L'isola di Barbados, la più orientale dei Caraibi ha una superfice di 430 Km quadrati con una popolazione di circa un quarto di milione di abitanti. I suoi 97 km di costa offrono numerose possibilità per la pratica degli sport acquatici.

Divenuta colonia inglese nel 1625, ottenne l'indipendenza nel 1966.

La sua collocazione geografica, nel cuore dell'oceano Atlantico e le barriere coralline che la circondano la rendono un luogo ideale per godere delle mareggiate provenienti da ogni direzione in ogni periodo dell'anno.

La costa Est è senz'altro la più favorevole alla pratica del surf in virtù della maggior dimensione e potenza delle onde. "Soup Bowl" presso Bathsheba è uno spot di rinomanza mondiale che vanta numerosi estimatori fra cui il celebre campione della Florida, Kelly Slater.

Anche la costa Sud offre numerosi spot fino al punto più meridionale, South Point, sede di numerose gare è dotata di un'onda potente ma ben godibile.

Il lato Ovest è caratterizzato da onde di dimensione minore, così è a Frieds dove l'onda più pulita che possiate immaginare si srotola difronte alla spiaggia di Cotton's Bay. Tavolette vicino alle roccie e longboard a centro baia sono entrambe nella loro condizione ideale. La parte nord-occidentale dell'isola pùo avere condizioni paragonabili agli standard hawaiiani in spot come Duppys ed altri break, in alcuni però l'accesso non è dei più agevoli. Facile invece raggiungere Maycocks. Altri spot da segnalare procedendo verso sud sono il point-break di Gibbs ed i bassi reef di Tropicana e Sandy Lane.

English Version

Barbados is the most eastern island in the Caribbean, with an area of 430 square kilometres. Barbados has a population of about 260,000 - which is quite high considering its size. With 97 kilometres of coastline, Barbados has much to offer its visitors in terms of water sports and beach activities.

In 1625, an English trading ship landed at Holetown (originally named James Town) and claimed possession of Barbados on behalf of James I, King of England (James VI of Scotland).
Barbados was colonised in 1627 in the name of Charles I (1625-49) by the Governor, Charles Wolferstone, as the representative of the Earl of Carlisle, after whom Carlisle Bay was named. The Governor appointed a Council comprising the main landowners to assist him in the government of the island. The island remained a British Colony until Independence on November 30th, 1966.

Surfing in Barbados

The island's location far out in the Atlantic Ocean, allows waves to travel thousands of kilometers on the bottom of the sea, before finally unloading all the power developed over Barbados' coral reefs. A coral island with a coral reef that stretches all around Barbados' coastline, providing for unlimited surfing conditions all over.

Whether a swell approaches the island from a northerly or westerly direction, or if it's moving in from the East or the South, Barbados is guaranteed to have surf somewhere along its shores at almost any given time of the year.
The East Coast of Barbados is the premier surf spot as far as power and size of waves are concerned. The "Soup Bowl" at Bathsheba is internationally recognized in the surfing world. This is where Kelly Slater impressively made his come back onto the world tour of pro surfing in 2002.

Along the South Coast of Barbados, surfers find what they are looking for at many spots along the way down to Southpoint, on 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 you can imagine, rolls out on Cottons Bay's beach. Closer to the rocks, short boarders are in their element and next to them long boarders 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 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 easily live up to Hawaiian standards. 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. Further down the west coast there is a point break of Gibbs and the shallow reefs of Tropicana and Sandy Lane.