WINDSURF: SURF CENTER

The Upper Lake Garda is the golden triangle for windsurf buffs. The gusty Peler, which blows in the morning, and the afternoon Ora winds ensure ideal conditions for thrilling surfing. You can skim the waves and fly on the board just like you do in Hawaii, Sardinia, and the French Riviera. Thousands of windsurfers from all over Europe come to the area.�
 

Arco

Surf Center Marco Segnana, Tel. (+39) 0464 505963

Bardolino

• Lido Holiday Surf, Tel. (+39) 045 7210092

Brenzone

• Martina Loch Loc. Castelletto, Tel. (+39) 045 7420555
• Hp Sports Loc. Castelletto, Tel. (+39) 045 7430707

Gargnano

• Ok Surf Loc. Fontanella, Tel. (+39) 0365 790012

Limone sul Garda

• Geri Surf Center, Tel. (+39) 0365 954040
• Windsurfing Lino, Tel. (+39) 338 4097490

Malcesine

• International Sailing Center Loc. Campagnola, Tel. (+39) 045 7400055
• Stickl Sport Camps Loc. Val Di Sogno, Tel. (+39) 045 7401697
• Wind Surf Bay Loc. Campagnola, Tel. (+39) 045 7400311
• Wind Square Loc. Sottodossi, Tel. (+39) 045 7400413
• Sunrise Loc. Molini, Tel. (+39) 045 7401104

Moniga del Garda

• Centro Surf E Canoe, Tel. (+39) 0365 502364

Padenghe sul Garda

• Sporting Club Basso Garda, Tel. (+39) 030 9907672

Riva del Garda

• Bouwmeester Pro Center, Tel. (+39) 0464 551730
• Nautic Club Riva, Tel. (+39) 0464 552453
• Prof. W. School Tomasi, Tel. (+39) 0464 556077
• Surf Center Marco Segnana, Tel. (+39) 0464 505963

Sirmione

• Centro Surf Martini Sport, Tel. (+39) 030 916208
• Centro Surf Sirmione, Tel. (+39) 338 6243650�

Torbole

• Circolo Surf Torbole, Tel. (+39) 0464 505385
• Surf Center Lido Blu, Tel. (+39) 0464 505180
• Surf Center Marco Segnana, Tel. (+39) 0464 505963
• 3 Surf (Club Mistral), Tel. (+39) 0464 506077
• Vasco Renna Surf Center, Tel. (+39) 0464 505993
• Windsurfing Conca D’oro, Tel. (+39) 0464 506251

Torri Del Benaco

• Centro Surf Jean Pierre, Tel. (+39) 045 7225215

Tremosine-Campione

• Tender Wind&Kitesurf , Tel. (+39) 0365 916900

The Lombard shore

The crowd first gathers in Lombardy, in the heart of the Upper Garda Park of Brescia. Surfers arrive early. They park in front of the beautiful lemon grove, where the finest fruit of the wide lake is still grown. They slip into their drysuits, then hit the waves formed by the northernly Peler wind with gusts of between 20 and 30 knots. The waves are so tall you can even jump with the board, and it is almost like being at sea. Some surfers try looping. This is the only place where you can really fly over the waves. We?re offshore from Prà de la fam [Hunger Meadow], a place given this name by the fishermen who used to stop here for breakfast after hours of launching and retrieving their nets laden with fish. Milan is just 150 kilometers away. Highway exits are at Brescia and Desenzano. After reaching Riva, people arriving from Germany by way of the Brenner Pass must travel south for about 20 kilometers. The road to Salò, the Gardesana Road, was dubbed Meandro by D?Annunzio because it climbs steep cliffs that resemble the ones at Dover. Windsurf champions run most of the windsurf schools in the area, which is a guarantee of excellence. Other distinguished athletes design boards and sails. Important companies have opened Italian and European branch offices on the banks of Lake Garda, while other areas in the region have become authentic technological parks and research centers. A few kilometers from “Prà de la Fam”, in the municipality of Tignale, you can take the long lighted tunnel to Campione, a town which is undergoing extensive renovation. The old cotton mill will become a resort for water sports enthusiasts. Limone, 7 kilometers away, is a famous tourist capital of Northern Italy. It has many windsurf schools and rental places along the beaches and at major hotels. If you keep on the state road, you will encounter the Capo Reamol lemon grove. The parking areas full of cars, campers and caravans are the bases for surfers who love the Ora winds. Surfers sail from one side of the lake to the other with gorgeous turns and sails large enough for athletes with stamina and muscles.

