Yes, the camp will take place. That was my pleasing answer to the participants who registered for our "Flessner & Friends" surf camp at Robinson Club Cabo Verde on Sal at the beginning of February and had been contacting me regularly in the run-up to the event. After a forced coronavirus break of almost two years, our new club in Cape Verde reopened in September 2021.
In winter, the island of Sal is known for its stable trade winds and great conditions on the water. Punta Preta, one of the best "down the line" wave spots in the world and the venue for the first World Cup of the year, is just five minutes away from the club. What Paia on Maui is for die-hard windsurfers, Santa Maria is for the water sports scene on Sal.
The small town on the south side of the island is a meeting point for surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers. There are many small restaurants, bars, cafés and the odd ice cream parlour here. The sandy beach in Santa Maria is exceptionally beautiful, and there are great spots along the south side of the island - such as Punta Leme. There are two water sports centres here, one of which is run by local hero Josh Angulo. Right next to it is the ION Club. If the wind blows diagonally offshore from the left, you can start here in flat water across the shore towards the point break at Punta Leme. Wave beginners will find perfect conditions at the spot to get used to breaking waves safely and slowly. As the wind at the spot is offshore - and you surf outwards from the breaking wave - little can happen. When the swell is high, you will also find various surfers and kitesurfers at the point break. It can get really tight, as you can see in the picture above. In moderate conditions, however, there is enough space for windsurfers, and nowadays more and more wingsurfers can be found here. If you get hungry and thirsty on the water at some point, Josh at the centre is the perfect place to refuel.
Sal - Santa Maria: A freeride dream in the bay
Two downwind strokes from Punta Leme lies the beautiful Robinson Club Cabo Verde. The club opened its doors to guests in December 2019 and is a highlight for water sports enthusiasts. The new water sports centre offers windsurfers and kitesurfers the best equipment and is ideally equipped. At Robinson, the regular equipment for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing is included free of charge in the accommodation price on presentation of the relevant certificate of competence. The beach in front of the centre is very large so that windsurfers and kitesurfers don't get in each other's way. The club's beach bar is less than 20 metres from the station. From here, you can watch the activities on the water with a cool drink in your hand. The conditions directly in front of the club can be challenging on some days due to the high shore break, but otherwise water sports enthusiasts get their money's worth here.
The club, located just outside the village of Santa Maria, is the ideal base for my surf camp "Flessner & Friends". This camp is not just about windsurfing and perfect technique on the water, it's more about spending time together at the club and on the island. We want to show the participants different spots on Sal and experience great moments together. Long evenings in the restaurant and in the club are of course also part of the programme. During the week, I also share numerous anecdotes from my career - these cosy storytelling sessions are always very popular. The camp is deliberately kept very small, with a maximum of twelve participants. This creates a kind of family atmosphere every time.
Depending on the conditions on the day, we decide in the morning where to go out on the water. On windy days, we often cruise up from the club to Punta Leme. On these days, the participants learn what it means to go upwind properly. If the forecast is good, we take a shuttle to the kite beach on the east coast of the island. Here the wind blows diagonally onshore from the left and the spot always reminds me a little of great days on Norderney. There are two large kite stations at Kite Beach, one of which is the station of the island's hero: Mitu Monteiro. We take our group to the beach below the kitesurfers. The spot is almost perfect if you want to gain your first experience with small equipment in the waves, as the conditions are fair and easy to control. Despite the large number of water sports enthusiasts at the kite beach, there are actually few space problems - the beach is very large and spacious.
The question of Punta Preta on the west coast of the island comes up more frequently. As already explained, the spot is only five minutes away from the club. If you want to ride Punta Preta right in front of the rocks like the World Cup winners and experienced locals on the island, you really need to be a good windsurfer and have enough equipment. On good days, you can't avoid a visit to the rocks, but if you catch a nice wave in the direction of Santa Maria, it makes up for a lot. Hardly any other "down the line" wave spot offers such perfect waves for windsurfers.
Inexperienced windsurfers can take to the water below the spot if the wind blows off-shore. There is a beautiful sandy beach here and - apart from a shore-break wave at the beginning - little can happen. Nevertheless, every water sports enthusiast should be aware that it can be difficult to get back to the shore if the material breaks due to the current. Therefore, you should never go out on the water all by yourself.
There are two more wave spots further north, but these are only for very advanced surfers: Secret Spot and Alibaba. You can only get there via a gravel road. It is actually a large bay - and depending on the direction of the swell, you can decide where to surf or ride the waves. However, surfing here requires courage and great skill, as sandy beaches and perfect conditions for launching are generally not found here. If you don't particularly like sea urchin stings, you should definitely only surf here with shoes.
When the swell is high, you can meet the best locals on the island at the spot - and if you don't go on the water yourself, it's worth just watching.
All in all, Sal has a lot to offer - especially from November to April, the island is a top destination. Personally, I'm already looking forward to our next surf camp "Flessner & Friends" in 2023.
Further information can be found on the website of Bernd Flessner-> and the Tour operator->
