What to bring: It’s always nice to pack light, but there are a few things we don’t want you to forget. To avoid the possibility of lost luggage, we recommend that you carry-on your luggage whenever possible, particularly important items. Here is our list of things to bring:

Current passport or Birth Certificate and photo I.D. (driver’s license). Also, be sure to check with your tour operator what is required.

Tourist card (Must be purchased upon arrival at the airport. Currently the price is US $10)

Vest or shortie wetsuit (if desired), booties, harness, gloves

Sunglasses and chums

High SPF (25+) waterproof sunscreen lotion (oil makes the board slippery)

PFD and/or helmet (if desired)

Light jacket/windbreaker

Extra spending money (see “Currency/credit cards” section below)

Paperback books for flights and evenings (Our staff appreciates current newspapers/magazines)

Ball-point pen. (Helpful for any airport forms, customs declarations, etc.)

Ear Plugs - these are a good idea if you are a light sleeper on the plane

What we have: Limited selection of rental harnesses. Also available for sale are wetsuits, lycras, gloves, booties, and Vela logo clothing. Please see Shop page for more details.

Location: 
The Dominican Republic occupies two-thirds of the large Caribbean island of Hispaniola, located about 1500 miles due south of Cape Cod, between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Make sure to fly into Puerto Plata (POP) or Santiago (STI) airport. (DO NOT fly into Santo Domingo (SDQ) or Punta Cana (PUJ) as each are on the other side of the country!

Weather: see Weather section

Language: 
Most local people speak Spanish as well as some English tourist lingo. The hotels all have some staff that are fluent in English. The Vela Center staff speaks English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch.

Currency / Credit Cards:
It is not easy to convert US currency to Dominican Pesos before you leave home. The best place to convert your dollars is at a “Casa de Cambio” in Cabarete (a designated money exchange place). The Vela Cabarete windsurf center does take credit cards (Amex, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover) for any additional services or goods you may want to purchase on-site. Major credit cards are accepted only by some establishments in the tourist areas, including our hotels and condos. Note that by law, businesses charge a 16% sales tax on every credit card payment. We therefore encourage you to pay in cash or traveler’s checks whenever possible in order to save money. There are banks and cash machines in Cabarete. However, it is recommended to bring extra cash or traveler’s checks worth at least $40 per person per day of stay and a few personal checks (if you plan on purchasing any gear bring extra traveler’s checks). You may go home with most of it, but if you want it to spend, you’ll have it. We suggest you arrive with about $70 in small bills including one $10 bill per person to purchase your tourist cards upon arrival and also save some to pay airport departure tax when leaving the country.

Electrical voltage:
110 volt, same outlets as U.S.

Email / Phone Service: 
There are still some phone centers and internet cafés in Cabarete where you may pay in pesos for your call or call collect. Most bars now have wireless internet that can be used free of charge, provided that one consumes more than just the free internet. Most US cell phones work in the Dominican Republic. If not, the local Orange shop sells cell phones and SIM cards for 20 to 30 USD.

Water & Health: 
We recommend that you only drink bottled water in the Dominican Republic. Even though the hotels typically wash foods in purified water, be as cautious as you would be in any third world country. To allow yourself to adjust to the different food and water and to avoid getting sick, don’t further tax your system by exhausting yourself the first day or by drinking too much alcohol! Make sure that you drink plenty of water every day. If concerned, consult your physician before leaving home.

Meals:
There are a number of interesting restaurants along the beach in Cabarete (see Cabarete section). Be adventurous with common sense; ask our staff for recommendations and locations. 

Tipping:
Gratuities given to the local hotel staff are appreciated and represent a significant portion of their livelihood. At restaurants a 10% service charge that is given to the staff and a 12% tax (16% when paying by credit card) are added to your bill. An additional 10%+ tip is appreciated for good service.

Emergencies:
Should an emergency necessitate an early return home, we will do all we can to get refunds for you. Standard hotel cancellation fees usually exceed any unused balance, but hotels are quite often understanding of emergencies. To assist us in this you must get written verification of check-out date from your hotel front desk and also from the windsurf staff.