Vela - Aruba

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webguy
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Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
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Vela - Aruba

Does anyone have any first hand information about Vela Windsurfing in Aruba:

http://www.velawindsurf.com/aruba/index.html

Has anyone ever stayed there?  I would like to know more about their accomodations called the "Boardwalk" across from the Mariott.

They look nice and they tell me that even though they are not ocean front it is a very short walk to the beach.  I may try to stay here when everyone goes to Aruba in June.  I want to bring my son Drew with me.  Drew hasn't sailed in over a year.  

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Joined: 02/25/2002 - 14:43
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Re: Vela - Aruba

Having stayed at the Marriott, and will be there again this year, I rented my gear from Vela. They have primo '02 gear, Neil Pryde Sails and rigs, JP, F2 Boards and maintain a rescue/floating concession stand in the water. The boardwalk is across the street form Fishermans huts and is a very short walk to the sailing site. The gear is well maintained and they have floating tie-ups for you to park your gear for a break. The thursday night video party is held at the boardwalk hosted by Dasher. They have a cash bar and dinner. Although I didn't stay there, I would recomend it. I have already reserved my gear through them which runs around 300.00 for the week.

Although sailing is off-shore its waist to chest deep and caters to every level. If you want less wind and really flat water, just walk towards the beach. If you want more, bare away and you find decent chop and 5.0 steady wind. You will also find you can run a larger sail (1.0 sq. m) than usual since its a steady blast. I spent the entire trip on a 6.0 and everybody else was on 5.0 or less.

Be sure to bring booties, gloves and sunscreen. They do have some stingish things that lounge around on the bottom and the occasional patch of coral to leave a nasty infection on the old peelskider's mobility devices. The gloves will prevent blisters,  but they do have a roll of good'ole duct tape standing ready. They also sell beer, powerbars, Poweraid and have an igloo cooler floating in the sailing lane with cold water, makes a good jibe mark for most, for me, I tend to Plop down gracefully in its vacinity. Outside the sailing lane it gets deep, and although the wind blows all the nuna-nuna's (fish) out to sea, I managed a Jelly-fish tattoo the first day. Nothing a little Meat Tenderiser and a couple of beers didn't fix.

Plop

Danny Johnson

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webguy
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Re: Vela - Aruba

When they say they are across the road, you must understand that the road runs right along the sand.  You walk out of the room, 20 ft across the parking lot, cross the road and you are _on_ the beach.  It's closer than your car to the car at Van Pugh (more like from the steps to the water.  And they have a "board parking lot" if you need to leave the board in the water for lunch.

If you go to Aruba, Vela or Roger's are the way to go (unless you rent a house).  The Vela set up is great and you don't have to sail as far upwind as you do at the Marriott to get back- or deal with the Marriott wind shadow.

That being said, I don't think Aruba is as beginner/intermediate friendly as folks make it out to be.
1) the wind is offshore.  period.  getting back requires at least a modest to decent amount of sailing upwind. And the further you go out, the windier it gets.
2) reefs.  To really sail anywhere, you have to go through the reef which means you are then in deeper water. It's simply not that shallow out there.

wf

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