Active holiday in the Caribbean

opening date : Nov/ Dec 2009 More details at Swell Surf camp, Cabarete, Dominican republic

Swell Surf Camp from Swell Surf Camp on Vimeo.
What things to take for a surf day at north of manchester coast of the DR
No wet suit required; water temp not below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer time, a standard short board will suffice or a longboard or fish to maximise the wave count at Encuentro. For wintertime bring a typical shortboard or fish and maybe something using a extra length to get you inside the bigger waves earlier.

Positive
-Good breaks.
-Empty offshore reefs.
-Friendly people.
-Budget destination.
-Lots of alternative entertainment.
-Cabarete, great party town.
-Good for many levels of surfers
-Easy and short flight from USA
-Good variety of surf spots in Cabarete area
Negative

- Remote chance of Hurricane/Tropical Storm in September




Surfing inside the Dominican Republic in a nutshell:
For any detailed listing of the surf spots within the Dominican republic, take a look page>>
Or this page about the Cabarete Swell Surf camp Page
Surfing in the DOM REP can be achieved on the South and North coast, although the North Coast is the better recognized for consistently good breaks, in order that is where the focus of the report is on.

As mentioned before, the very best season is the winter months when North swells hit the coast. I've stayed in Cabarete in the Winter and Summertime. Initially (Summer) I did not bring my board, since I didn't do a lot of surfing. In reality, 4 to 5 days from the week generally had good ride able surf, varying from 2' to 5'
The place I and most others surfed one of the most can be a spot called Encuentro, a mellow (in summertime) reef break.
The reef is flat and forgiving if you're a beginner and are walking in the white water it's wise to bring some booties, or rent them on the spot

Encuentro ,
Encuentro starts breaking at 2' as well as the main peak is actually a right hander, even though shorts lefts can be fun also it can hold waves of up to 10'


The Left of Encuentro is another good wave:
top quality left hander, breaks best on northerly swells, really should not be surfed by beginners, since it has more power, a pleasant barrel but could also be shallow.
A bit further left is really a spot called Destroyer, which has the same characteristics. Encuentro rarely gets that busy also, since there are some breaks close together, surfers are nicely spread out.
-Snorkeling and diving:
Around Sosua Bay there's the right snorkel and diving sites, plenty of tours and rental possibilities.
-Relax: It is the Caribbean, the next thunderstorm is always warm, the locals are friendly and also the rum is quite cheap (2 US$) to get a bottle.


Cabarete is a very cool and happening tourist town directly on a stunning bay, with some excellent accommodation and great nightlife (Voy Voy, LAX, Bamboo's and Onno's).

There are tons of quality beach side restaurants, plus less costly eateries along the main roads. Two great bars start the evening removed from around 10pm and then the clubs kick off around midnight before the early hours.