Sports & Recreation: Barbados Surfing

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When the world was created, Barbados was given an abundance of potential for becoming a surfer's paradise. The island's location far out in the Atlantic Ocean allows waves to travel thousands of kilometers on the bottom of the sea to finally unload all the power it developed during it's long journey over Barbados' coral reefs.

As Barbados is a Coral island, a coral reef stretches all around Barbados' coastline, providing for unlimited surfing conditions all over. No matter whether a swell approaches the island from a northerly or westerly direction or whether it's moving in from the East or the South, Barbados is guaranteed to have surf somewhere along it's shores at almost any given day of the year.

Read the New York Times article 'Surf’s Up in Barbados' to discover why Kelly Slater calls the Soup Bowl in Barbados 'one of the top three waves in the world'!

Burkie's Surf School
Experience the thrill of riding a wave with multiple national and international surfing champion Alan Burke. Fast track the learning process with expert advise, correct learning boards and suitable surfing locations.

Zed's Surfing Adventures
Offers surf lessons to those new to surfing, and surf tours and packages to more experienced surfers. Or you can rent a surfboard and head out on your own.

Sea-U! Guest House Surfing Package (From US$75)
Certified Level Two Instructor Ken carries you to the wave that is right for you, and makes you feel as good about the process as the result. Transportation included.

If you are visiting Barbados to do some surfing, consider staying at a nearby accommodation on either the East or South coast of the island. Try accommodation on the East Coast to be near to what is considered the top surf spot on the island, with it's large and powerful waves. Accommodation on the South Coast will be perfect if you want to be near the coast known for it's variety of surfing conditions from one end of the coast to the other, to suite every surfer's taste!

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East Coast
The East Coast is the No.1 surfspot as far as power and size of the waves is concerned, a spot named Soup Bowl is internationally recognized in the surfing world.

North-West Coast
The northern end of the West Coast of Barbados isn't any milder when things are happening. Duppys and some other breaks in the north west can live up to Hawaiian standards easily. While some breaks claim a little effort to get to, the waves of Maycocks roll out on a lovely white sand beach and are easier to access.

West Coast
Further down the West Coast there is the point break of Gibbs and the shallow reefs of Tropicana and Sandy Lane. Watch out at Tropicana, don't even try in low tide when you don't want to become sliced up for Sushi…………….as it almost happened to the author of these lines……

South Coast
Along the South coast of Barbados, surfers find what they are looking for at many spots along the way down to Southpoint on almost any given day of the year. From Brandons near Bridgetown to Accra Beach the size of the waves is moderate. So it is at Freids where the cleanest wave one could dream of rolls out on Cotton Bays' beach. Closer to the rocks short boarders are in their element and right next to them longboarders find their dream conditions.
Right around the corner is South Point, home of many surfing competitions in the past, with a fairly powerful and clean wave.
The shorebreak at Inchcape on Silver Sands Beach is a pitchy shorebreak and can fit all sorts of descriptions, from mushy to super clean, but it always is quite powerful. It seems to break 365 days a year and is the last break to check when nothing is happening anywhere else.

At Inchcape, also Boogie Board heaven begins. The same shorebreak is where they have to arrange with the surfers and share the waves with them. Quite a spectacular to watch for Inchcape guests from their terraces when surfers and boogie borders try to show off their skill and tricks and locals and visitors alike try to outdo each other. And that's a daily event…………..
Silver Rock, Long Beach, Foul Bay and Crane Beach as well as Sam Lord's castle, all those beaches make a year round boogie Board arena.

Don't you think that sounds like surfers paradise? Believe me it is………………Come and check us out at Inchcape in Silver Sands at the most southern point of Barbados where surfers created surfing and windsurfing heaven at Inchcape.
Contributed by Wolfgang Lange, Inchcape Seaside Villas and Apts.

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