TOBAGO TIME

TOBAGO TIME

Words Nick Jones & Jem Hall // Photos Nick Jones, Karel Tyc and Stephan Gölnitz

DA REAL DEAL
When one thinks of a visit to a Caribbean island, one tends toward the romantic notion that consists of azure warm waters gently lapping against bright white coral sand beaches that are fringed with tropical trees and plants. The locals are friendly with broad bright white smiles and wherever you go there is fresh fruit and fresh fish being fried or smoked, all to the soundtrack of steel drums or thumping (almost) sub-sonic bass. Around every corner there is the promise of authentic adventures and crazy characters who readily welcome you into their world.

However the reality is often one where the promise of the tourist dollar has transformed the idyll into a ‘Disney’ version – large cruise liners deposit their cargo of flabby and lazy humanity that just want an easy ride. Hawkers harangue them – trying to sell them inauthentic tat or fabricated food as they pass through a conveyor belt route of “must-sees” – each stop on the pre-determined itinerary a plastic version of what was once there. Tired and clichéd experiences that are packaged up and presented to the visitor as authentic – but neither party truly believing the charade that has been presented.

Thankfully Tobago falls into the former, rather than the latter. It retains much of its authenticity, thanks in large part to a local government that keeps a very tight control on development and ensures that the interests of its people and the environment are paramount – resisting the lure of a quick buck offered by outside corporations that may wish to plunder the natural beauty of the island.

DREAM TIME
Tobago is a dream windsurfing location. Arriving out of the fag end of a murky, cold and gloomy British winter one is immediately struck by the brilliance of the light and the clarity of the water. The body’s immediate response is to take a deep breath and . . . . BREATHE – as the air escapes the lungs it feels like so much tension is being expelled. But maybe that is a little bit too mystical for you – even so, the Tobagans won’t let you hold onto stress. They are not in a rush. They have T . . I . . M . . E. Time to chew the fat; time to have a joke with you; time to swap some banter. If one’s life in Europe is the equivalent of rushing around in a sports car – well, when you arrive in Tobago you’re cruising around in a classic Citroen Mehari (look it up). At first the change of pace (and style) comes as a jolt – but soon the vibe gets under your skin and you can’t help but let the smile spread across your face and slow down the pace of your gait as you quickly slip into the languid rhythm of the Caribbean.

A quick anecdote that illustrates this culture shock was given to me by a friend who recounted a story from his first visit to Tobago. After the long flight from the UK he and his wife were impatient to get to the house that they had rented for their holiday. So they jumped into a taxi and gave the driver the address – a remote spot towards the north of the island. After 10 minutes or so of friendly banter with the driver, he pulls over by a bar and says he needs to quickly see someone inside, is that OK? My friend, a little exasperated, smiles and says “yes” through gritted teeth.

“What the hell is going on?”, he thinks, “I want to start my holiday”.

After a couple of minutes the driver comes back out to the car and invites them inside for a beer! My friends are befuddled and surprised, but in that moment, they realise the holiday has already started. They are now in Tobago time and so respond with a resounding “yes!” and a lifelong love of Tobago and its people has begun.

BAGO TIME
“But Jonesey, what of the windsurfing?” I hear you cry. I was visiting Tobago on a Sportif travel organised trip with a Jem Hall group. We left London in the dark of early morning – all wrapped up against the murk and the cold of a typical March day (it was 5 degrees) and we arrived mid-afternoon local time into a different world – a parallel universe. Goodbye to the rush and hustle-bustle of London and hello to a lightness and a brightness; hello to a more laid back tempo; hello to ‘Bago Time! The temperature was in the high 20’s and we are met by lots of smiling faces as we find our transfer and load up. In a jiffy we are at our hotel, the Toucan Inn, and being shown to our rooms.

