A review of a couple of the more popular locations in NE Brazil, Prea and Ilha do Guajiru, and are they suitable for Wing Foiling?

Plus a potential new spot, Icarai, which looks to tick a lot of boxes...

That's the second trip to these locations, and in this review, I will concentrate on their suitability for wing foiling, as you can't always believe what you read! 

So that's another year and another trip as Another Hard Day at the Office moved its office from the mountains of Serre Chevalier via Worthing to North Eastern Brazil to visit once again, Prea and Ilha do Guajiru, along with exploring elsewhere.

On this trip, I managed to clock 24 sessions over 14 days (kiting and wing foiling), with one day off to rest the battered body :)

Winds were again bonkers, nigh on 30knts every day; and a mate who came with me, his first time there, said he had never been anywhere so consistently windy, and he's travelled all over the globe searching for wind!

I was so impressed with last year's trip to Brazil (link to last year's travelogue here) that a repeat was always going to happen, though this trip we would not be going back to Tatajuba, as whilst superb for kiting, it's a long transfer from the airport, and 2 hours more than Prea, it's also too shallow to consider wing foiling even on Spring Tides.

And this trip we failed to plan for the tides that well, with the net result that we encountered small neap tides at Ilha do Guajiru which was a bit of a pain this time round compared to last year.

If going for two weeks, as most do, there's a fair chance you'll pretty well encounter both, but if staying at an ocean front (Prea) vs a lagoon location, then try and time the Spring tides for the lagoon, and hopefully High Springs will be around Noon and not early morning and early evening.

Apart from the tides, the biggest hassle this year was travelling with the gear, and not taking a small enough wing!

Based on last year's trip and travel logistics (see here for that) I was ready to repeat what I did, and was slightly conscious of issues with regard to luggage size, as we did have an issue on the return leg from Forteleza last year, again in last year's trip report, and I was slightly paranoid of what size luggage I could take, as the "rules" state that kite and surfboard bags must not be more than 2,000mm and that includes width and depth, which pretty well rules out a vast % of kite board bags, though my bag which takes my wing foil board and directional board is masisve in comparison.

Three weeks out and TAP advised that they would not carry my bag should it exceed the dimensions, so I had to bite the bullet and just travel with my wings, directional kiteboard and kites along with my foil and mast and arrange hire of a wing foil board out there.

Planet who we travelled with were just as frustrated as me, and helped out as best as possible.

Now in hindsight, once back, I should have just travelled with my bag from last year with all the gear as I saw just about every bag coming off the plane in Brazil exceeding the stated dimensions, the only issue however, is that the plane from Gatwick to Lisbon was unusually small, so that's where you could come unstuck, but I think it's worth chancing it as I met people who had travelled from Gatwick with oversized bags too, but not quite as large as my bag!

So what exactly are your options for travelling with Wing Foiling gear and what else to consider?

Firstly, your decision will be very much affected by where you decide to go and the length of your trip. 

Going all that way for just one week is tough, though many do it, and if travelling for one week, then it's probably worth just renting a board, but again, that depends on the location and availability.

If travelling for two weeks, then I would really recommend that you do two locations.

That said, I actually know people who land in Brazil, and from Cumbco kite downwind nigh on 220km to Prea, doing around 50-60km a day

And they are fully supported onshore by drivers and out at sea with guides, stopping every 20km or so, so if you get tired, you just have a break and take a lift with the driver, going on to that night's stay at the Pousada/Hotel for that evening.

And now more expert wing foilers and prone foilers, either using 3-piece paddles and parawings, are doing this as well.

But for the vast percentage of foilers, those trips are outside the scope of most skillsets, though for kitesurfers it's not too demanding, but it's best to at least have done some toeside downwinders before signing up for a trip like that, but again not unduly necessary to be able to ride a surfboard, as many do these kite downwinders on TwinTips.

Back to logistics....

The ideal scenario is to take your own gear like I did last year, but do take at least a 3.0 - 3.5 wing as really that's what I could have used every day at some point on this trip, rather than hanging on to a 4.5.

It was consistently gusting 30knts + most days at both locations, as well as inland on the lakes!

Obviously, to alleviate any stress prior to the trip, I think I might well invest in an inflatable board for the next trip. However, from looking at a few, they do not have the recessed handle on the bottom of the board, which is really necessary for handling the board when launching and coming back in the surf.

Plus, most wing foilers may not be kitesurfing as well on the same trip, so baggage might not be so much of an issue for them.

I did manage to rent, and was fortunate to rent a good board in Prea in advance, and as I found out (see below), there were plenty of other rental options, but at Ilha do Guajir, rental options were very limited and, quite frankly, I ended up being ripped off (Nomad Kites).

I would say that maybe the various centres could work out a better price for renting board only, excluding foil and mast, as let's face it that's where the damage could occur to a board n'foil rental package and travelling with a mast & foils along with wings is relatively easy, and maybe the foils on offer might be more beginner orientated in size?

So it is difficult to find the right location and the right gear, that said, maybe I did find the correct mix, but more about that at the end. 

There are good rental options available at Prea, but is it good for wing foiling?

