Lac Bay in February 2000 |
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| Sailing: Lac Bay provides on-shore, shallow, flat-water sailing conditions. Beginner and intermediate will find the Lac Bay ideal and a great place to hone the jibing skills. Deeper water with bump & jump conditions exists towards the left of the launch area. The water in front of the windsurfing venues can get quite shallow especially at low tide. Large pointer fins can pose a problem. We found the wind in February to be ranging
between 5.0 and 7.0 for a 180lb sailor. Only one day was below 12mph.
There is a narrow entrance to the Bay that provides advanced conditions with half to mast-high conditions. But a mistake can prove dangerous since there are shallow coral reefs on both sides. In the future the windsurfing venues should consider advanced excursions with a boat for safety. A very strong current flows out of the bay at the cut in the reef. |
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| Equipment: The Windsurf Place ( theplace@bonairelive.com 599-717-2288) run by Elvis Martinus and Constantino Saragoza provided Mistral Boards and Naish Sails all in excellent condition and sufficient numbers. The boards were recent Mistral Flows most around 278cm, some Flow Customs and other larger boards. The facilities were comfortable but sparse, which added some charm. Sandwiches and
drinks are available.
Jibe City (599-717-5233), next door, provided mostly BIC equipment, a Bar, and a small restaurant. |
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 Accommodations: Lac Bay is located on the windward and sparsely populated side of Bonaire. There are only two resorts: Lac Bay Resort and Sorobon which is a closed naturalist community. The LBR has 7 one and two bedroom Condos and one 3BR modern cottage with gorgeous views of Lac Bay. It is a 3 minute drive to the windsurfing venues. Sorobon is located
directly next to the sailing areas and on the Bay. Both Resorts have a restaurant. |
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| General: A car is must: a.) to get to the windsurfing and b.) to explore the Island and to get to the snorkeling and scuba sites. In my estimate it would be a sin to not have explored a reef or two while snorkeling or scuba-diving. The later requiring certification.
Overall, our group of 11 sailors and non-sailors felt that Bonaire was definitely worth another trip next year. Food/Restaurants: The quality of the restaurants is high and so are the prices (Manhattan levels). Our recommendation would be to rent a condo with kitchen and occasionally eat-in. |
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Revised: 01/14/04