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by Chris Whellams : Feb 2006
OK, so you want to know all about Tarifa then ? You've read the glossy mag, you've heard the rumours but.......Does reality match the hype ? Read on friends and find out as I give you the lowdown on Chris and Jamie's 5-day tour to Tarifa.
First the introductions. Our intrepid explorers are Jamie Webb(rhs) and Chris Whellams (that's me - on lhs). In case you can't put names to faces.
Webbie looks about 6 months gone, but he assured me it was just his warm hoodie.....err riiight. Anyway, lets get down to the important stuff. Kitesurfing.
The spanish word for Kite is Cometa and in Tarifa you'll see plenty. There are literally miles of beaches here. I don't intend to cover them all - for that I recommend www.tarifa.net - but the main beach and the one you'll probably visit first is Playa de los Lances. This beach starts on the West side of the town and runs northwards along the coast for miles. As you move north the beach gets a few name changes but you can pretty much surf anywhere between Tarifa town and Las Dunas.
Las Dunas (the dunes). We found a small lagoon that could work well for newbies with the right wind direction. Driving out of Tarifa heading North go past the big hotels (Hurricane, Arte Vida). You're looking for a left turn - marked with a sign post to Punta Palomas. There is a small hotel on the left side of the road at the corner of the junction. Follow the signs to Valdevaqueros and you should end up in a small car park.
OK, so by now you're probably asking what is Tarifa really like ? Is it for me ?
The first thing to know is that unless the lagoon has some water then you're going to be surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. That means waves, that means shore dump, that means tide. We found the waves pretty big for the first few days and on the last few days the wave height dropped. If the lagoon has water then the world is your oyster - you could warm up in the lagoon and then ride out into the atlantic for some wave action. Apparently the lagoon forms at the back of the beach around Spring tides in Winter. The height of the tide and the waves will push water across the beach where it collects and forms a flat water lagoon. Unfortunately there was no more than a few mm of water during our visit. When the lagoon does have water I reckon you have one of the best spots on the planet. For Jamie and I it was the Atlantic or bust - we chose the Atlantic wave action.
Ok, if you are thinking of a trip to Tarifa to get into the sport, or you're new to the sport and just about up and riding think carefully about the benefits of a trip to Tarifa. There is plenty of beach for all the shore based work and for that it will work well, however, when you get onto the water based training you're probably going to be working in the shore dump. You're preference may vary, but I personally don't think it's a great place to be learning how to kitesurf. Not only are you likely to be battered by waves you're also so close to the beach that if something goes wrong you'll be back on the beach and dragging across it in the blink of an eye. Sure - if the lagoon is full you've got a brilliant spot, but without the lagoon you're into wave action.
The flip side is this. If you can get up and riding here then you'll be able to ride pretty much anywhere. At some stage you'll need to learn to tackle waves so why not do it in Tarifa ?
My take is this - if you're planning an extended stay then you'll probably get over the wave issue and you'll be a better rider because of them. If you're thinking about a short break to jump start your kitesurfing career then perhaps you should think again.
If you're a veteran of Southend then you're used to sailing in flat / choppy water so waves are going to be something new.
If you're IKO Level 3 or you can consistently stay up wind then you should be able to find somewhere to ride here in both Poniente and Levante winds - unless it goes nuclear - in which case you'll probably find even the locals will stay at home. We found the wave action can be intense - on our third day I opted to sit things out on the beach as it was just too much. Jamie opted for a battering and the Atlantic was happy to oblige. If you haven't done waves before then you'll find Tarifa a worthwhile challenge. There's just one thing to remember - whatever you do, don't drop the kite. If you do decide to give your kite a wash bear in mind that it might be the last time you see it in one piece. This is where something like the Slingshot wave grenade can really save your kit.
For the advanced riders out there you'll love it - especially you old skool surfers. We watched a couple of locals tear it up through the waves with some sweet bottom turns, nice slashing action off the lip and the odd boost off the launch ramp. Fantastic to see. Jamie was putting in some practice on his unhooked moves although I didn't see any handlepass action:P
If, like me, you're just past the IKO3 stage and starting to work up the tricks then you'll find Tarifa tough but worthwhile. Before Tarifa I only had a few hours of wave experience from a lightwind session in Australia and about 1 week of riding big swell and tide in Fiji. Tarifa was something new combining stronger winds and bigger waves with shore dump, tide and at times an almost dead on-shore wind. Not the easiest of conditions. On my first day out i managed to break through the shore dump and waves and get out back on Starboard tack off the beach. The problem was as soon as i switched and came back in on Port tack I got hammered and ended up on a downwinder. Having Jamie around was good news as he would watch my riding and offer advice, tips and things to try. On my last day on the water with a slightly better cross-on wind I was able to ride confidently and stay upwind. Jamie had talked me into trying back loops off the waves, I was nervous but determined and so launched myself off a nice big wave. Although I didn't make the landing I was amazed to find that I had completed the rotation...happy days. Waves are also great launch ramps for jumps and chop hops. You can get used to taking a bit of air without having to work the kite and it really builds confidence. Wipeouts are inevitable and unfortunately not too pleasant. I found the worst case scenario was being engulfed by a breaking wave - which typically caused the board to torpedo and me to get a faceplant. Not too bad normally, however the problem is that right behind the wave that just caused you lots of problems is........err.....another wave.......smack ! All you need to remember is keep the kite flying. With the kite in the air if you do start to panic just use that kite and body drag yourself back to the beach.
The view from Las Palomas looking South to Tarifa town. In the backgorund you can see Morocco !
Campo de Futbol
Playa Los lances
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Last modified March 06 2008 22:29:44 |
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