If you read some of the marketing blurb, then Prea is meant to be good for beginners, but is that true?

And this is where, having been there twice, I feel I can give a far better informed judgment on that.

We again stayed at Prea Beach Boutique Hotel, which is at the far end of the beach, opposite the Mermaid rocks, and here the beach is not so user-friendly with a bigger shore dump and still challenging wavelets to launch with a foil, even at low tide, and even for kiting at high tide it can be pretty challenging.

The hotel's owner's daughter is Capucine Delannoy, 4x kite world champion and her brother, Camille, is also a regular visitor to the podium, and their younger brother is already nigh on equally impressive. 

However, I witnessed the younger brother having real issues attempting to get through the low tide wavelets with a foil and his father too, experiencing problems out to sea with his board, so I actually was pretty chuffed with my sessions out there; however, I knew when to choose to go out, following on from last year :)

And that lesson was to get out early, so I did not keep my foiling gear stored in the centre as the staff did not show up till after 09:00, so I kept the gear on our terrace and was able to have it ready in time for the wind, which was usually around 08:00 and have a session before breakfast and by 09:30 it was often too windy!

The video below shows a learner struggling with the conditions, and then yours truly launching and foiling, and remember the GoPro somehow minimises the size of the sea state when up close.

And then finally there is a clip of high tide at Prea High, and Capucine, who was there for three or so days, and we were fortunate to witness her moves that she was hoping she might be able to pull off in a competition, so there was an incredible amount of wipeouts as she practised and practised them, truly impressive.

 

At the other end of Prea Beach is the Pousada Rancho Do Peixe along with Rancho do Kite, and here they do cater for foiling with quite an array of equipment to rent. 

Rancho Do Kite Rental price list, click here and Rancho Do Peixe quote "Complete wing set costs BRL 700,00 a day or BRL 450,00 per hour"

They both use WhatsApp for their comms so any questions Peixe is +55 88 9853-0232  and Rancho do Kite +55 88 9969-8306

If travelling with your own gear, then all these centres offer secure storage, etc, and often a team of guys who will look after you and your guy. Just give them a tip at the end of your week; we usually give 100 BRL.

*100 BRL = £14.30

 

 

And down this end of the beach, conditions are not as intense as up at Prea Boutique in front of the Mermaid Rocks. That said I hardly saw anyone wing foiling there, and I did have a conversation with each centre about the potential of wing foiling....

And they both said that conditions were nigh on impossible for beginners!

 

Last year I went inland from Prea to the Lagoa do Paraíso; and this year I hooked up with my mate Samir who lives in Prea for two months of the year.

After his morning kite downwinders, he does with his wife, he wanted to perfect his wing foiling more, as he too just found the open ocean challenging, and this is a guy who can gybe really well, so we went to the lagoa three times and had great sessions.

And it's these lakes that are where the various centres are now taking their beginners, and all I can say is that they are the best place to learn and perfect your skillsets, and they are so big you can do downwinders riding 10km down the wind-blown swell in the middle of the lake.

So if there was a group of you wanting to wing foil as well as kitesurf, then you can easily do both, as we would organise a buggy in the morning to drive us 8km or so down the beach and then kitesurf downwind back, clocking up around 20km, then have a break and lunch before going to the lagoa in the afternoon.

You would have to find out the costs to get to the lake from the centre, though they did say that the price is all inclusive, but that will very much depend on numbers, the going rate for a buggy to the lagoa is 400 BRL which is considerbaly more than the 200 BRL charge for a buggy along the beach for a downwinder and the 50 BRL from one end of the beach (our hotel) to Rancho at the other end.

*100 BRL = £14.30

I actually came across a French guy up there who stays in one of the many pousadas along the lake shore for a month or so, which does seem to be against the logic of visiting Brazil bearing in mind the ocean is the big draw but the amenities of the lakes are amazing and many locals prefer the ambience of the lagoas than the wind swept beaches.

 The video below is when we went from one lake to another via a tiny inlet and then ended up at a superb pousada run by a Japanese guy :)

 

One of our other trips didn't go quite so well as the plan was to downwind the whole length of the lake finishing up at the town at the bottom, with a rendevous in the middle, but belive it or not, and with some irony after previous kitesurfing downwinders my mate and I managed to loose each other on the lake and whilst I made the RV he carried on going to the town :)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16183838324

Wing Foiling at Ilha do Guajiru

Again, we stayed in Ilha do Guajiru, at the fabulous Bambu Blu bungalows for the last week.

It should be acknowledged that here it's not marketed as wing foiling location due to the shallow water of the lagoon. however, last year I had a great week combining winging and kitesurfing, and was fortunate to have optimal tidal conditions, though tides were not so good this year, as when we arrived, high tide was at 07:00, which meant an early start, as by 17:30 it's dusk.

This year was far windier, even early in the morning, and whereas last year I was using a 6.1, this year I could have been on a 3.5 most days and not my 4.5, though I did rent a 3.5 and 3.0 just to give my arms a rest.

 

The tides became later but coincided with Neaps, so compared to last year, water depth for foiling was an issue, and I did run aground a handful of times each session (much cursing); fortunately, the bottom was often soft sand and even mud!

