Beginner windsurfing in Dakar takes place on the beaches of Yoff and Ngor, two bays with steady wind and a fairly calm sea. A qualified instructor leads the session, the equipment is provided, and the activity is open from age 10.

Learning on the sand, then on the water

The introduction starts on land, with a presentation of the equipment and the basic principles: body position, orienting the board, handling the wind. You then move onto the water, with a qualified instructor, for your first runs, in a calm, supervised area close to the shore. Little by little, the movements become fluid, the sail tightens, the board glides.

The equipment is provided: windsurf board, safety vest and, as needed, a wetsuit and harness. Bring a swimsuit, towel, sun cream and water. The minimum age is 10, with equipment suited to the youngest.

Yoff and Ngor, two bays to start in

Windsurfing has been part of the scenery on these beaches for decades. Ngor and Yoff are two of the peninsula’s historic Lébou villages, founded long before the modern capital: you learn to sail in front of fishing villages, not in front of a resort, with the pirogues as neighbours on the sand. Ngor, at the northern tip of the Cap-Vert peninsula, is a village district of Lébou fishermen, with its island reached by pirogue; Yoff stretches between the airport and the Atlantic, with its long beach and its fishing activity. From the water, you take in the whole peninsula, with its familiar landmarks: the islands of Ngor, the Mosque of the Divinity and the Mamelles lighthouse. If you live here, it is an activity to do close to home, without leaving the city for a whole weekend; if you are visiting, it is a first taste of gliding in a safe setting. The Ngor beach and Ngor Island pages give an idea of the place.

Going further

Other ways of gliding exist along the same coast: surfing, paddle and kayak or towed sports.