Windsurfing and Kitesurfing

Dahab is recognized as one of the best spots in the world for Windsurfing and Kitesurfing. It is said that there is 360 days of wind a year in Dahab, but the water is flat and the sun is shining. This year people were complaining a bit because in autumn it was 2 weeks without wind and this has never happened before.

I hear people say that Kitesurfing has alot shorter learning curve and you can easily learn all the basics on a vacation and you can also use it on snow so in most countries that gives you two seasons. Windsurfing is very difficult to learn, you can learn the basics in a few hours, but it takes months or years to master it. The only problem is that because of the gear kite surfing is a whole lot more expensive.

There are 3 places that are popular for windsurfing; Lighthouse, Lagoona (NR 1) and Ras Abu Galum that is just semi famous.

The Locations

Lighthouse there is only Windsurfing and is not that popular, it used to be, but everything has moved to Lagoona. Lighthouse is a popular training site for divers and this turned into a problem. There was big discussion between windsurfers and divers about what area was reserved for with sports the problem is that the area that is best for diving was the same area that was the best starting point for the wind surfers. Discussion is pretty much ended since Lagoona is 10 times better, but is a horrible dive site.

Lagoona is a lagoon that is almost closed of in one end. It is a very big area and its were most people learn the starting lessons. When they are good, safe and ready they take of and go to the outside area where the wind is stronger and less people. They pretty much have wind all year and its so shallow that you can easily do all your training here.

Ras Abu Galum is a popular site for people who have been doing this for a very long time. It is less crowded and the scenery is so nice. The people who usually go here are returning customers who really know Dahab. Here you usually get the wind if there is nothing in Lagoona so it like a backup, but it takes some time to get there and you have to go by camel or boat.

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Windsurfing

History:

Wind surfing was originally created by inventors Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer on January 6, 1970, but has since then gone a long way. Jim Drake had the original idea of a surfboard powered by a sail, but in the beginning it was a failed idea with either static sail mounted on the board or two sails.

Gear:

In modern windsurfing there are several different types to choose between.

* Freeride boards are most used in recreational windsurfing and is kind of an all around board. Its usually used for going straight with occasional turning at planning speed. This is not recommended for any kind of slalom between buoys or other obstacles.

* Wave boards are small, light and is easier to maneuver and is better when breaking waves. Usually these boards are between 230 - 260 cm long and about 50 - 60 cm wide. These are good boards to perform jumps when you go up against a wave. The sails are usually between 4 - 6 square meters.

* Freestyle boards are boards that you use for acrobatic tricks like jumps, rotations, flips, slides and loops on flat water. These are usually a bit wider boards with more volume. 240 - 250 cm long and 60+ cm wide.

* Slalom boards you would think that they are build to be easy to maneuver, but on the contrary they are built for high speed. These boards can be tough to use.

* Beginner boards are also known as dagger boards. Usually quite wide boards with a relative small sail attached to it. So its less speed, but more stable.

* Racing Longboards are usually Mistral One Design or Olympic RS:X and are not that common in recreational windsurfing.

Windsurfing is a difficult sport with a long learning curve and if you think that you can master this sport after a week on vacation you are aiming for the wrong sport. It is a sport that requires lot of physical strength and is usually started of by one week just trying to get on the board and hold it straight.

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Kitesurfing

History:

Kite Surfing has really taken off the last few years. It is not just limited to water like windsurfing is, you can also perform on snow. Basically you have i kite that pulls you through snow or water while you stand on a board. You have different lines between the person using it and the kite so you can control your direction using the wind.

First real attempt to make a man fly using a kite was done in 1903 by a man named Samuel Cody. and actually succeeded in crossing the English Channel using a small boat. The development of the kite as we know it to day should be credited to Dieter Starsilla in 1979. He made the first inflatable kite used in Kitesurfing.

Today this is distant history and the kites are heavily developed since then. The safety systems is perfected and they are far more controllable.

Techniques:

When you see someone using a kite you get struck with the awesomeness of it. People can actually fly using them, but in many cases they don't do that on per pas. If you want to kite surf please use a professional kite surf center. There are many different safety procedures you go through and techniques to learn.

First you usually start up using a training kite. These are quite small (around 1*1 meter) after this you go up in size. With this you learn how to turn because if you have a full size turn and you do a brutal uncontrolled turn you can end up flying 5 meters up in the air. You have release systems that you can disconnect with, but you will also be trained in cutting the line.

When you are experienced in this you can move over to the good stuff that really attracts people to this sport, jumping and flying. Jumping and flying is the most dangerous part of Kitesurfing, but its safe when you know how to do it. You do it by building up the tension, getting good speed and then you pull the kite. This will make you jump, but the tricky part is following the the direction of the wind and controlling the landing.

When you master all this it becomes a real sport and you get to do tricks like you do in snowboarding. You do different form of grabs like nose, slob, mute, melon, lien and many others. Basically the tricks in windsurfing are different grabs as i mentioned. A grab is done by getting up in the air and grabbing your board in different places and even in combinations.

Gear:

Kites:

Basically in Kitesurfing you have two kind of kites you use, but most people use only one of the kinds. The most common is the inflatable kites also known a LEI- kites or C- kites. They are quite stable and have the feature that the can be completely depowered witch is one of the most important safety features.

Foil kites pretty much have the same features. They are mostly made out of fabric and don't need to be inflated like the inflatable kites and this can take very long time. There are basically two forms of foil kites and that is open and closed cell. A open cell cant relaunch once they hit the water and need direct wind towards the cells. The closed cell are semi closed so it takes much longer to fill it up and can be relaunched from the water with ease.

Lines:

Flying lines are usually made out of an extremely strong material usually ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. Usually you have 4 to 5 lines attached between the control bar and the kite. The 5th line is usually used for in water launching. The length of the lines i varying depending on how you use it and can be all from 7 to 30 meters.

Control Bar:

The control bar is of course used to control the kite. It is made out of a really strong composite and is attached to the kite by lines and usually to the harness with a quick release. You control the kite by rotating the bar either clockwise or counter clockwise to steer the direction.

Harness:

The most common for of harness is a west harness and this is a link between the kite surfers body and the control bar. It has multiple functions like it takes a lot of weight of your arms by shifting the strain to your hips or back. One of the other functions it have is that it serves as a flotation device in the water.

Kite Board:

There are many kind of boards you can use in Kitesurfing all depending on what you have and what you want. The most normal is the twin tip boards. With this you can slip it on and off with ease. This is also used as a beginners board and can be used to do a lot of tricks.

Other Equipment:

Other equipment used is; Wet suit, safety hook knife, helmet, personal flotation device, impact west and signaling device.

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Prices for Kitesurfing:

All prices are included equipment and equipment insurance.

Dahab Restaurant Info

The Nightlife in Dahab

The Dive Sites in Dahab

The Saint Catherine Monastery in Dahab

The Stay Young Hotel in Dahab

The Safaris in Dahab

Weather and Wind Forecast for Dahab

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