Ideally, if you want perfect conditions, it should be Spring Tides around Noon, then you can do a couple of sessions, that said if you kite as well then it's not so much of an issue, though again on this trip I managed to go over the handlebars when I grounded the fins on my directional (much larger than TwinTips) when doing a mini downwinder and hitting a sandbar at speed.

Thirty minutes before sunset, the water gets very busy (depending on tides with kites, as kiting in the sunset is great, though I was amazed at the number that seemed to stay out when it was really dark, though dusk to darkness only takes about ten minutes.

 

As much as I love Ilha do Guajiru as a location, and because of the timing of the tides this trip, maybe that was my last visit there.

For kitesurfing it is a superb location though this year I did not do any open ocean downwinders from there, and really I would equate the lagoon to a piste in a busy ski resort, as all the time you had to be on your lookout for potential numpties and avoiding beginners, where as when doing downinders on the ocean, you're away from the hordes, very similar to ski-touring and why I prefer to be away from people, just you and a few mates etc

But last year with the tides it was brilliant, as maybe with more water I could get upwind easier away from everyone.

So hence I was really looking forward to checking out another location

A potential new spot, Icarai?

It was in fact the owners of the place where we stayed in Ilha do Guajiru Ali and Poli, who made me aware of this location as a potential foiling spot, and the fact that some Swedish friends would also be there, that motivated me to take a trip over there from Ilha do Guajiru, and my mate was also interested to see another location.

Poli had been over there wing foiling three days before, and they said how they found the conditions challenging, sounding very much like Prea, though they did say that further upwind was better depending on your level.

As I'd already foiled in the morning and our friendly taxi was unable to take all our gear we just went over with our kitesurf gear and hooked up with my Swedish mate, and I quickly organised a kite downwinder, except I went with too small a kite and had a kitemare, not once but twice releasing as waves got the better of me in the surf with the kite down, I should also admit that my kiting skills are now decidedly rusty having concentrated so much on foiling these past couple of years.

We launched from the Cabana do Kite, which is further along the bay and where the waves were more obvious from further upwind, and the game plan was to kite downwind 7kms, which both of my mates achieved whilst I had to hitch a lift back after my final release :)

 

By late afternoon, the wind eased a fair bit, and wings replaced the vast majority of kites, and I counted a good twenty or so out, which was the most I'd seen congregated in one location.

And there was some very good riding on display, but again, the conditions could be described as similar to those at Prea, not exactly beginner- or intermediate-friendly.

 

Looking upwind, however, the sea state conditions were not as tricky, with wind still cross-shore but protected by a small bay, though I would suspect maybe a little gusty, but not too much of an issue, as a few wing foil centres are based there.

I'm not sure if it's as windy as Ilha as there didn't get the drop in wind that we witnessed at Icarai, but it is a windy location, and if anything 5 - 10 kts less might be a blessing, as water state will not be as manic as even on a lake and or lagoon 30knts produces a wind blown swell that can be as demanding as the open ocean.

The beauty of this location is that it looks like it works at all states of the tide, so it's not tidal-dependent, and if the waves are too imposing, then you move more upwind and as you gradually progress, you can venture more into the swell.

The owner of the Cabana do Kite also runs the Icarai Wing Academy , and further investigation shows that there are other centres in the area too, including Club Ventos, though I have heard mixed reports about the quality of the kit available there, and I did not personally go there.

So could Icarai emerge as a new Wing Foiling location that caters for all abilities on the ocean, and unlike wing foiling at Jeri the wind is not offshore?

However, let's hope that Icarai doesn't go the way that Jeri and become too overdeveloped, etc, when compared to the laid-back beach vibes of Tatajuba, Prea and Ilha.

And a few UK readers of this might well recognise the UK agents for Club Ventos, a certain Sportif International, who many users of this site have used over the years to various spots, but do check that Club Ventos is still operating there?

I have it on good authority that the best places to stay are Vila Mango, Club De Mar and Makena, but there are many other pousadas in the immediate vicinity of the beach and centres.

 

And as ever here's a "crash reel" from this years trip.

 

And this is a video from last year at Prea, and when I came back in this guy came up and showed me the drone footage that he had taken,

I was totally unaware of the drone at the time. I then asked him to film the team as they were going out to kite, but the drone was nigh on in maximum conditions given that the wind was starting to gust 25knts.

But he still managed to capture some great footage!

 

And then there was still more to come for the day as we'd arranged to go to the lake 30 mins away, Lagoa do Paraíso, and that was fantastic on the 4.5 Wing though the kites found it a little gusty, but what a location for Wing Foiling!

And finally, clothing, I would thoroughly recommend neoprene trousers or knee pads, as even hardened foilers had issues with grazing their knees by wearing shorts over the course of time with the sand acting like sandpaper. In fact, on my last day, I had to visit a pharmacy as my knee was a little infected, and came away with a course of antibiotics.

The author Gavin Baylis, has been windsurfing since the days of wooden booms and has windsurfed at many locations across the globe when not at his home on the coast at Worthing.

In Winter he migrates to his home in Serre Chevalier to endulge in his passion of ski-touring with his dogs.