Dunkerbeck Pro Center

Dunkerbeck Pro Center – the new windsurf school on Lac Bay. What’s it all about?

For years only two windsurf schools and places to rent gear on Bonaire existed: Enter Dunkerbeck Pro Center!

Sorobon Beach Resort, the only hotel on Lac Bay, is now home to a small scale windsurf school and rental shop. The other two windsurf shops on Bonaire,Jibe City and Bonaire Windsurf Place, are direct competitors and next door neighbors right on Lac Bay.

What’s on offer at the new pro center

Dunkerbeck Pro Center, founded by Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Phillipe Bru, well known professional windsurfers will host many upcoming annual windsurf events. These two founded the 1000+ racer DefiWind in France. In 2016 they brought the DefiWind to Bonaire and in 2018 they opened the Dunkerbeck Pro Center at Sorobon Beach Resort. The shop, located right next door to Jibe City and directly on Lac Bay with a large stretch of beach front offers high end gear rental and lessons. The Pro Center offers gear rental mainly for slalom sailors as well as windsurf lessons for all levels, beginner through professional. You can also rent foil boards and learn windsurf foil with the pros. On days when the wind isn’t blowing too hard, rent a stand up paddle board or SUP or give wind foiling a try.

It costs a bit more but…

Dunkerbeck Pro Center, set up mainly for guests of Sorobon Beach Resort is also open to the general public. Expect higher rates than Jibe City and Windsurf Place and add on an extra 20% if you aren’t a guest of Sorobon Beach Resort. The price is a disadvantage but the gear is new. The shop prides itself on quality equipment and service and they open a half hour earlier and close a half hour later than their only two competitors. The wind, traditionally strongest in morning and evening means the extra hour added on to the day could outweigh the price as a deciding factor for serious windsurfers. Plus Tonky Frans works there. Get your equipment rigged and lessons taught by a windsurf legend.

Lessons at the new Pro Center

Lessons at Dunkerbeck pro center make use of headsets and microphones so that the windsurf instructor can communicate directly with you while you sail and learn. This is a big advantage to your windsurf instructor yelling directions to you in the wind and can make for a better learning experience.

Foiling has come to Bonaire. You can rent foil gear and get lessons now!

The following video has great drone footage of Phillipe Bru windsurfing on Bonaire and some great foiling shots. Foiling is becoming more and more popular all over the world and was almost completely unheard of just five years ago. It’s possible to plane on foil gear in lower winds than with a normal board. Foil lessons (wind foil lessons) offered at Dunkerbeck Pro Center offer a unique opportunity to learn and master this growing new area of the sport – wind foiling! As a precaution you can only use foil gear once the instructors are convinced that you know what you are doing!