Water Fun in Tobago
Maybe it’s because I am a Piscean, but I cannot go anywhere too far away from water, so living on this little “island of paradise” is literally paradise for me. Even when I drive to work, I pass three beautiful beaches, each with its own character. Many of the beaches do not have lifeguards present, so if you are not a strong swimmer then I suggest you do not swim at those ones, but choose ones that have lifeguards, you want to be able to relax and enjoy yourselves.
One fantastic beach in Tobago is Pigeon Point, which is in the south west of Tobago. It is only a 20/30 minute drive from my wonderful properties, Chaconia Suite, Blue Marlin Suite, Mahogany Villa and The Chalet and best of all, they all provide you with beach towels, so that is one less thing you have to bring with you, just pack your swimming togs and you are good to go.
Pigeon Point Heritage Park is the most well known beach in Tobago and it is instantly recognized by the thatched roof jetty, often used in marketing promotions. To enter the ‘park’ there is a small charge which goes into the upkeep of the facilities found there. There are a couple of bars, a few places to eat.There are craft shops to purchase your souvenirs to take home and best of all there is Radical Sports at the tip of the park and this is where the water fun in Tobago starts.
Radical Sports is owned and run by a very enthusiastic and talented couple Brett and Aleks. Their love for all water activities is obvious from the moment you meet them and this love and excitement rubs off on you, making you want to join in and either learn a new experience or just reinforce what you already know about water sport activities. They offer kite-surfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddle, kayaks and sailing. One of the fastest growing in popularity, especially with regards to a ‘must do/ bucket list’, is the Bio-luminescence Tour. It is worth booking your holiday around the dates that this tour is available, as it is very much dependent on the moon cycle.
Bio-luminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism, in this case plankton and the effect it produces in the water is like a scifi movie, some have even said it reminds them of the film Avatar. The tour obviously take place in the evening, is approximately 2 ½ hrs and departs from Pigeon Point. You do need to be able to either Stand Up Paddle or Kayak, so it helps to be reasonably fit.
Kite surfing, to me, seems so effortless when you see the experts in action and Brett, Aleks and their team will help you to achieve this yourself. If you have not tried it, Radical Sport can offer you a variety of lessons - there is a discovery lesson that gives you the basic instructions to get you started, once you have mastered that, then you can progress to one of the more comprehensive lessons they offer, one to one tuition that can be arranged as well. If you are experienced in kite-surfing already and just want to have fun, Radical Sport will rent out their equipment, however for safety reasons they do need to see your IKO, VDWS or PASA upwind certification.
Windsurfing, if you are a complete beginner (never tried it before), have tried it and want to get better, or you are an experienced windsurfer there are boards to suit you all. Radical Sports have lessons that will get you started in this exciting sport, the lagoon where you are taught is perfect as the water is shallow, which makes it easier to get back on the board when you fall off!! Once you have started then you can book more lessons to help you improve your technique and skills. But beware - it can be addictive especially in this tropical paradise.
For both Kite-surfing and windsurfing you can enhance your experience and add a ‘foil’ to your board. Doing this means that you need less wind, which means there will be more days you can windsurf or kite-surf, thus having more fun in the sun in Tobago! It helps to be able to windsurf and Kite-surf before you try it with a foil, but once you can, then ‘the sea is your oyster’ - so to speak! Just have fun, fun, fun.
Stand Up Paddle If you feel kite-surfing and windsurfing is too much for you, but you want to go out on the water then try Stand up Paddle. The lagoon at Pigeon Point is a perfect place to learn. Because the area has a coral reef further out, the water is relatively calm. Lessons can be booked at Radical Sports, but they are instructed by Brett’s brother Duane. Once you have mastered it, then there are several tours in and around Tobago that you can experience on a Stand Up Paddle, not just at sea. Explore rivers and waterfalls and even the mangroves.
Kayaking So, maybe even Stand Up Paddle is just a little too much, you are on holiday so relaxing is the name of the game - try kayaking. At Radical Sport they have twin kayaks for rent, so grab a friend and take to the water. This way you can take it in turns if you start to get tired! As long as there is not a strong wind, it is possible to kayak out to the Nylon Pool where if you swim in the waters it is said you will come out feeling 10 years younger, or go to No Man’s Land where there is another lovely little sandy beach to relax on !
Finally Sailing, Radical Sports have a Hobbie Wave Catamaran which can be rented. The staff can give you a basic lesson on how to sail it and then off you go into the blue yonder. Sail around the Buccoo Marine Park, watch the fish swim beneath you and sail to your heart’s content. If you don’t know how to sail then the Radical Staff will take you around and try and spot turtles, which are often seen in the waters around.
With all this fun on the water, safety is obviously a top priority and at Radical Sports this is taken very seriously. There is always one member of staff on the beach watching over anyone surfing, boarding etc. If anyone gets into trouble they will see immediately and send their rescue boat out to bring you back safely. The one great thing is because the area that they are situated is so shallow it is easier for you to help yourself out of the situation.
The best thing about Pigeon Point Heritage park it is only a 20/30 minute drive from my wonderful properties. So, after your fun day in the sun, it is quick and easy to get back to Chaconia Suite, Blue Marlin Suite, Mahogany villa or The Chalet to a hot shower and relaxation on the patio where you can spend the evening relaxing, reminiscing and talking about your fantastic day here on our little island of paradise called Tobago.
All pictures kindly given by Radical Sports Tobago.
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