Paddleboarding Belize

Calm water SUP, Surfing SUP, and Downwind Cruising in Belize

 

Some Experience is Needed for Wave Paddleboarding

Although our wave is excellent for surf kayaks and experienced surfers, our break is not ideal for beginners, and therefore not for beginning surfers or paddleboarders. This break is on a reef of broken coral rubble, not sand. Since beginners often fall, this could result in a serious injury. Reefs are not recommended for beginners. However, beginners with good athletic ability and some experience may be able to get small rides on surf if conditions permit. Guests with surfing experience must first demonstrate kayak surfing ability before they are cleared to use the paddleboards in surf. Helmets are required for all paddle boarders.

 

Related blog post: Paddleboard surfing in Belize

 

If you want world-class, immaculately groomed long fetch overhead barrels - you should consider a destination such as Tavarua or the Mentawais. However, if you're a surfer planning to go to Glover's for the reefs and kayaking, windsurfing, etc. - you also might be rewarded with some very fun, uncrowded tropical surf. 

Downwind Paddleboard Cruising

Stand up paddleboards are also an excellent way to explore the atoll's lagoon and even to visit other islands. Many paddlers have started taking long distance tours on paddleboards. We now have five (cruiser) paddleboards for long distance touring.This style of paddleboard is designed for longer distance paddling tours, with this new design we cover more distance efficiently. Our newest sport activity is paddling downwind to neighboring islands which are 3 and 6 miles away. We will then be picked up by our motor skiff for the ride back to Long Caye.

 

 

Related blog post: Downwind paddleboard cruising - Our newest sport!

 

 

Our Gear

Paddleboards:
Laird Soft Tops by Surftech, 12' and 11’6”
Custom 10’6, 10, 9’2 boards
9’6” PSH AA Wide
9’6” Waa by Paddle Surf Hawaii
Versa by Liquid Logic
Rapidfire by Imagine
Mana by Naish

Cruisers (touring paddleboards):
12’6” Pau Hana Crossfit
12’ Bombora by Jimmy Lewis
Glide AST 12'6" by Naish

SUP Paddles:
Surftech
Aquabound
Werner
Kialoa

 

About Our Wave

Long Caye enjoys the only surf break in Belize that is both accessible and safe (not breaking over live coral). There are many places throughout Belize where the swells break on the barrier reefs and outside reefs of the atolls, and undoubtedly there are other nicely formed point breaks at various channels through the reef, but any such breaks are a long boat ride from inhabited areas or (usually) are breaking on live coral which has sharp points and ‘heads’ that make for unsafe conditions.

 

Our point break is almost always active at the end of the ring reef where the channel entrance intercepts the swells driven by Caribbean trade winds. The swells break on the end of this reef as it opens to form the channel between Long Caye and a neighboring island, and peel off to the right in long, running breaks that can go for several hundred yards. The bottom topography under this break is eroded coral rubble, with no live or sharp coral faces, creating a safe (but hard) bottom surface for the inevitable wipe-outs and swims.

 

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The Break

Our wave is a right hand break which starts out in 8-12 feet of water, getting progressively shallower the longer the ride, ending in about 3 feet depth. Moderate to steep on the initial drop, there can also be a slight reform where one needs to cutback to make a second section where the wave walls up again with a fun, punchy, fast, inner section. Because of the shallowness of the break, this wave is not recommended for first time beginners as there is the risk of falling off the board wrong and hitting the bottom. However there is little risk of being "pounded" by the wave inside because it loses most of its force in the shallow water.

 

Swell in the winter is almost always near/moderate fetch trade-wind-driven waves. The Trades blow a near constant 10-15 knots (or more), so often times surfable wave conditions also have "onshore" wind and chop It’s a rare day to have super glassy conditions - although it does happen.

 

Also, because of the reef the wave is very consistent; it’s common to have a 4-6 foot face on the initial drop. Rides of 50 yards are possible on good days when it’s connecting. This is a very uncrowded break, so except for having to share with our other guests, you can catch all the waves you want!

What Do Paddleboarders Need to Bring?

Booties are required to wear at all times in the water. Our packing list on the Adventure Island at Glover's Reef info sheet (you can request this document to be mailed or emailed to you) includes a discussion of booties. Paddleboarders should bring booties that are thin enough to allow for mobility on the board, yet thick enough to buffer the rock/coral from harming their feet. Some booties made specifically for diving are big and too cumbersome for surfing.

 

Request more information on Belize surf trips!

 

What Time of Year is Best for Paddleboarding?

Good waves can be found all year, it depends on the weather out to sea which creates the swells that form the best waves. Winter and spring are windy seasons and Long Caye will usually see a good break of four feet or higher during this time, but occasionally the seas do flatten out for a few days at a time. December through March may be the best time to plan for waves, though we have had flat spells during these months as well. Last season, even the month of May had decent surf for 3 out of 4 weeks.

 

There is no way to predict the surf or wind conditions for a specific date!

 

Surf Report for Belize and Honduras

 

Surf Forecast for the Gulf of Mexico and Yucatan region

 

 

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