Riding essentials
Season
Jan–Jul
Months riders and schools name
How windy
12-20 kt
Character: trade
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
lagoon
28 °C in summerWhite sand and flat water along the island strip, where the offshore wind runs down the beach
Hazards
6
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy Dec Jan Feb Mar
Schools
3
named at this spot
From the airport
Gran Roque (LRV)
Transfer times under Getting there
On the clock
13:00 · 16:00
Trade wind rather than a thermal, so there is no fixed hour when it fills in or dies. For the May shoulder, 12-16 kt before 13:00 and again after 16:00 with about half of that in between is the one daily pattern anyone has written down, and it is unconfirmed.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Saki Sakino page yet
- Francisquino page yet
- Madrisquino page yet
- Boca de Sebastopolno page yet
The spot
The offshore challenge
Wind and season
Facilities and conditions
The wind
locals call it Los Roques trade winds
Direction
Direction to shore
offshore for the main Crasqui strip
Dominant direction
ENE/E trade winds; spot-specific direction not published in reliable wind data
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Peak-season riders are mostly on a 12 m and size down to a 9 m once it is over 20 kt; for 75-85 kg that is the working pair. A 13-15 m only earns its place in the light spells of the August-November lull. These sizes are given for Los Roques as a whole, not measured at Crasqui.
Character
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic (trade winds)
Average strength
Around 15-16 kt from January to July, dropping to about 11-13 kt from August to November.
Typical strength
12-20 kt on monthly averages, and 20-25 kt on the stronger stretches reported around Los Roques.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month100
- Feb, riders' month96
- Mar, riders' month96
- Apr, riders' month98
- May, riders' month100
- Jun, riders' month100
- Jul, riders' month100
- Aug99
- Sep90
- Oct82
- Nov92
- Dec96
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul.
- 18 ktJan27°
- 18 ktFeb27°
- 19 ktMar27°
- 19 ktApr28°
- 20 ktMay28°
- 19 ktJun29°
- 19 ktJul29°
- 16 ktAug29°
- 15 ktSep30°
- 15 ktOct31°
- 17 ktNov30°
- 17 ktDec28°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.
Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | Wind from | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100% | 18.2 kt | E | 26.4 °C | 27.3 °C |
| Feb | 96% | 18.2 kt | ENE | 26.3 °C | 27 °C |
| Mar | 96% | 19 kt | E | 26.4 °C | 27.1 °C |
| Apr | 98% | 18.8 kt | E | 26.9 °C | 27.7 °C |
| May | 100% | 20 kt | E | 27.4 °C | 28.1 °C |
| Jun | 100% | 19.1 kt | E | 27.7 °C | 28.5 °C |
| Jul | 100% | 18.9 kt | E | 27.7 °C | 28.8 °C |
| Aug | 99% | 16.4 kt | E | 28.3 °C | 29.4 °C |
| Sep | 90% | 15.3 kt | E | 28.9 °C | 30 °C |
| Oct | 82% | 15 kt | E | 28.8 °C | 30.6 °C |
| Nov | 92% | 16.6 kt | E | 28.1 °C | 29.6 °C |
| Dec | 96% | 17.2 kt | E | 27.4 °C | 28.3 °C |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
lagoon
Standing depth
Across the archipelago the inner lagoons run knee to waist deep. Crasqui itself is open flats behind a reef that kills most of the swell, and no standing-depth measurement exists for the strip.
Tides
High water covers the coral heads and opens up the riding area; low water uncovers sandbars and the coral patches toward the edges. There is no tide station on the cay, so sessions are planned off the Gran Roque tide chart, and no tidal range has been published for Crasqui itself.
Temperature
28 °C summer · 27 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 27–31 °C
Wetsuit
boardshorts/swimsuit and sun protection; no wetsuit normally needed
Currents
No strong current is reported in the inner lagoons and sandy shallows, which is the reason the archipelago is used for learning at all. Tidal flow does move water through the reef gaps on the open-sea routes further out, away from the Crasqui strip. Nothing is measured on the cay.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners here
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
1 spot nearby
Rescue
Launch
Sandy cay launch, boat in from Gran Roque, about 30 minutes by lancha to the southwest.
Rules & access
1 min read
Park fees
Permits and zones
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Sort out a boat or a rescue before you launch. The wind blows off the island.
- Ask the boat captain where the wind is cleanest that day: choppy on the outer edge, flatter but gustier along the strip.
- Bring cash, and assume nothing about food, shade or board rental until you see it open.
- Wear something on your feet; the shallows carry coral fragments.
- Aim at February to May for the steadiest trade, not the August-November lull at 11-13 kt.
Getting there
Airport
Los Roques Airport / Gran Roque (LRV), normally reached by small aircraft from Caracas
Route
Fly to Gran Roque, stay in a posada, then take a cooperative boat or a private lancha to Crasqui, about 30 minutes out.
Transfer
30-60 min flight from Caracas to Gran Roque, then about 30 min by boat to Crasqui
Cost level
high
Staying
Stay in Gran Roque posadas. Crasqui is a day-trip cay: reportedly some food and shade, and no lodging at all.
No-wind days
Snorkeling, diving, swimming, island-hopping, beach lunches, fishing trips, wakeboarding by boat and visiting other Los Roques cays.
Photos
FAQ
Is Crasqui suitable for beginners?
No: Crasqui is rated for intermediate riders, and its offshore wind angle makes it unsuitable for independent beginners without boat rescue.
What is the wind like?
Trade winds are mostly offshore along the main strip, averaging 15-16 kt from January to July and dropping to about 11-13 kt from August to November.
How do you get there?
Fly to Gran Roque, then take a boat to Crasqui, about 30 minutes by lancha.
What are the hazards?
The main wind angle is offshore, so boat support is strongly recommended, and coral/reef fragments occur in shallow areas.
Last updated: August 2026