Kite and Wingfoil Cruise Grenadines

10 things you have to know before you book

The Grenadines are one of the most unique destinations for a kitesurf or wingfoil trip. Remote islands, steady trade winds, and endless downwind possibilities make it a dream for anyone who loves being on the water.

But a catamaran cruise here is very different from a typical holiday. It’s not a resort, it’s not a fixed location — it’s a moving experience.

Understanding a few key things before you book will help you get the most out of it — and avoid surprises along the way, here are the 10 things to know before booking your Grenadines Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise

1. Your departure point defines your trip

You can start your trip from Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, or directly from Union Island — and this decision has an impact not only on the Itinerary, but also on the entire character of the trip.

Starting from Martinique:

For many of our guest especially coming from France and Europe, Flight connections to Martinique are the cheapest options to get to the Caribbean and therefore are very tempting. Martinique is a beautiful island and definitely worth to visit and stay for a couple of days before getting on Board our DUOTONE Yacht and start your Kite and Wingfoil Cruise. Important to understand though is that Martinique is quite a long sail – almost 20 hours away from the Grenadines. So if you love the idea of combining a bit of Sailing through the Caribbean, with your Kitesurf and Wingfoil vacation, than this option is perfect.

Starting from Saint Lucia:

St. Lucia, same as Martinique is very well connected to international air traffic. Daily flights from the United Kingdom and from several locations in the United States make it a great hop off point to start your Kite and Wingfoil Cruise. St. Lucia as well, is a tropical Paradise and if possible you should spend at least a day or two visiting the stunning rain forests, waterfalls and beaches of St. Lucia. From St. Lucia it is a 12 hour sail to the Grenadines. Starting with a beautiful Sunset Sail on the first day, followed by a night on one of the most stunning anchorages in the Caribbean and another 6 hour early morning sail to Union Island.

Starting from Saint Vincent:

Saint Vincent is becoming more and more popular as a starting point nowadays. There are an increasing amount of International flights connecting St. Vincent to Canada the US as well as to several countries in South America and the UK. St. Vincent is a perfect option for all of you who are searching for a good compromise between relatively easy flights and short sailing times. From St. Vincent to the first Kite Spot in the Grenadines it is only a 5 hours easy Sail through the Grenadines.

Starting from Union Island:

Last but not least, there is the possibility of starting directly from Union Island into your Kite and Wingfoil cruise in the Grenadines. This option often is overlooked, since the flight connections does not show up on the normal Search Platforms, nor are they displayed by any of the big International Airlines. Nevertheless these connections exist and are frequently used. In order to fly directly to Union Island, one has to fly to Barbados first. Barbados is maybe the best connected island in the entire region and receives lots of international flights from all sorts of countries throughout the world. On Barbados, you have to connect with Grenadines Alliance – a local small Aircraft Operator directly to Union Island. Besides being the ideal option for all of you who want to absolutely maximise Kiting and wingfoiling time, the flight in a small aircraft over the lagoons of the Grenadines is an amazing experience as well.

2. Sailing time is part of the experience

A catamaran cruise is not about staying in one place. It is actually more like the “perfect road trip” – the search for the best spot of the day, the excitement of exploring something new.

That said, once you’re in the Grenadines, sailing times between spots are still very short — often around one hour. This means you’re not spending your days moving, but actually riding and exploring. Usually you wake up right on the spot, enjoy a morning swim, have breakfast, Kitesurf and wingfoil the entire day and than later in the afternoon, we go anchor up and sail to the next spot. The Itineraries are build in a way that we start with the easiest spot first, giving everybody the chance to get confident again, or to have a little Refresher Lesson with our certified Kitesurf and wingfoil Instructors. Than the spots get slightly more demanding, but still remain easy freeride spots nevertheless. So one of the 10 things to know before booking your Grenadines Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise, is being aware of that.

3. Sea sickness is rarely an issue

This is one of the biggest concerns — and usually one of the least relevant.

Catamarans are very stable compared to monohull boats. They don’t rock nearly as much and especially when anchored, you often don´t feel that you´re on a boat in the first place. So rolling from one side to the other trying to sleep is never happening on a catamaran on this trip.

Once you’re in the Grenadines, the water is super calm and protected and even in between the islands, the chop rarely get´s higher than 50cm. So very easy and calm cruising conditions. So to be absolutely honest though, – yes, people occasionally do get seasick on our trips. If it happensIn it only happens during the first 6 hours of the trip. When guest often are jet-lagged, have not slepped well and are excited. If you´re worried that you could be one of those, we recommend, arriving a day earlier in the caribbean to get a good night sleep before getting on the boat, eat well, but not too “heavy” and take an hour before we set off a sea sickness medication.

4. Not every day is a Kitesurf or Wingfoil day — and that’s okay

The Caribbean trade winds are reliable, but not every single day is perfect for Kitesurfing and Wingfoiling.