“ The prevailing wind is cross-shore and low tide equals very flat water – great for all levels ”

The Toucan Inn is located in Crown Point, the village that is adjacent to Store Bay and Pigeon Point and Buccoo Reef, and it has to be one of the friendliest places I have stayed. Breakfast each morning was a joy – with a slight breeze blowing through each morning and watching the tropical birds flying around and listening to the chirrup of insects or the nearby cocks crowing. Certainly if you want peace, quiet and tranquillity then Tobago may not be the place – wherever you go there is some sort of noise – whether the exotic twitter of the tropical birds in the hotel gardens; the crowing of the cocks or the ubiquitous sound system and its insistent, thumping bass. It seems that Tobagans cannot move without an accompanying bass rhythm pounding out of their cars or from the sound systems that each street seller or bar will have.

WINDSURF TIME
“But Jonesey, what of the windsurfing?” I still hear you cry. Pigeon Point is our sailing spot. A short 10 minute transfer or a leisurely 25 minute stroll from the hotel, Pigeon Point is a Heritage Reserve – a national park if you will – and an example of the government’s desire to retain the natural beauty of the island. The previous owner was a local wealthy business man who 10 years ago decided to sell. Once the local government got wind that Sandals were keen to buy in order to develop a resort there – the government then purchased the land to keeps as a nature reserve. Development is minimal. It is a sandy point that is protected by offshore coral reefs (Buccoo Reef). There are a trio of bars/restaurants and the Radical Sports watersports centre and that’s it. The rest is untouched tropical lushness; coral sand and beautiful aquamarine water. Pigeon Point is protected by the large offshore reefs that make up Buccoo Reef – and is the reason that it is an idyllic flat water spot for sailing.

The Radical Sports HQ is a wooden structure set back from the beach in amongst the palm trees with a shaded grassy area to the front and side for rigging. To the other side is the Liming Lounge – a chillout zone with Brazilian bean bags and beach chairs set out under the palm trees. ‘Liming’ is Tobagoan slang for chewing the fat (which is English slang for a chin-wag) – so the Liming Lounge is aptly named – a place to hang out; recuperate with a cold beer; or just stare up into the palm fronds and feel the stress seep out of your body. At one point I overheard a client saying that this was the first time in 5 years that she has had the time to sit down and read a book!. This place – Pigeon Point – certainly gets under the skin; looking out at the crystal clear water, hearing the rustling of the palm fronds in the breeze – any cares seem a long way away. Certainly there is a laid back vibe at Radical Sports that fits with the rest of Pigeon Point. The owner Brett is Trinidadian and has a wealth of knowledge about the island and its history and culture and both him and his team are all really friendly and helpful.

The sailing area is a wide and open water area that is protected by Buccoo Reef system to the north. Buccoo Reef is a marine reserve and so any motorised craft passing Pigeon Point are speed restricted. The prevailing wind is cross-shore and low tide equals very flat water – great for all levels. The flat water combined with consistent winds means learning and improving any transitions or freestyle moves is made a whole lot easier.

One of the thrills that the group experienced out on the water was to see some small rays, beneath the water as they sailed past and occasionally some would breach adjacent to their boards!

OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Tobago is a great destination for non-windsurfing partners too. Pigeon Point itself is attractive; after all it is probably the most popular beach in Tobago. Who wouldn’t be satisfied with lying in a hammock strung up between two palm trees; enjoying the breeze, reading a book or having a snooze – occasionally going for a dip in the beautiful water?

“ Tobagans won’t let you hold onto stress. They are not in a rush ”

But should you want something more – Brett has SUPs available which you can paddle around the point. To the left of the sailing area there are small waves available (Sunset Left and Sunset Rights), perfect for first timers taking their first steps in the swell.

Elsewhere the island offers a host of other activities including sailing, surfing and scuba diving. Fantastic fishing whether inshore or off-shore. There’s also mountain biking, horse riding or bird watching. There are a number of guides available who can take you to explore some of the other beaches or into the interior of the island to explore tropical rain forest and waterfalls. Mt. Irvine is one of the better surf breaks and that is just to the north of Buccoo Reef and you can see the swell coming in from Pigeon Point.

