Kon ta bai? That is Papiamentu for how's it going, and on Sorobon beach the answer is nearly always the same: the wind is on. Lac Bay is a shallow bay on the south-east coast of Bonaire, sheltered from the ocean by a fringing reef, with about a hundred hectares of mangroves and seagrass beds that sea turtles use.
Sheet in, feel the board lift onto the plane, and it is hard not to grin like a kid.
The guides give 15 to 25 knots through the windy season, lighter in the morning and building to its peak around midday and early afternoon.
Not yet checked against a weather station or an independent model, so treat these figures as a guide.
At a glance
Is it for you?
Skill levelComfortable
WaterMillpond
Wind · AprUsually turns up
Crowds · AprBusy patches
Local vibeFriendly enough
Water qualityUsually clean
NightlifeA bar or two
CostMid
Geek analysis
April in the record
92% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
In April the wind most often sits at 16 to 19 kt (44% of daylight hours) and is over 12 kt from 8am to 6pm on at least half the days. See both charts in the full report
No weather station near enough to check these figures against.
April on the record
The month's own figures, not the year's average.
Rideable days28 of 30Ten Aprils in the record
Wind, rideable hours16 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air26.7°CMaximum
Take it with you
The full Lac Bay report
Seven sections over six pages, built from the same record as this page. A PDF you can read on the plane.
01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind02The month's own records03Full stays, schools & kit04Per-launch tide windows05Shallows, seagrass zones & the boat channel06Getting there, packing & best months07Sources, and their limits
WindChaser spot reportLac BaySorobon, Bonaire · April92% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
When it gets busy
Crowds
Jun · Medium
No crowd count is held for Lac Bay. The kite schools, which teach at Atlantis Beach because kiting is prohibited in the Lac, name the Christmas and May holidays as their peak seasons. At Sorobon the windsurf and wing lessons share the shallow inside, so expect it busiest then. September to November, with lighter wind, is quieter.
On the water
What April usually does
Wind directionEOnshore to cross-onshore at Sorobon, blowing in over the reef.
Wind strength15 to 25 ktThe range the guides give for the windy season. Rig for the mean, not the biggest gust.
When it blowsMidday peakLighter in the morning, strongest around midday and early afternoon.
Your playground
Launches & safety
Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.
Launch
Hazard
Parking
School
Stay
Webcam
Approximate
Local intel
Getting there & on the ground
Nearest airportBonaire (BON)Flamingo International, near Kralendijk. Lac Bay is a good ten minutes by car from Kralendijk.
On the groundDecember to AugustThe windy season, and the record's strongest run of months.
Getting aroundHire carLac Bay and Atlantis Beach are on opposite coasts. Public transport is limited.
