Nils Westphal went wingfoiling on Lake Como this summer. Here is his spot guide:
Domaso by Lake Como – truly a “wind paradise”?
The spot report is based on experiences from a 14-day summer vacation in August 2025. The weather conditions were typical high pressure conditions for this time of year. As with other lakes, it is mainly thermal winds that make water sports possible. These blow with daily consistency when the weather conditions are right, but are very gusty. Of course, there are other winds and special weather conditions that I will not go into here.
In my preliminary research on the Domaso spot, I found many reports about sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and wingfoiling on Lake Como. Local websites advertise with the slogan “Mecca for all Lake Como water sports enthusiasts,” and even the town itself welcomes visitors with a sign bearing the subtitle “Wind Paradise.”
Nevertheless, I was very skeptical beforehand. I was already familiar with Lake Garda and its constant Ora and Vento winds. But do these thermals work just as well on Lake Como? The reports in forums and on websites are much sparser than for Lake Garda.
Winds on Lake Como
The two most important thermal winds on Lake Como are called Tivano (northern downwind, usually in the morning) and Breva (southern wind, usually from midday onwards). For more information, visit Northlakecomo.de (https://www.northlakecomo.net/de/288-reiseziel-klima-und-winde).
Wind forecast
There are several ways to forecast wind conditions on site.
- Windfinder and similar services: not useful or reliable, as the wind is too local.
- Brevaguru (https://brevaguru.com/de/comolake_winds_forecasts/forecast/domaso): updates frequently, is a good approximation. In practice, however, it is still not accurate.
- Wingfoil Cremia (https://www.wingfoilcremia.it/en/weather-forecast): Cremia is located further south on Lake Como. The website provides a good overview of various forecast models (including a foehn diagram). Personally, I have not been able to use this information. The wind data from the Cremia weather station should not be misleading. The speeds given here are usually lower than the actual wind speeds, but you can tell when the breva wind starts blowing.
- Webcam Cremia (https://vedetta.org/de/Webcam/Italien/Lombardei/als/cremig/): If you can see on the Cremia webcam that the Breva has already started (usually around midday), you can assume that the Breva will also be blowing in Domaso shortly afterwards.
- Just go to the lake, set up, and start foiling: this very relaxed tactic worked best for me during the period in question.
Setup and entry
Domaso extends in a semicircle into Lake Como. The entry into the lake is via a promenade (footpath and cycle path) and a lawn area, which is then somewhat rocky (sometimes smaller, sometimes larger stones). You can use bathing shoes, but the stones are quite round and you can also manage without them. The lawn is ideal for setting up your equipment. Even in high season, you can always find a place to set up here. There are no designated areas for surfers and swimmers. Water sports enthusiasts and sunbathers coexist respectfully here. We recommend setting up between “Beach Bar Italia” and “Bar Paradiso” (see Google Maps), as the Breva wind blows almost sideshore here. Further north, the wind shifts slightly inland and you have to paddle out a few meters.
Local infrastructure
The local infrastructure is excellent. There are various bars, and numerous campsites border directly on the promenade. However, this sometimes makes access to the lake difficult if you are not staying at a campsite. Officially, visitors are not welcome at the campsites. Camping Italia 90 and Camping Deserto are particularly strict about this. Public access is only possible in the north or south of the Domaso peninsula. In the center, the best places to access the water are “Camping Northwind” or “Camping Gardenia.”
Soul Surfer (https://www.windsurf-comersee.com) is a local surf school where you can also rent or store wingfoil equipment.
Once you’ve set everything up, it’s time to get in the water. Keeping a respectful distance from children playing and all kinds of inflatable toys, SUPs, and surf lessons, the water gets deep enough after five to ten meters, and with a little luck, you’ll quickly catch a gust of wind that will send you flying. If not, you’ll bob around in the wind zone and wait for a gust to lift you onto the foil.
When and where does the wind blow?
The Tivano was too weak for foiling in the mornings during my stay. The Breva usually started around noon in typical high-pressure weather conditions (sunny and hot) and ended in the evening. During my two weeks there, the wind was usually “foilable” from 2 p.m. onwards and then became a little stronger.
I got the decisive tip on the very first day. Right on the beach at Domaso, the water ripples a little and you think it’s not enough for foiling. But on the other side of the lake, off the Piona peninsula, the wind is much stronger and you quickly spot small white caps on the water. If you manage to get on the foil with an early gust, it’s a good idea to foil the 1.5 km to the other side of the lake. There you will find stronger winds. Around 5 p.m. on some days, the wind zone shifted to the Domaso side, allowing you to relax and foil in front of your own beach.
In the 14 days, I didn’t have to paddle or swim back from the other side of the lake even once. However, I always kept an eye on other wingers and made sure I wasn’t the only one in front of Piona.
Gusty wind
The wind is very gusty. There were moments when the wind was almost completely “off” and you had to pump again or, in rare cases, wait a few minutes for the wind to pick up again. Then a strong gust came and it was no problem to continue foiling. It is advisable to stay close to the coast when the wind is weak and just strong enough for foiling. There are more frequent wind holes in the middle of the lake. But even here, a gust will always get you back on the foil.
In the course of the afternoon, the waves increase and you can even surf a small “breva wave.” This is overlaid by numerous other boat waves from all possible directions. The hydrofoil boat makes a great wave for surfing, but it rarely runs during the day.
What setup?
A board with good glide helps with the frequent gusts and launches. Overall, it’s better to plan for a slightly larger setup. Some gusts were very strong and I would have liked a smaller wing, but a little later it was already much weaker again. I got along very well with a mid-length board, 1300 cm² front wing, and 5 m² wing and rarely had to “bob around.”
Conclusion
Domaso rightly advertises itself as a “wind paradise”! At least during my stay. The surrounding infrastructure is ideal for all kinds of “wind water sports” and the climate allows for board shorts sessions. During my two weeks there, there was actually “foilable” wind every day. You rarely get that kind of yield.
