# El Cadillal - Cola del dique — El Cadillal, Argentina

The tail of the El Cadillal dam (Celestino Gelsi reservoir) is the kite sector of Tucumán: the northern end of the lake, towards Ticucho, where the Río Salí enters. At the Club Vela Tucumán they say that the wind is more intense in the tail than in the front part, with a base of about 10 kt, and instructors consider it the best sector of the dam for kitesurf. Several Tucumán riders learned there and a stage of the Argentine kite foil tour was held here.

Launch is from the west coast, in the open grassland where the dirt track coming from the RN9 through Tapia ends, and you ride in the entire tail of the lake. The wind that works is the south: it enters through the dam and runs along the lake, side-shore to the launch, with flat water. It is a valley wind, light and gusty, and it doesn't blow as many days as in other spots in the country: ideal for foil and large kites. The best months are from August to November.

The level of the dam changes a lot throughout the year. With low water, the tail becomes a mud beach with the riverbed in the middle and you have to walk to the water; with the dam full, you launch directly from the grass. The entire tail is shallow: be careful when falling near the shore. The east coast is dense bush of the Reserva Natural Aguas Chiquitas. There are no services in the tail: bring everything and do not ride alone.

Photos: "Embalse El Cadillal vista panorámica" by Ivanlud (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "El Cadillal - lago del Dique El Cadillal - Tucumán - Argentina" by Lectornet (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Embalse el Cadillal" by Ivanlud (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Foil, Windsurf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** El Cadillal, Argentina (-26.58645, -65.23092)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** SSE (150°), S (170°), S (190°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 10–25
- **Best months:** August, September, October, November

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 44 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 33 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 41 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 53 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 58 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 61 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 32 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 29 | 69 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 30 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 23 | 73 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 35 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Sur** — S (170°), 10–25 kn. The wind of the tail: it enters through the dam from the south and runs along the lake to the tail, where it blows stronger than in the front part. It is side-shore to the launch, with flat water.. It is usually light and gusty: with 10-12 kt it is best to ride with foil or large kites. If it drops, the tail of the lake is shallow and the east coast is dense bush: ride upwind of the launch.
- **Norte** — N (0°), 10–25 kn. Infrequent wind that comes down the Río Salí valley and pushes from the tail towards the main body of the lake.. It takes you towards the centre of the lake and away from the launch: getting back is hard, especially if the wind drops. Better not to go out with north wind if you don't know it.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Parking** — Parking
- **Tail of the dam** — Navigation zone

## Points of interest

- **Launch**: Open grassland on the west coast, where the dirt track ends. With the dam low, walk across the mud beach to the water.
- **End of the track**: Place to leave the car at the end of the dirt track (approximate position, no marked parking).
- **Río Salí riverbed**: With the dam low the river runs through the middle of the tail between mud banks: do not ride over the riverbed or near the banks.
- **Río Salí entrance**: Where the river enters the dam: very shallow water, mud and logs after the rains.

## Hazards

- The level of the dam changes a lot: with low water the tail becomes a mud beach with the riverbed in the middle, and the water ends up hundreds of metres further away
- Shallow waters and mud throughout the tail: do not jump or land on your feet near the shore
- Light and gusty wind: if it drops, paddling back can be long
- East coast: dense bush of the Reserva Natural Aguas Chiquitas, with no exit on foot
- Remote location with no services: do not ride alone

## Obstacles

- Río Salí riverbed and mud banks in the tail when the dam is low
- Trees and bush behind the launch
- Sailing boats and kayaks from the Club Vela Tucumán on regatta days

## Facilities

- Parking

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/el-cadillal-cola-del-dique-Qth3srSCn3u4GBav5EUe?lang=en)