OTC July 2008 Trip...On The Cusp of a wave...

11th Jul 2008 @ 10:40:00 AM

sSs Team Rider, Ian “Robbo” Roberts managed to get a bit of time off work and his coaching commitments to head out and sample the delights of the OTC (Official Test Centre) in El Medano, Tenerife. Robbo takes up the story:

The OTC is a unique concept in windsurf holidays, whilst most centres only have one or two board and sail manufacturers, the OTC has boards from 11 (yes, 11 manufacturers!) and sails from 8 manufacturers.

The range of kit is staggering, and it was great to see the full range of RRD’s on display. The other benefit is that the team limits the number of customers who can rent gear, so you have masses to choose from. The OTC team, led by Tris Best and Ben Wood, are some of the friendliest and most enthusiastic windsurfing characters I’ve ever met!

So what’s the sailing like…

We were out for a week, and for the last 4 days, it blew and blew! The main sailing area is really safe, but gives challenging bump and jump conditions and you the opportunity to really push it. Heading further upwind, the area by the harbour wall can provide even more challenging waves and tougher conditions (but great fun!). We had 2 great days of logo high waves and jumps / rides galore.

The RRD Wave Cult 85 quickly became my choice for the conditions – absolutely fantastic board and thoroughly recommended!

For the future, the guys at the OTC are also looking to develop a new, flat water sailing venue for freestyle, which will be awesome once it’s fully up and running. For the moment, the bump and jump area in the main bay is a challenging venue for any intermediate to advanced sailor.

Another development the team at the OTC are looking to make is to add the option for tuition – this will be another great addition to what’s on offer.

If you fancy going, you can take your own kit, and sail as you would at the local beach, however, with the variety of kit available to try at the OTC it is well worth considering hiring. This is especially the case if you’re looking to purchase new kit and would like to test and compare different kit on offer.

A massive thanks to Tris, Ben, Adam, Kate and Graeme for making it such a great week!

For more info on the OTC – please see:

www. Otc-windsurf.com

OTC July 2008