Neretva (Croatia)
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Neretva is the most famous kitesurfing centre on the Croatian coast, located about 10 km from the town of Ploče. Kitesurfing on Neretva started in 2006 and was discovered by Slovenians. Where the river flows into the sea, a large sand dune has been created that extends almost a kilometre into the sea and offers plenty of low standing water, which is needed when you are new to kitesurfing, and the calm “flat” water is also enjoyed by all kiters. There are several schools in the large bay, and they chose this location for their kite courses as it is the most exposed point, extending deep into the middle of the bay and therefore offers the windiest position. The locals say that there is nothing like it in the whole Adriatic Sea, and during the spring and summer months, it is becoming an increasingly popular destination for both local and international kiters from all over the world. Thanks to its unique location between the Neretva River valley and the Pelješac peninsula, it is one of the windiest spots and thus perfectly suited for water sports enthusiasts in need of wind.
The most common and best-known wind is the mistral. This is a thermal wind that blows almost every day in the afternoon. It is caused by the temperature difference between day and night. At night the Neretva Valley and the mainland cool down, but in the morning the sun starts to warm the area up again and the warm air over the valley starts to rise, replaced by cooler air from the sea, resulting in moderate to strong winds blowing from the sea towards the valley. It starts blowing sometime between 12 and 1 p.m. and on better days it blows well into the evening, sometimes even late into the night. When the weather deteriorates slightly, the mistral decreases and the wind direction reverses and it starts to blow from a southerly direction. This wind is called Sirocco. It is usually a little weaker on the first day, but over the next day or two it gains strength and blows stronger and stronger, creating excellent conditions for learning to kite and impressing even the most demanding kiters. This is why we have on average 80-90% of windy days for kitesurfing on the Neretva. If there is no wind on a given day, we use it to rest or to visit other sights in the area.
The most common and best-known wind is the mistral. This is a thermal wind that blows almost every day in the afternoon. It is caused by the temperature difference between day and night. At night the Neretva Valley and the mainland cool down, but in the morning the sun starts to warm the area up again and the warm air over the valley starts to rise, replaced by cooler air from the sea, resulting in moderate to strong winds blowing from the sea towards the valley. It starts blowing sometime between 12 and 1 p.m. and on better days it blows well into the evening, sometimes even late into the night. When the weather deteriorates slightly, the mistral decreases and the wind direction reverses and it starts to blow from a southerly direction. This wind is called Sirocco. It is usually a little weaker on the first day, but over the next day or two it gains strength and blows stronger and stronger, creating excellent conditions for learning to kite and impressing even the most demanding kiters. This is why we have on average 80-90% of windy days for kitesurfing on the Neretva. If there is no wind on a given day, we use it to rest or to visit other sights in the area.
SUP-Info
It is a huge bay with a lot of flat water and small island to discover.