Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Bermuda
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing (aka kiteboarding) are specialized and sometimes extreme sports. Unless you are trained, you should not walk into a rental shop, get the gears and give it a casual try. Like scuba diving, these sports require proper training lessons, instructions, safety equipment, and most importantly self judgement. Bermuda with some of its great sandy beaches offers great opportunities and settings for both kitesurfing and windsurfing.
The best beaches for windsurfing in Bermuda are
Shelly Bay Beach and
Achilles Bay. There is no point brining your own windsurfing boards to Bermuda. This is because you will not be able to carry it to the beach. The buses and taxis won't take the boards.
If you are staying in a hotel, your best option is to check it out with the hotel itself. Most of the renowned beachside hotels in Bermuda provide windsurfing gears. And they are generally included as part of the hotel tariff. Otherwise, rent the boards from one of the following operators (do not expect great boards though):
Located at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort, and is convenient for those staying at the eastern part of Bermuda like St. Georges or Hamilton Parish.
Located at Southampton Parish.
36 Pompano Beach Road, Southampton. Phone: 441/234-0222
Island Winds
Windsurfing gear rentals, apparel and instructions. You can also buy or sell used windsurfing gears through them. They also offer gear rentals for several other board sports like kiteboarding, paddle boarding, wake boarding etc.
13 Keith Hall Road, Warwick
Phone: (441) 234-1111 or (441) 705-1111
SurfSup Bermuda
X Operation Closed
Surf SUP operates from the
Daniel's Head Beach in Sandys (close to the cruise ship dockyard). They offer Kona One windsurfers on hourly rent of $35 for first hour and $20 for additional hours.
Windjammer Water Sports
X Closed
They operate out of the Dockyard as well as Cambridge Beaches Resort that are both located at the western part of Bermuda in Sandys. These locations are convenient for the cruise ship passengers docked at the Kings wharf or Heritage Wharf.
Fantasea
X No longer in operation
Contact their operation at the 9-Beaches Resort in Sandys Parish at the western end of Bermuda. Phone: 441/239-2999.
Kitesurfing/Kiteboarding in Bermuda
Kitesurfing (or Kiteboarding) is a watersport where a rider is towed by a large kite along the water surface. The rider is harnessed to the kite while surfing the waters or trying out jumps and flips. There are two most important things for kite boarding. First is the wind condition and second is the right beach that gives you ample space. You should not try out kitesurfing in choppy or gusty wind conditions, it can be very dangerous.
December through May is the best time for kitesurfing in Bermuda. This is when the wind mostly flows steadily side shore or slightly side-on or side-off shore. You will get wind during summer time as well but note that summer is the high tourist season and the beaches are likely to be crowded during that time.
August and September are the months when there is usually little wind. also note that June is the beginning of the Hurricane Season in Bermuda although this is unlikely to spoil your watersports activities. If you are visiting Bermuda and planning for kiteboarding, check out
Bermuda Weather. Go through the weather conditions of the month of your visit and get detailed information.
The two best beaches for kitesurfing in Bermuda are:
1)
Elbow Beach - You get steady East/North-East through South-West winds
During the winter time the water temperature as well as the wind temperature can be quite low. You should bring or rent 3/2 wetsuit. In fact it's best to bring all your Kiteboarding gears including the board and the kites with you. The kites should be 9m - 14m and the boards should be soft enough so that you can handle choppy conditions. You can easily carry your gears on a rented scooter.
Although there are about 50 regular kiteboarders in Bermuda, unfortunately there are hardly any shops or centers that sell or rent kiteboarding gears. Here are the places to get kitesurfing gears in Bermuda:
Island Winds
They are the only provider of kiteboarding in Bermuda and board sport specialists. They offer complete kiteboard gear rentals which includes kite, board, helmet, harness and safety vest. They also offer kiteboard shoe rentals. You will however need to bring with you swim/wet suits, sunscreen etc. (note wetsuit rentals are also available). If you are looking to buy or sell used Kiteboard gears, you can approach Island Winds.
13 Keith Hall Road, Warwick
Phone: (441) 234-1111 or (441) 705-1111
SurfShack
They used to operate out of 9-Beaches resorts at the western end (Daniel's Head), and offered rentals as well as kiteboarding lessons. They have closed down their operations at the resort. However they are still available over emails and can help you with rentals or purchase of the kitesurfing gears. Email:
[email protected].
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 By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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Visitors' Reviews and Comments
Sheldon (August 2015)
Hi Raj, Interested in a kiteboarding trip to Bermuda. Possibly over Thanksgiving. I can bring my own gear and am reasonably self sufficient, although would prefer to ride in places where there are some other kiters. Where would you recommend staying that has close proximity to the best kiting beaches (I gather Elbow and 1 other spot). Also, sounds like we would be close to optimal time of year consistent wind. I will look over the rest of your site for suggestion on non kite activities. Thanks for any advice.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) August 2015
Hi, to kiteboard at Elbow Beach, stay either at Elbow Beach Resort or Coco Reef Resort which are on the beach. For Somerset Long Bay, Cambridge Beaches Resort would be close by.
James Owenby (March 2014)
I've read your site and it says there is very little wind in August and September. Are you saying ZERO wind at all, or just not as many windy days. My wife has a work event there in Sept and I want to know if there is some wind at all. Thank you.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) March 2014
Hi, There will be some winds in Aug/Sep. Statistically the probability of getting some wind in August/September is about 46-48% on a day, the average wind speed during this time is about 11-12 knots compared to 15-16 knots between December to March. Dominant wind direction in August is towards North East while in September is North West.
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