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Windsurfing in the Philippines |
You think: There is a lot of water, a lot of wind and there are 7107 wonderful islands, so I can go windsurfing anywhere. Hmm, this is true and wrong.
There are two major problems. You cannot bring in your equipment by plane at a reasonable rate and there are only few equipment rentals around. |
This is another reason for choosing Boracay. Simone Bartmann rents brand new equipment. Simone also has the best windsurf school in the country. And her funboard center on Bulabog Beach is where active and funny people meet.
There are other windsurf schools and rentals on Bulabog Beach. But none has this special mix of fun and hospitality. |
Boracay is perfect for beginner to extreme windsurfers looking for perfect mixture of sun, sea and surf. The water is always warm and the lagoon is shallow enough to stand in most places. An offshore coral reef protects it from the onshore waves and swells, so beginners can start inside and experts can go out. |
The Beach
Boracay has lots of beaches. But the most important beach for windsurfers is Bulabog Beach (also known as Laguna de Boracay). This beach faces the Sibuyan Sea on the eastside and is excellent for windsurfing during the Amihan Season (see below). The most known beach in Boracay, White Beach faces westwards to the Sulu Sea. It is fine for windsurfing in the Habagat Season (see below). Both beaches offer white, powdery sand and shallow water.
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Map of Boracay. (click to enlarge!)
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White Beach is the tourist's beach with hundreds of bars, restaurants and shops. Bulabog Beach is still a lonely sandy strip. As there is no more space available on White Beach, the concrete avalanche is now also reaching Bulabog Beach. But you still can find open stretches. At the northern end are some surf and kiteboarding resorts still in nippa-cottages and on the southern end lays the Habagat Kite Village with its Aissatou Resort. Between the two ends you find a shipyard where bancas are built and overhauled. But there is also a big resort project |
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The Wind
Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the Tagalog language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind, and Habagat means west or southwest wind; south-west monsoon. Amihan and Habagat seasons are generally associated respectively with the El Niño and La Niña global weather patterns. The Amihan season is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east. The Habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.
On Boracay, the main indicator of the switch between the Amihan and Habagat seasonal patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and occurs overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where the wind will switch between Amihan and Habagat patterns several times before settling into the pattern for the new season. As a general rule of thumb, Boracay will be in the Amihan weather pattern from sometime in September or October to sometime in May or June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the remainder of the year. These dates can vary in individual years, though.
Daytime temperatures on Boracay generally range from 77-90°F (25-32°C) from the beginning of the Amihan season into February or March, increase to the 82-100°F(28-38°C) range until the onset of the Habagat season, and moderate back to the 77-90°F (25-32°C) range with the return of the Amihan season. During Tropical Storm periods, temperatures can fall below 68°F (20°C). Tropical Storms can impact Boracay at any time of year, but are most likely to be seen during the Habagat season.
See also our weather page with a wind-chart for Boracay. |
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The School and Team
The Funboard Center is perfectly located directly on the beach of one of the best windsurfing spots in Asia: This bay offers ideal conditions for every windsurfers’ heart: from shallow and flat water for beginners to rolling and breaking waves for advanced and pros. The wind, known locally as the Amihan, always blows on-shore between 12 to 25 knots. The conditions are so good that every year, this location is the chosen venue for Asia’s premier windsurfing tournament, the Asian Funboard Cup.
Simone's team accepts beginners, intermediate and advanced surfers. Beginners can choose between classes and private lessons. Intermediate and advanced courses are only 1 : 1 (private.
Funboard Center Windsurf Course Rates
Classes
Beginner class 5h including equipment and instructor € 85 / PHP 5500
Private Lessons
Beginners course including equipment and instructor, 1 hour € 25 / PHP 1500
Intermediate & Advanced Courses excluding equipment, 1 hour € 35 / PHP 2250
Insurance for the equipment
1 week €70 / PHP 4500
2 weeks €120 / PHP 7500
3 weeks
€170 / PHP 10000
Storage without security service
1 week € 25 / PHP 1500
For exchange rates see our Money Exchange Page
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The Equipment
You may bring your own equipment to Boracay. But think of the luggage restrictions in all planes flying to Caticlan. (See also our Fees and Taxes page).
And there is no trick...
Kiteboarders can put their equipment in a kiteboard bag that resembles a golf bag and they declare their luggage as golf equipment. Most airlines transport golf equipment for free or very low rates.
But windsurfers would have some problems to fold their mast and shorten their board.
This is why you will have to rent your equipment here. Simone offers affordable rates
RATES FOR DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
MATERIAL
(year) |
1 day |
1 week |
2 weeks |
3 weeks |
2009/08 |
EUR 40
PHP 2500 |
EUR 190
PHP12200 |
EUR 330
PHP19900 |
EUR 410
PHP25000 |
2005 to 2007 |
EUR 38
PHP 2400 |
EUR 170
PHP 10300 |
EUR 280
PHP16000 |
EUR 360
PHP21500 |
2004 or older |
EUR 37
PHP 2300 |
EUR 150
PHP 9500 |
EUR 260
PHP 15000 |
EUR 340
PHP 19300 |
RATES FOR NOVEMBER MARCH AS AN OPTION
Material
(year) |
5 out of 7 days |
9 out of 14 days |
15 out of 21 days |
2009/08 |
EUR 165
PHP 9950 |
EUR 270
PHP 16400 |
EUR 370
PHP 22500 |
2005 to 2007 |
EUR 140
PHP 8350 |
EUR 240
PHP 13600 |
EUR 320
PHP 18650 |
2004 or older |
EUR 125
PHP 7450 |
EUR 220
PHP 12500 |
EUR 300
PHP 17700 |
HOURLY RATES
MATERIAL
(year) |
Per hour |
2009/08 |
EUR 15
PHP 900 |
2005 to 2007 |
EUR 12
PHP 700 |
2004 or older |
EUR 10
PHP 600 |
For exchange rates see our Money Exchange Page
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The Places
Boracay: Funboard Center
others may come ?
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