Some days are lighter, some are travel days — and some are just about enjoying the surroundings.

If your only goal is to kitesurf and wingfoil as much as you possibly can, the truth is that you´re most likely better off, by booking a stay on the beach, connected to the a Watersport Center, allowing you to ride from opening times in the morning to closing times in the evening. A Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise instead is always also about exploring, sailing and discovering new places, spots and islands. During our Cruises we of course aim for a lot of time on the water, but also to show you the variety of Islands, the Beauty of the Caribbean and the local culture.

5. The Grenadines most likely have the biggest variety of spots

During a Grenadines Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise you will explore a great variety of different conditions and spots. The spots range from perfect flat water conditions with lots of space and the possibility to launch and land your kite from the beach, to long, beautiful downwinders and offshore conditions while following the Yacht to the next island, to spots like the Tobago Cays were we help you launch your kite from the Yacht and than watch you kite and wingfoil in one of the most stunning lagoons you can think off. That said, you do not need to be an expert in order to join the Cruise, but in order to be able to ride on all the different spots of the Cruise it helps if you´re able to ride upwind comfortably in all sorts of conditions. If you´re not sure if your level is efficient to join the Cruise, drop us a message, we´re more than happy to give you and individual recommendation. Check out the spots here

6. Private charter vs cabin charter ?

Another one of the 10 things to know before booking your Grenadines Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise is that there are two main ways to book your Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise in the Caribbean with Ocean Ad-Ventures. You can either book the entire Yacht, allowing you to customise the trip fully to your needs or join an existing trip, by booking only a cabin on one of your Yachts, sharing the experience with other Kitesurfers and Wingfoilers.

Private charters are the ideal option if you´re booking for a group of friends, a family or if you don´t mind paying a little extra but having your privacy. However, private Charters – even though providing you with the biggest flexibility regarding itinerary, starting points, dates, times, duration and program, can still be the cheapest option to book your trip with us. If you are a group of 8 guest, the price per person is a lot cheaper than if you book individually only a cabin.

Cabin charter on the other hand are the perfect option for all of you who travel individually, as a couple of with a friend. On Cabin Charters you can book a double cabin on an existing charter and share the experience with likeminded people, all searching to explore the best Kitesurf and Wingfoil Spots in the Caribbean.

7. You won’t feel “stuck” on the boat

A common concern is being stuck on a boat with people you don’t know.

In reality:

guests usually connect very easily — everyone shares the same passion for kitesurfing or wingfoiling

and more importantly: you’re never stuck

Every day you’re anchored near islands, beaches, or spots.
You can go ashore, explore, ride, or just spend time on your own whenever you want.

It’s much more open and flexible than most people expect.

8. Yacht size and design is a cruisial factor defining your experience

If you´re not a sailor and / or have no experience yet with booking a Kitesurf and wingfoil Cruise, the Yacht is an often overlooked factor on the different offers out there. The entire experience of your cruise will be influenced greatly by the size and the comfort of the Yachts provided. While it is easy to offer a “killer price offer” for a cruise by using very small Catamarans, especially on a kite Cruise Size and design matters… The minimum Catamaran size on our Ocean Ad-Venture Cruises is 45 Feet. This size or bigger, will not only provide you with having a great amount of privacy during the cruise, large Cabins, ensuite private bathrooms, Air Condition, etc. but also offer enough space to launch Kites easily from the boat. This is key in the Grenadines and allow you to kitesurf and wingfoil on spots, otherwise simply not accessible.

9. Equipment planning is key

As the official DUOTONE partner in the Grenadines for kitesurf and wingfoil cruises, all our yachts are equipped with a carefully selected range of the latest DUOTONE kites, boards, wings, and foils.

That said, equipment use needs to be planned and booked in advance to ensure that the gear you want is available on your specific yacht.

You’re of course welcome to bring your own equipment. In that case, we recommend checking in with us beforehand to confirm which sizes are most suitable for the conditions.

One important thing to keep in mind:
we take you to remote spots far off the beaten track. That’s what makes the experience so special — but it also means that planning is key. Anything not brought on board simply won’t be available during the trip.

10. Kite, and Wingfoil Cruises are often booked 10-12 months before departure

We know that especially Kitesurfers and Wingfoilers like to keep things flexible – check the forecast and go when the conditions are good. A lot of Hotels and Watersport Centers provide webcams and guest are following whats going on from home, – leaving office when things start looking good. While a Kite and Wingfoil Trip in the Caribbean require a bit more planning for most of us in the first place, a Cruise usually requires even a bit of extra time as well. 50% – especially the popular weeks around Christmas, New Year and Easter Vacations are often booked up a year before. So if you´re new to Kitesurf Cruises we recommend checking for availability way earlier than you would normally maybe do. We hope that those 10 things to know before booking your Grenadines Kitesurf and Wingfoil Cruise, help you orientate yourself through the variety of different offers out there.