Kitesurfing Rhodes: Fanes & Prasonisi

Kitesurfing on Rhodes only gets really good in July. For us this year, it was absolutely fantastic at the beginning of June. I was out on four out of seven days. It would have been possible to do two more if I hadn’t had a nasty flu that meant I was constantly switching between kitesurfing and air conditioning in the car.

On the first day, the wind greeted me with a cosy ten knots in Fanes. Luckily the 19 is there, that’s enough. Fanes is a good kitesurfing spot on Rhodes: not far from Rhodes town, usually quite empty (maximum 20 kitesurfers), and the excellent little Hotel Delfini right on the beach.

On my last two visits, there was no kitesurfing in Prasonisi, the southern tip of Rhodes. Once there was no wind, the second time there was no car. This time there’s both. It takes just under an hour by car to reach the southern tip of Rhodes. After the last hill, you can see an absolute dream spot for kitesurfing. Off the southern tip is a small rocky island, which is connected to Rhodes at low tide by a long sandbank. At high tide, the sandbank has almost completely disappeared.

In the low season, kitesurfing here is still quite cosy: just 40 kiters are jetting around in the water to the left and right of the sandbank. On the windward side to the right, the onshore wind creates small waves of a maximum of one metre. Up to 30 people are kiting in an area of around 300 by 100 metres. On the other side, the water is absolutely flat, but the wind is also fully offshore. With rescue fees of 40 euros, I don’t bother. I’m more interested in kitesurfing in waves anyway.

The windward side of the sandbank is really close. Only get out through the waves when it’s fully onshore and crowded. The kitesurfers here do a lot of tricks, big jumps and high risk. This actually makes any safety distance impossible. You’re just looking forward to a 100 metre clear runway and a big kitesurfing jump straight ahead – bang – one of them smacks into the 50 cm deep water directly in front of you from a height of 10 metres. You pull the kite round and conveniently shoot the kitesurfer directly behind you out of the sky. Wouldn’t he do exactly the same thing?

A mistake like Dominoday is a sequence of evasive manoeuvres from one end of the bay to the other. This is definitely the place to learn how to kitesurf calmly on Rhodes. Quickly avoid a few swimmers who think they are immortal minesweepers playing Russian roulette in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Playing with the waves and jumping when there’s space. After just under two hours, I’ve had enough. Only the speed piste off Coche is even more crowded – or Neusiedler Nord Nord on public holidays. In high season, there are supposedly up to 150 kiters out here. That must be the ultimate madness.

The wind stays good for the next few days. With up to 20 knots, it blows just right for kitesurfing in Fanes / Rhodes. I go out again for a few hours with the 12 Crossbow in slightly heavier swell. The mountains of Turkey shine in the distance. The sun is setting. The sea flashes, everything is black and white. Space until you drop. How long will it stay like this?

Greece has just issued an absolute ban on kitesurfing. Kitesurfing is only allowed on leased beaches. What does that mean? If I have friends who launch my kite, I don’t need any help from others. If my room is 40 metres from the beach, I don’t need extra kitesurf storage (regardless of whether there is such a law or not!). And if the wind is blowing side onshore, then I don’t need rescue when kitesurfing on Rhodes. So I have to pay a wind utilisation fee.

I DON’T PAY FOR WIND! KITESURFING IS FREEDOM, AND THAT IS NOT FOR SALE! KITESURFER! SIGN THE PETITION!

If you’re wondering why the language is a bit clumsy, just type Kitesurfing Rhodes into Google. This page must be found with Kitesurfing Rhodes. As many kiters as possible must sign the petition. Kitesurfing on Rhodes must become free again! Help us! Thanks to Uli for the many good photos about kitesurfing on Rhodes: Prasonisi and Fanes.