Tenerife notes 2003

Friday 10 January to 24 January 2003

My notes show sailing as follows.

Sat 11 Light Wind
Mon 13 5.0
Tue 14 5.0 5.4
Wed 15 3.8 4.2 4.6 5.4 5.8
Thu 16 5.0 5.4
Fri 17 Light Wind
Sun 19 5.4 5.8

It seems I sailed a total of 7 days, which probably included two days when the winds were light.

Tuesday 4 March to 18 March 2003

My notes show sailing as follows.

Wed 5 Light Wind
Thu 6 7.3
Fri 7 5.0 7.3
Sat 8 5.0 5.4
Sun 9 4.6 5.0 5.4
Mon 10 5.8 6.6 7.3
Tue 11 7.3
Fri 14 5.8 6.5

I sailed a total of 7 days.

20 October to 7 November

We returned to El Médano from 20 October 2003 to 7 November. I had very much enjoyed the same period in 2002. This time we stayed for 20 days.

El Médano was significantly quieter than previously, with many English voices in the restaurants, but windsurfers of all nationalities.

One of the restaurants was closed "for holidays". An internet café has closed, and two others opened.

The weather was quite hot, so we did not want to spend much time exploring the island. We had a very relaxing holiday.

Windsurfing

Windsurfing was disappointing. I paid for 8 days sailing. I could certainly have sailed one further day, when the wind was Westerly, so offshore and gusty. I tried sailing two other days with a 7.3m² sail, but with little success. South Bay kindly did not charge me on these days.

One afternoon and the following full day I was sailing a 4.6m² sail on rolling waves out in the bay. At such times, I know El Medano is the place I want to be, and all thoughts of windsurfing anywhere else vanish from my mind.

On two other occasions, I was able to sail with sail sizes less than 5.8m². The day I missed would have been another opportunity.

The other 4 days, I was sailing on 5.8m² or 7.3m² sails. Some of these days were better than others.

As last year, there were some days suitable for complete beginners, with very light winds indeed. There were also a few days suitable for intermediate uphaulers.

In light winds, I was sailing in shorts and T-shirt again. When the wind picks up, a summer wetsuit is more comfortable.

Equipment

South Bay has replaced its equipment this year. I found the Naish Supercross 257 (2002) the most suitable board for the conditions, with sail sizes between 5.0m² and 5.8m². The Naish Titan 268 (2002) carries a 7.3m² sail or larger, but is fundamentally a very slow board and not suited to heavy chop. The 7.3m² sail is heavy, both to waterstart and to uphaul.

Coastguard

The coastguard made a very visible presence. They even towed a windsurfer ashore one day when the wind dropped. Earlier, they had sailed in the direction of Tejita beach, where the kite surfers had doubtless had similar troubles. They were seen heading out past the point one day when a kite surfer had gone beyond it. He would otherwise have had great trouble getting back up wind.

An elderly swimmer was also rescued during our holiday, after experiencing a heart attack in the water.

Airport

The airport obviously operates 24 hours a day. Night flights were much more evident than previously.

There are subsidised scheduled flights this winter from some British airports. There are also flights to the old Northern airport at Los Rodeos. Tenerife South is very much more convenient for El Médano.

Winter flights started 1 November. We travelled out on one of the last flights from the summer program, and returned on one of the first of the winter program. Perhaps that helps explain the numerous changes to the time of the return flight!

See Windsurfing in Tenerife.