WATER SPORTS IN TURKS AND CAICOS
There are so many water sports in Turks and Caicos to choose from. The only question is how much time do you have on the island? Of course our team is a little bias, but we believe deep sea fishing, reef bottom fishing, and snorkeling are the superior water sports in Provo! But if you’re looking for other options, we have you covered!
Kayaking
For casual kayaking, the majority of the Grace Bay Beach resorts and beachfront rental villas have kayaks for their guests to use. If you’re looking for more of a guide kayaking tour, there are several wetland tours where you’ll get good exercise in while seeing various marine and bird life. Some of the best kayaking locations in Providenciales is Mangrove Cay, The Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve, Chalk Sound National Park, Half Moon Bay Lagoon, Turtle Tail, Frenchman’s Creek and Pigeon Pond Nature Reserve. For the Instagrammers looking for the perfect image to post, you can upgrade to a clear kayak experience when you book with our friends at Clear Bottom Adventures.
Kiteboarding
If you are new to Kiteboarding (also known as Kitesurfing), Long Bay Beach is the perfect beach to try this out. Long Bay Beach is a beautiful 3-mile beach on the southeast side of Provo. Because it’s located on the southern and shallow Caicos Banks side of Provo, Long Bay Beach doesn’t experience any open waves that many of the northern and western beaches on the island may encounter. Making this the perfect location for kiteboarding! Combining aspects of paragliding, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding, this is such a unique water sport and one of the most unique water sports in Turks and Caicos. Our recommendation is to book with TCI Kiteboarding. They have wonderful instructors!
Jet Skiing
One of our favorite motorized water sports in Turks and Caicos is jet skiing. Both hourly jet ski rentals and guided tours are available to vacationers. Our friends over at Sun & Fun Sea Sports offer small-group jet ski tours. On this tour, you’ll see a conch farm in Leeward, stroll along the sandbar of Half Moon Bay, walk along the beaches of Pine Cay and Long Bay, and see the famous La Famille Express shipwreck.
Surfing
Surfing conditions are unfortunately predictable. The Barrier Reef off of the north and west coasts of Providenciales does offer some decent breaks at times. A small beach break with a clean sandy bottom can be found close off the beach in the Leeward Beach area, but due to the small size of the waves the spot is typically suitable only for stand-up paddleboard surfing. Do note that the winter months will offer a higher probability of good conditions than the summer and fall months do. As you won’t find any surfing lessons or guided trips, you can still purchase equipment at a local shop here on the island.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is such a fun way to get underneath the water and be one among the fish. With simply mask and fins equipment, you’ll be on your way to swimming near classes of fish and trying to see how many types you can spot. Here is our recent blog post on the best snorkeling spots in Turks and Caicos. We also offer private snorkeling charters for your group of up to 6 people. While snorkeling, you might spot parrotfish, bar jacks, Nassau groupers, barracudas, porcupinefish, trumpetfish, squirrelfish, yellowtail snapper, and damselfish.
Hobie Cat Sailing
The name Hobie Cat comes from the combination of catamaran (two hulled boat) and the name of the inventor of this small craft: Hobie Alter. Hobie Cats are small and easy to sail unsinkable catamaran sailboats. Many resorts on Grace Bay offer complimentary Hobie Cat use for guests, and rentals are also available at a few different locations. If your hotel/resort doesn’t offer Hobie Cats, you can get a day pass at Club Med Resort and use their water sports equipment. Beginners can easily learn the basics in about an hour. Traveling with children? Hobie Cats are an excellent way to introduce them to sailing, as they’re technically very easy to control and require very little strength to sail under tame conditions.
Tubing
One of the more unique water sports in Turks and Caicos is tubing. Tubing is a popular activity on Providenciales, and is simply an inflatable tube ride or banana float towed behind a powerboat. The most common of these towable rides are the large banana and shark shapes, which are suitable for up to eight people, however, the smaller lounge chair and tube types that seat one, two and three people are probably more fun. Tubing is popular off all of the beaches within a short boat ride from the Grace Bay area including Grace Bay Beach, the Bight Beach, Leeward Beach, Half Moon Bay, and Water Cay.
Diving
Diving in the Caribbean is extremely pleasant year-round (PADI agrees with us)! January through March offer the best opportunities to dive with migrating rays, turtles, dolphins, and humpback whales. With protected reefs dropping well past recreational dive limits just offshore, it’s easy to see why this is a diver’s paradise. Whether you’re looking for breathtaking walls or wrecks, scuba diving in the Turks and Caicos is both accessible and impressive.
Snuba
Snuba is the perfect cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. Learning to snuba is easy! It does not require any certification or previous experience. Snuba allows you to explore a three-dimensional world you cannot enjoy while snorkeling. You breathe through a simple to use regulator while your air supply floats on a comforting support raft at the surface. Even if you are not the strongest swimmer and have never snorkeled before, you can learn to SNUBA. Perfect for adventurous travelers of all ages.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Stand-up paddleboarding (also known as SUP) is one of the newer water sports in Turks and Caicos. Stand-up paddleboarding is easy to pick up and the best way to experience the mangrove wetlands and shallows. Due to the added height over the water compared to kayaking, you’ll get a much better view of wildlife in the water. As with all water sports, weather will greatly affect your paddleboarding experience. Generally, it’s most pleasant to paddleboard in calm, windless conditions. Kayaks tend to be better in choppy and windy conditions, and for long distance travel, so choose the right tool for the job. For paddleboard wave riding, smooth, rolling waves are best.
Deep Sea Fishing
Our island features a healthy and pristine marine environment, and consequently our fishing is excellent. Our islands offer the perfect setting for several types of sport fishing. The Atlantic depths and great deep-sea fishing is only minutes away. The shallow and turquoise Caicos Banks also support incredible bone fishing, and we have extensive barrier reefs for bottom fishing. Book one of our private deep sea fishing excursions!
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is the ‘snowboarding’ of the water – with the board strapped to your feet beginners are towed around 16 mph and more experience will get zipped around at 22 mph. Our friends over at Wake to Wake are very passionate about wakeboarding and offer world-class equipment. The best locations for wakeboarding are usually off the east side of the island in the Princess Alexandra National Park at Donna Cay and Little Water Cay, or off the north of Half Moon Bay and Water Cay. You’d be hard-pressed to find spots in other Caribbean regions that match the natural beauty of these locations.
Flyboarding
Flyboarding is one of the more adrenaline-pumping water sports of Turks and Caicos. Flyboarding equipment consists of a shoulder, hoverboard, or boot mounted propulsion pack, and is powered by a jet ski’s engine and impeller drive system. The Flyboard essentially diverts the flow of water from the jet ski propulsion system through a hose setup to the pack that the user wears, and the force of this water is sufficient to provide lift to the rider. Leeward Channel, near the Heaving Down Rock area of Providenciales, is the primary spot for flyboarding. This region is quite scenic, and easy to access as well. There’s incredibly turquoise ocean water, lush mangroves, and beautiful yachts around.
Glass Bottom Boat
Glass bottom boats, also known as “semi-submarines,” are perfect for those that don’t want to get wet. It will allow you to see the vibrant reefs and fascinating ocean life that Turks and Caicos has to offer. Several charter boats feature some type of “glass bottom” window or viewing port. The excursions that use these vessels typically combine many popular tour activities, including beach BBQs, snorkeling, and visits to secluded coasts, and the glass-bottom feature is simply another amenity on the trip.
Please make sure an operator is licensed before using their services.