The sport that started the entire hullabaloo about Cabarete is still, despite the rise in popularity of kiteboarding, very popular and big business here. Playa Cabarete is a good beach for beginners and experienced windsurfers alike due to the strong winds necessary for the sport and the sandy sea floor of the inner bay.

The conditions in the morning are usually good for beginners and children since the wind isn’t as strong and the water is flatter, which gives you more time to pull the sail up and get your balance. By about noon, the wind usually starts to pick up and blows parallel to the shore at up to 25–45 kilometers per hour. Additionally, it’s calmer toward shore and rougher out where the coral reef breaks the waves. This is where the hotshots go to jump, do their 360-degree spins, and do flips.

You’ll find lots of places that offer lessons and equipment rental right on the shore of Playa Cabarete. Generally, boards rent for US$50 per day or US$200–270 per week. Ask about package deals where you can pay a lump sum and you get a set amount of days, but you don’t have to use them all in a row. Also ask about damage insurance, which can run you about US$45 for a week. Lessons are a great way to get into the sport. Beginners can expect to pay US$40 an hour for private instruction.

Windsurfing Outfitters

Vela/Spinout/Dare2Fly (Playa Cabarete, tel. 809/571-0805, www.velacabarete.com), on the upwind end of the beach, is a reliable, highly regarded, well-stocked outfitter who has some of the most high-tech and fancy equipment for rent. You’ll look like a pro even if you end up doing a face plant. Vela offers a beginner windsurfer program (US$140 for 4–6 hours), private lessons (US$55 per hour with equipment), and advanced packages. Kiteboarding instruction is also available with their Dare2Fly school.

Club Nathalie Simon (Playa Cabarete, tel. 809/571-0848, www.cabaretewindsurf.com, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. daily) is on the west end of the beach. It has very nice equipment for rent for all skill levels. The instructors will only teach 1–3 people maximum, which allows you to progress more quickly. Kids as young as five can learn the sport with lessons on the lagoon behind the beach. CNS also rents kayaks and boogie boards.

Fanatic Windsurf Center (Playa Cabarete, tel. 809/571-0861, www.fanatic-cabarete.com) offers rental of equipment at good rates by using older equipment, which is a good deal if you’re doing it for the first time. A family package includes lessons for the parents and child care while you’re on the water. Or, if your children are ready to learn windsurfing, they can take lessons also. Ten hours will only run you US$280, private lessons are US$60 per hour (for US$90 your lesson will be two hours). Some of the best locations for windsurfing in the world are located in Spanish-speaking countries, so why not include Spanish language lessons for an extra US$5 per hour? Fanatic Windsurf Center can arrange for your lessons at a nearby language school.