The Veneto shore

Taking the Gardesana Road east, about 5 kilometers south of Torbole is the Veneto shore of Lake Garda. At Malcesine, you?ll find many tourists and windsurf buffs. Windsurf schools can be found all along the beaches. Flags and banners indicate the direction, so even the most absent-minded traveler will not lose his way. Further south you?ll find the ideal conditions for the northerly Peler wind and the vigorous Ora wind, mentioned by Goethe in his diary on his travels in Italy. Dominating the horizon is the Scaliger Castle, a warning and point of reference for surfers propelled by the wind out on the lake. The Sogno Valley is another surfer?s paradise. The wind in the area is perfect for beginning surfers. Lake Garda apparently caters to neophytes, too!

Trentino

On the Gardesana road is the Pier Hotel, one of the most popular meeting points for windsurfers. The school is run by Miki Bouwmeester, a Dutch windsurf champion who discovered the winds on Lake Garda at the beginning of the seventies. It is one of the best equipped schools with boards, sails and a surf simulator. Audiovisual aids are also available: there is even an interesting VHS course that can be reviewed in the comfort of your home. Riva and Torbole, two towns in the Trentino region, have become the capitals of windsurfing and, more recently, of mountain biking, an “environmentally friendly” recreational activity. Surfer beaches are marked by large signs. You must be careful because some beaches are only reserved to swimming. The breeze of the Ora hits you headlong, but after sailing close hauled, you can ease the sail. The most interesting places are near the Hotel Du Lac beach in Riva, at the mouth of the Sarca River in Arco, and at the Pavese resort in Torbole. The ideal solution is at the Circolo Vela [Yacht Club] where you?ll find a large parking lot, school and the Conca d?Oro rental shop. You can surf here all year round. On weekends, more than 10,000 surfers come to the area, and nearly half a million people visit the area between April and October.

