Kitesurfing In Egypt

The forecast for kitesurfing in Egypt was bad for a whole week. We were hoping for two good days in Hurghada. Well, that meant at least twelve knots of wind. It turned out differently. Completely different. After a day of de-jetlagging, the forecast for the next day is good. At seven o’clock in the morning, we are the first ones on the densely built-up beach of the Grand Hotel in Hurghada.

300 permanently installed parasols every metre. A wide swimming area, 20 metres of space for kitesurfing. A jetty and restaurant directly downwind. Outside on the water there are loads of anchored boats, buoys and a gusty wind. Tobi oversleeps, so I go out first. Not nice. If Viktoria Regensburg were a kitesurfer, she would love this slalom course.

I cross between boats until I reach Hurghada harbour. The wind is choppy. After 15 minutes I’ve had enough. This isn’t a spot, it’s fucking dangerous crap. I try to get back to the Grand Hotel beach between the boats. Once. Twice. Three times. As soon as I get within 200 metres of the beach, the turbulence starts thanks to the tall hotels. Or the wind stops completely, as it did on my last attempt. Without Tobi’s rescue, my kite would have drifted into the restaurant. Kitesurfing in Egypt: forget the urban area of Hurghada!

In the afternoon, we drive three kilometres south to Magawish and Colona Watersports Kitesurf Beach. The taxi is cheap and well booked thanks to four people with five kites and two boards. Security is bitching. They have nothing to do, so they stop us. We are only allowed to pass after calling the kitesurfing centre.

Kitesurfing in Egypt / Hurghada: The spot is full sideshore, large standing area, sand. Flat water and enough space to land. The guys from Colona are very helpful. The daily fee including unlimited rescues costs 10 euros, the weekly fee is 50 euros – just like the wind. We set up with a grin on our faces and go out. We are greeted by a wonderful laminar wind of 14 knots and for the first time in months we are relieved of being land rats.

After two hours of kitesurfing in Egypt, we are flat for the time being. There is WLAN at the kitebeach. We check the wind. Tomorrow is calm… so we go diving. Nevertheless, the wind is so strong on the boat that we are freezing in our shorties. The forecast changes again the next day. Windguru now gives a perfect minimum of 14-20 knots for the rest of the week – and is right.

Every morning at nine we head out to Magawish. We set up the kites, bomb the sunblock and head straight out to kitesurf in Egypt. The wind becomes increasingly stubborn and sometimes too strong for Astrid’s kite progress. We try the 9er once, but quickly give up. She takes three more private lessons with the right kite sizes from the Colona kitesurfing school. And gets on the board for the first time.

Tobi is whizzing faster and faster through the turquoise blue water, gaining more and more height and making some great jumps. As always, mine are pretty lousy, I just can’t get the edge in, and when I do, I tear up the kite. No matter. The wind and spot are perfect. As long as the water is splashing and the sun is shining, kitesurfing in Egypt is great.

The wind gets stronger and stronger over the next few days. The beach boys at the kitesurfing school advise us several times to use 9m² instead of 12m². That’s why I needed the rescue once when I went down underpowered. The other times the beach boys are right: we are often out at the last end of the depower with the 12m² kites under full steam. The gusts get stronger every day and the rescue boat has to save a lot of kiters. This has never worked as reliably and quickly as with Colona Watersports. A big compliment!

We hardly get to do anything apart from kiting and eating, maybe two beers in the evening, then off to bed. I feel a bit sorry for Uli with her plaster cast. On the other hand, sunshine belongs in sunshine. And this one fits. My grin doesn’t stop. The next holiday should include less kiting.

Egypt bids us farewell on the last day with flying water and up to 30 knots of wind. Tobi is still out with the 12er, really strong. Even with an extra 15kg of weight, I’m still really ripping. Uli and Tobi take the rescue boat to the sandbank. With the 9m² Crossbow you just have to put the bar on for big airs, nothing else. Then it’s off into the sky. Thanks for the pictures! Kitesurfing in Egypt – 100% wind – for a whole week.