WINDSURFING & KITESURFING

Dahab is a widely known jewel for wind- and kite surfing. A good 300 days a year of wind!

Dahab lies in the wind tunnel of the Gulf of Aqaba, here the wind blows with full strength. The mountains on the coast help to blow strong winds all over the year.

A further cause for the all year round strong winds is the thermions and simultaneous diversions of the winds. Therefore it blows here more strongly and more frequently than otherwise at the Red Sea.

Windsurfing in Dahab

Dahab has many unique opportunities to offer to both those eager to learn the art of windsurfing and for seasoned fans of this popular sport. You will find the best windsurfing spots about 2 km south of Old Dahab (Masbat) in the so-called Lagoon of Dahab-City.

The Lagoon – one of the best places to learn windsurfing in the whole world. The uniqueness of the Lagoon is in the long sandy spit stretching out several kilometers into the sea. It protects the lagoon and ensures very smooth water most of the time.

Most surf-centers where you can rent or store equipment are located in the Lagoon-area, with a long sandy beach, easy entry and long shallow area. Numerous fans of this sport are attracted by its smooth water, the wind evenly blowing straight along the shore and soft sandy beaches.

Here the water is perfect both for beginners and advanced surfers. This place is ideal for training – at shoal (waist-deep) you can easily learn water start or practice freestyle elements near the shore as there is plenty of deep-water space. Professional windsurfers can take to sea off the spit and practice loops on waves 2–4 meters high.

Kitesurfing

Kite surfing is a fast-growing new sport combining the thrills of windsurfing, wakeboarding and kite flying.

The tow kites allow reaching speeds several times the speed of wind – even average skills are quite enough to reach the speed up 70–80 km/h.

Kites allow both high and long jumps, sailing at various angles to the wind and even sailing to the wind. Kiting does not require physical strength – it is the sense of balance that matters here. If you went in for windsurfing, wakeboarding or snowboarding, the first steps in kite surfing could be made in one leap.

The most favorable conditions for beginners are smooth water, wind below 5–8 m/s and sufficient safe space in the training area – and there is such place in Dahab. It is situated at the end of the Lagoon where the waters are quite shallow facilitating starts, and the deserted sandy beach makes it a safe place to land. The chances of being dragged into the sea are zero.

The beginners’ course of kite surfing consists of 8–10 hours with an instructor dedicated to flying a piloting kite, flying a regular kite, body drag (i.e. flying the kite while lying on the board).

As a rule, on completion of the course students master the board.

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