Lake Garda: Club and Sailing Schools F.i.v. Lake Garda is proud of its long and consolidated tradition. In the past 50 years, its yacht clubs have been the hotbed for top Olympic skippers such as Fabio Albarelli, Roberto Benamati, Albino Fravezzi, Flavio Scala, the Celon brothers, Luca Devoti and Silvio Santoni, to name a few. Others, such as Olympic winners Jesper Bank from Denmark, Germans Joerg Schuman (a three-time gold medal winner in three Olympics), Alex Hagen, Vincent Hoesch and Markus Wieser, and Austrian Raudaschal, have chosen Lake Garda as their favorite training center. The winds vary from one zone to another: there are light breezes in the lower part of the lake and brisker winds north of Gargnano towards Malcesine and Torbole. Each area has its own Yacht Club or Guild with a school, recognized by the Federation, for youngsters and adults alike. Just as famous are the Garda races such as the popular Centomiglia and Intervela, which have existed for 50 years. International championships are organized at Lake Garda each year; the latest was the first Italian Open Championships for the 10 Olympic classes. Lake Garda has also been the site of the world championships for 5.50, F.D., Soling, Mini Tonner, Hobe Cat, Fun, Tempest and of the European championships for Star, Finn, Fun, Asso 99, Trias, Dyas, Dragoni, Soling Match-race, a trail in the international two-man challenge, and the Pedrini Cento Cup.   ARCO Circolo Vela Arco, tel. (+39) 0464 505086 BARDOLINO Centro Nautico Bardolino, tel. (+39) 045 7211109 BRENZONE Circolo Nautico Brenzone, tel. (+39) 045 7430169 Compagnia delle Derive, tel. (+39) 045 7420762 Yacht Club Acquafresca, tel. (+39) 045 7420575 DESENZANO DEL GARDA Club Nautico Diavoli Rossi, tel. (+39) 030 9141346 Fraglia Vela Desenzano, tel. (+39) 030 9143343 Lega Navale Italiana – Sez.Brescia, tel. (+39) 030 9980344 GARDA Gruppo Vela L.N.I. Garda, tel. (+39) 045 7256377 GARGNANO Circolo Vela Gargnano, tel. (+39) 0365 71433 LIMONE SUL GARDA Circolo Vela Limone, tel. (+39) 0365 914045 MALCESINE Fraglia Vela Malcesine, tel. (+39) 045 7400274 MANERBA DEL GARDA Circolo Vela Torcolo, tel. (+39) 030 9907217 MONIGA DEL GARDA Nauticlub Moniga, tel. (+39) 0365 503057 PADENGHE SUL GARDA West Garda Yacht Club, tel. (+39) 030 9907295 West Garda Marina, tel. (+39) 030 9907164 PESCHIERA DEL GARDA Fraglia Vela Peschiera, tel. (+39) 045 7550727 RIVA DEL GARDA Circolo Velico Alto Garda, tel. (+39) 0464 521831 Fraglia Vela Riva, tel. (+39) 0464 552460 Sezione L.N.I. Riva, tel. (+39) 0464 556028 SALO’ Società Canottieri Garda, tel. (+39) 0365 43245 SAN FELICE DEL BENACO Circolo Nautico Portese, tel. (+39) 0365 559893 SIRMIONE Yachting Club Sirmione, tel. (+39) 030 9904078 TORBOLE Circolo Vela Torbole, tel. (+39) 0464 506240 TORRI DEL BENACO Yachting Club Torri, tel. (+39) 045 7225124 TOSCOLANO MADERNO Circolo Vela Toscolano Maderno, tel. (+39) 0365 540888 TREMOSINE Vela Club Campione, tel. (+39) 0365 916908        Mappa Vela & Windsurf   Navigation laws   Several laws were introduced by the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Trento in January 1984. These laws were passed to ensure safety, to protect the environment and to promote tourism.   Navigation prohibited 500 m from the coast� Motorboat navigation is prohibited 500 meters within the coastal line (that distance is reduced to 200 meters in the Salo? Gulf, from Barbarano to Rocca di Manerba). Boats sailing from the shoreline to the permitted area 500 meters offshore must not exceed a maximum speed of 5 knots. Boats may not cross swimming areas. The maximum speed is 22 knots during the day and 10 knots at night. Boats may enter and leave ports at a maximum speed of 3 knots.�   Scuba diving and waterskiing� Scuba divers must use buoys to mark their location. Water-skiing is subject to certain rules for launching corridors, equipment used on boats towing the skiers, and requisites for the crew.�   Windsurf� Windsurf boards can be used one hour after dawn and until dusk, only in good visibility. Surfers must wear lifejackets.�   Waterscooters� Waterscooter navigation is governed by local municipal laws. Therefore, please contact the local police station for more information.�   Boat washing All boat hulls must be washed before haulage.�   MOTORBOATS ARE PROHIBITED IN THE LAKE GARDA AREA OF TRENTINO� The Upper Garda area is reserved to wind surfing. Motorboat navigation is prohibited in the area off shore from Riva del Garda, Arco and Torbole (about 10 square kilometers). Please contact the Port Authorities, local police stations or tourist offices for more information.�   Fines� Fines ranging from Euro 16,00 to Euro 550,00 are applied depending on the seriousness of the offense. Special fines refer to surveillance services.   On-board equipment� According to the new national navigation laws, foreign boats must carry safety equipment required by their country of origin.

Required on-board equipment for boats navigating on Lake Garda

Italy has recently updated laws and rules dating back to the seventies. The most revolutionary law appeared in the ordinary supplement n. 141 of the Gazzetta Ufficiale of August 24, 1996. Here is what it says about on-board equipment:
“Boats must have lifesaving and safety equipment required for the distance from the coast where navigation actually takes place”.
This might seem a genuine liberalization of the law. The risk that could cause irreparable damage, however, is a too liberal interpretation of the law by users and authorities who must enforce laws and ensure safety.
Rules based on the users? self-discipline in the matter, something which already occurs in civic-minded countries such as France, England and the Netherlands, will be introduced in the near future.
On the eve of the final “launching” of a United Europe, Italy must achieve real maturity in marine matters, something that unfortunately leaves us somewhat perplexed today.
In the meantime, we should comply with the safety rules that came into force on July 14, 1994.

Boats navigating on inland bodies of water, and therefore Lake Garda, must have on-board equipment that is required for boats sailing at a distance of 3 miles from the coast, which is the same equipment for boats sailing within 6 miles, with the exception of the collective lifeboat.