Wind-surf school

Happy Surf! Colored windsocks, coming straight from Germany, flap to the flavor of the constant winds in Búzios. Even there nature helped. For those who like them, the colored ones are for sale, with prices from 18 to 65 Reais. The name suggests what awaits the future students of this school for windsurfing, laser, hobie cat, canoeing and kayak, which is located Ferradura beach, on one of the most popular in Búzios. The German Jürguen Oliveira began his school in 1991. Today it also works in Lyon, France. Since Búzios receives people from all over the world, Oliveira speaks German, Portuguese, English, French and a bit of Spanish. Happy Surf follows the VDWS - Verband - Deutshcher Windsurfing Shülen (German Windsurf Schools Association) principles. Open every day of the week at 9 am, the school receives mainly foreigners looking to rent equipment. The Brazilians seek the white tent, where the school is installed, to learn the art of sailing. The children have classes separately, where a trained instructor will care for them. The movement really starts at 11am and goes on to the last client. There have been cases of people sailing under moonlight. Basic ecologic classes are offered in all the courses, which are nothing more than a relaxation in the periods between lessons. The students gather around the instructor and they all sit in the sand, forming a circle. With paper and crayons, the students draw on the paper masts, sails, keel boxes and learn how to make a good knot for boats. The basic windsurf course for beginners is a six hour schedule, be it for adults or children and costs R$ 200.00. For groups of more than three people, that sign up together, there is a 10% discount. According to Luís Manoel, a school instructor, with just one six hour course, the student is ready to take on the ocean and the winds. The largest difficulty students face is balance. Since the wind at Ferradura Beach is inconsistent and the ocean has little current, these conditions make the learning easier. Luís Manoel says that, in two or three months, practicing every day, the student is ready to participate in competitions. There are even some cases that, on the second day of class, the student is already well prepared to take on the ocean. For who just want to have some notions of the sport, the school offers minicourses lasting 1 or 2 hours, with prices between 60 and 90 reais. The Laser course is where the student learns easiest. The main advantage of the laser in relation to the windsurfer, for beginners, is that the student doesn't need to know the wind direction. The hardest thing is to keep the boat's direction. A zig-zag can make the boat flip. The equipment rental is 35 reais per half-hour. If the client needs or wants one of the school's guides, the price goes up to 55 reais. For the Hobie Cat, Happy offers a course only for kids. The foreign tourist are the ones that rent the equipment the most. The rental of the Hobie Cat 16 is 45 reais per half-hour. If an instructor is needed, the price goes to 75 reais. The school also rents kayaks at 8 reais for half an hour or 13 reais for 1 hour. The pedal-boats, which are a sensation amongst children, can be rented for 15 minutes at 10 reais, half an hour at 15 reais and 1 hour at 25 reais. More information on the phones +55(22) 2623-3389 or cell. phone +55(22) 9229-7493