South Padre perfect for water sports

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - South Padre Island is famous as a spring break destination, with concerts, bikini contests and plenty of partying by the college kids who flock here by the tens of thousands throughout March. But South Padre isn't just beaches, bars and dance parties. It's also home to a major water-sports scene, with year-round surfing, kiteboarding, windsurfing and other activities.

South Padre sits on the south end of the 34 mile-long Padre Island, which is the longest barrier island in the world. On the ocean side of the narrow strip, the island is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, while three blocks to the east, the bay side sits on Laguna Madre Bay. South Padre Island has a small year-round population, about 5,000, but spring break and summer vacations bring a million tourists a year. March is the busiest month after the summer months, with massive events like the Coca Cola Spring Break party at the Isla Grand Beach Resort attracting crowds of 12,000 to 18,000 college students daily for much of March.

But even spring-breakers will find plenty to do here aside from partying and lying on the beach: deep-sea fishing, parasailing, golfing, horseback riding and banana boat rides. For nature-lovers, there are more than 300 species of birds, a turtle rescue center that offers tours, and boat rides to see dolphins. Riding the shuttle from the Brownsville airport across the 2 1/2-mile-long Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge, I spotted a sign warning of low-flying pelicans as one swooped off to my right.

A steady airstream in spring and fall make Laguna Madre Bay a popular place for activities that rely on wind, like kiteboarding and windsurfing. Except for a narrow shipping channel, the water is just 3 to 4 feet deep from the island most of the way across to Port Isabel on the mainland several miles away. The shallow, calm water on the bay side makes it easy for water-sport beginners to right themselves. Waves provide more of a challenge on the Gulf side for surfers and boarders with more experience. In March, water temperatures range from low to high 60s, with air temperatures from the 70s to 80s. Full wetsuits aren't usually needed, though some spring breakers may pair a wetsuit shirt with bikini bottoms or shorts.

With a couple of friends, I headed to a local surf shop, Island Native, to rent surfboards and take a lesson. We piled into a pickup and took off for the jetties at Isla Blanca Park, about a two-minute drive from the shop. Dave Nowak, co-owner of Island Native and an avid surfer, has been in South Padre since 1980. He says he's lived in many other places, including California, but prefers the friendly, laidback sur

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