The Next La Ventana - Uruguay

[chemosavi]

Least corrupt country in South America - and a hot spot with no internet or electricity!
.
Cabo Polonio https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/trav ... udget.html
...
What more could you ask for?

[ELI]

Wind ? Waves ?

[Toby]

No internet???
How can you check the forecast?

[tautologies]

I think the current La Ventana is a pretty good La Ventana.

[BWD]

Company and wifi not too far off if you want, great destination...

[VdV]

Hello,


This seems the ideal time for a first post, as I've been living in Uruguay for the past 3 years and started kiting here 2 years ago.

Technically speaking, the majority of the Uruguayan coast line is excellent for kiting. Especially from Montevideo heading East.
Near MVD itself people tend to congregate at either Malvin or Carrasco beaches. Malvin beach being somewhat protected from waves by a small island, depending on the wind direction.
A little further out (+/- 1 hour driving), near Parque del Plata, a sandbar creates a flat water spot right next to the river. Can get a little crowded when conditions are right.

Keep driving East, and there will be people kiting in various locations. But the main attractions are the lagunes past Punta del Este. (Laguna Jose Ignacio, Laguna Garzon, Laguna Rocha). All have shallow and mostly flat water, a number of launch/land spots, and locals to help out.
You can overnight at for example La Barra, Jose Ignacio, La Paloma or La Pedrera and be close to one of these. Cabo Polonio itself is a bit tricky to reach, especially with a load of kiting gear.

One important remark: The wind in Uruguay is not stable. Don't expect to have wind each day, and bring a variety of kites.
For example, today and tomorrow we're looking at 18-22 knots, saturday/sunday/monday it will drop as low as 2 knots.
Although along the ocean, wind is usually a bit better than forecast.

Some things to keep in mind:
- The closer you get to Brazil, the harder it will be to pay by card or to get cash. Bring plenty.
- Going to the beach is a national sport. During summer the beaches can get crowded in certain locations, and kiting will be forbidden, or there will be a designated launch/land zone.
- There are a lot of fishermen, both on the beaches and in the lagunes. Keep an eye out so you don't snag a line. And especially in Laguna Rocha, watch out for static netting.

Any questions, let me know.

[Toby]

Sweet lagoon
How about temperatures? Wetsuit needed?

Please help and get the spot infos up, would be a great help if you could add them!

https://se.kiteforum.com/spots

[VdV]

During peak summer months (December through February, outside temps 25-30°C) most people are comfortable in a short + rash guard.
Water temps in the lagoons are probably about 18-20°C, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

In the river/ocean I usually go with a 4/3mm wetsuit, just to be be comfortable.

Will update the spots in the upcoming weeks as I visit them.

[tautologies]

Hello,


This seems the ideal time for a first post, as I've been living in Uruguay for the past 3 years and started kiting here 2 years ago.

Technically speaking, the majority of the Uruguayan coast line is excellent for kiting. Especially from Montevideo heading East.
Near MVD itself people tend to congregate at either Malvin or Carrasco beaches. Malvin beach being somewhat protected from waves by a small island, depending on the wind direction.
A little further out (+/- 1 hour driving), near Parque del Plata, a sandbar creates a flat water spot right next to the river. Can get a little crowded when conditions are right.

Keep driving East, and there will be people kiting in various locations. But the main attractions are the lagunes past Punta del Este. (Laguna Jose Ignacio, Laguna Garzon, Laguna Rocha). All have shallow and mostly flat water, a number of launch/land spots, and locals to help out.
You can overnight at for example La Barra, Jose Ignacio, La Paloma or La Pedrera and be close to one of these. Cabo Polonio itself is a bit tricky to reach, especially with a load of kiting gear.

One important remark: The wind in Uruguay is not stable. Don't expect to have wind each day, and bring a variety of kites.
For example, today and tomorrow we're looking at 18-22 knots, saturday/sunday/monday it will drop as low as 2 knots.
Although along the ocean, wind is usually a bit better than forecast.

Some things to keep in mind:
- The closer you get to Brazil, the harder it will be to pay by card or to get cash. Bring plenty.
- Going to the beach is a national sport. During summer the beaches can get crowded in certain locations, and kiting will be forbidden, or there will be a designated launch/land zone.
- There are a lot of fishermen, both on the beaches and in the lagunes. Keep an eye out so you don't snag a line. And especially in Laguna Rocha, watch out for static netting.

Any questions, let me know.

Nice. Any good wave spots?

[VdV]

I'm not (yet) into wave riding.
But can tell you there are plenty of surfers out on good days. Wave action is mostly dependent on swell here.
Wave height would be 2 to 3 meters on a good day.