WHY TOBAGO?
So why should you come to Tobago? Why not? It’s a beautiful island; friendly people; great food; not expensive; and the best times to visit for windsurfing are January, February and March – the grimmest times for windsurfing in northern Europe. It’s a great way to kick start your sailing season by blowing away the cobwebs with a solid week of sailing. And should conditions not suit (whether the wind or your own condition!) there are plenty of other ways to enjoy yourself whether SUPing, surfing or just kicking back in the Liming Lounge with a cold beer or margherita!

PRACTICALITIES

When to visit
Tobago has a tropical climate being close to the equator and so has just two seasons. The dry season is December to May and the wet season June to November (Tobago is outside of the main hurricane zone). Average temperatures are pretty consistent throughout the year, varying slightly from 29˚C to 31˚C. However, changes in the wind direction can make the summer months feel much hotter than the winter months.

For windsurfing – the best months to visit are December to June.

Jem Hall’s clinics for 2016 are in he first 2 weeks of March with Sportif Travel – www.sportif.travel; +44 (0)1273 844919.

Places to Stay
Crown Point is your base for sailing at Pigeon Point. Sportif (www.sportif.travel) can organise travel, accommodation and kit hire packages for windsurfing trips to Tobago.

Below is a selection of property types in Crown Point:

Coco Reef Hotel (www.cocoreef.com) – Upscale hotel with beach front location, beautiful gardens and spa.
Crown Point Beach Hotel (www.crownpointbeachhotel.com) – Hotel overlooks Store Bay with pool and bar. Short walk to the bars and restaurants of Crown Point and Pigeon Point beyond.
Toucan Inn (www.toucan-inn.com) – Good value option in Crown Point with bar and restaurant and pool area. Friendly staff.
Native Abode (www.nativeabode.com) – Homely B&B on a residential street, but close to the bars and restaurants of Crown Point.

Army clothes
This is an odd one. Military (style) clothing cannot be worn in Trinidad and Tobago – so to be on the safe side leave the camouflage gear, and even cargo shorts, at home.

Where the hell are we?
Tobago is a small island (40km long by 10km wide) just to the north of its larger sister, Trinidad. Crown Point is a small town that is a mixture of residential, hotels, bars and restaurants. There is plenty of choice of drinking spots and eating spots. Each day we had a pre-arranged transfer from the Toucan Inn down to Pigeon Point and then back again in the evening. A few would choose to walk rather than take the transfer, since it is a pleasant 25 minute walk past the colourful street stalls of Crown Point with arts and crafts vendors and fishermen slicing up the morning’s catch.

JEM HALL

Tobago is a very special place for me as I did quite a few clinics there back in the early noughties and some testing too. It also served as the last filming stop on the completion of my ‘Beginner to Winner’ coaching DVD and so it holds a big place in my heart. Heading back there made me excited and I was also anxious to see how it had all changed. I was not to be disappointed as I found the locals, whilst still laid back, had become dare I say it more pro active in their customer focus and there were so many more fun bars and eateries to choose from.

The windsurfing centre has had a major revamp and both the toys and staff were a joy to work with, there were lots of new style wide and easy Freemove boards and a whole host of sails. The atmosphere, and ‘liming’ was also fantastic, and the Radical Action Sports barbie night, with Brett Kenny and his crew, led to a fair few hangovers.

I have always had great results on my Tobago coaching clinics, the mix of windy and lighter wind sessions leads to a more steady improvement across all levels and the flat, shallow and warm waters also make my clients feel safe and more likely to step it up.

The hidden secret is that in the right swell and wind direction there is great starboard tack wavesailing out on Buccoo reef and I have had some killer sessions there. And round the corner from the centre is a hush hush, fab SUP spot with a nice left and a faster right breaking into shallower water channels, nice!! I’m already looking forward to my 2016 coaching weeks back there!