Jamaica / Watersports

Most of the large beach hotels in Jamaica have a good selection of watersports equipment on hand for use, usually free of charge, mostly for non-motorised sports. This includes windsurfers, sunfish and hobie cat sailboats, snorkel gear, kayaks and sometimes pedalos. The all-inclusive hotels often provide some additional watersports for free, say waterskiing, sometimes scuba diving, even parascending or jet skiing. A number of the luxury private villas provide guests with kayaks and snorkelling gear and maybe a windsurfer.

Scuba Diving

Please see our Special Interest - Scuba section.

Snorkelling

All beachfront hotels and most villas with suitable snorkelling conditions provide guests with equipment, and they can usually arrange snorkelling trips for guests. Gear is also available for rent from the public beaches where snorkelling is good. A number of Day Sail cruises include snorkelling stops on their trips, and there are glass bottom boat and snorkel boat operators in the main resort areas of Negril, Montego Bay and along the north coast. If you are travelling independently, ask around, because many of the hotel managers will be happy to let you know about their favourite places.

Sport Fishing

Please see our Special Interest - Sport Fishing section.

River Kayaking and Tubing 

Parks and operators include:

White River Valley, Ocho Rios - A 300 acre park set in the White River Valley, with a variety of activities including white water kayaking in rubber kayaks, where you shoot rapids named the Flipping and Spinning rapids. They also offer river tubing, again through the rapids, as well as horse riding, a horticultural tour and nature trails.

Caliche Rainforest Park & Adventure Tours, Montego Bay and Negril - Heads out on the Great River near Montego Bay on inflatable, self-bailing rafts, with two river rafting trips to choose from. The Canyon White Water Rafting is an exciting trip down a section of the river with rapids, waterfalls, and boulders to negotiate. The Rainforest River Tour is gentle paddling which allows a little more time to appreciate your surroundings. It is suitable for children (four years and up) with river swimming and rope swinging.

Chukka Caribbean Adventures - Award winning company with two locations in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay/Negril where they operate river tubing and kayaking trips - the River Tubing Safari and the River Kayak Safari down the White River near Ocho Rios, and River Tubing Safari and the Ultimate Kayak Adventure down the Great River near Montego Bay. Minimum age six years for tubing and 12 years for kayaking.

River rafting in Jamaica is much gentler activity, done on 30ft bamboo rafts, which a steersman navigates like a punt with a pole. It takes place on the Martha Brae, Rio Grande, White River and Great Rivers. For more information see under the Day Sails/Boat Trips section.

Surfing

Surfing has never really taken off in Jamaica and the Jamaica Surfing Association was only set up in 1999 by Billy Wilmot (of reggae band Mystic Revealers). He has also set up the Jamnesia Surf Club at Bull Bay east of Kingston, to provide a home for local and travelling surfers. The club is run by the Wilmot family, who are all surfers, and one of whom is in the National Surf Team. The club runs surfing camps during the summer.

The best conditions for surfing are on the north east and south east coasts. There can be waves year round, but the best time is between November and late spring. Jamnesia is close to some lively spots including the Zoo, the Lighthouse and Prospect, just east of Morant Bay. The conditions are probably best over on the north east coast, particularly around Long Bay, Boston Bay and, just beyond Port Antonio, Orange Bay.

Note that there are currently no surf shops in Jamaica so you will need to bring all of your gear with you.