru less consistent, good wind in S. Africa
- Australia West Coast (water less cold), good wind
- Cape Verde (warm water), good wind

The attached picture was taken at Sao Vicente (a Cape Verde island)

Sao Vicente !
Die tijd van het jaar komt de wind vaker uit NNO, niet ideaal voor alle eilanden van Kaapverdie, maar prima voor Sao Vicente.

- meer dan 95% van de tijd goede wind (dag en nacht  )
- 25C met 22C water
- heel veel ruimte op het strand en op het water
- groote baai met keuze van 6 spots  (grote to kleine golven , zelfs klein hoekje met vlak water, cross-shore, cross-on, cross-off)
- cultureel authentiek met levendige stad
- mooi landschap (bergen, lege stranden)
- neem 1 dag voor Santo Antao (steile bergen, groen, water)
- veel te doen en te zien
- direkte vluchten vanuit A'dam

maar ....... een investering (return ticked op z'n allerminst 500 euro)

Omdat die plek (Baia das Gatas) aan 2 kanten (inclusief downwind) begrenst is met stenen.


Voor slaap plekken: we zijn dit jaar begonnen met een accommodation service. Wij hebben alles wat maar een vrij bed heeft bekeken (op het bed gelegen !) en een  lijst gemaakt van aanraders.
Ook zijn we begonnen met het verhuren van kamers en vakantie huisjes.
Keuze zat: van kleine hotels tot kamers in een huis.

Super wind op alle 3 kitesurf  eilanden  (seizoen Sal & Boa Vista mid-november tot eind april, Sao Vicente midden oktober tot eind juni) .
Pur sang freestyle spots zijn er niet (na de golven wel vlakke deining). Op Sao Vicente zijn er 2 kleine vlak water gebieden waarvan 1 alleen voor gevorderden.