Kitesurf travel diary - Bente in Egypt

Four months as a non-kiting intern at KiteWorldWide is a long time among people chatting over coffee about kite sizes and wind. But after a while I learned a “chicken loop” isn’t a fancy trick on the water, and when someone mentions their “own bar,” they’re not hiding a stash of booze in their suitcase. Working 40 hours a week among kiters is highly contagious, and when I was sent to Egypt’s Seahorsebay for a week to learn to kite, I was beyond excited!

On 01.12 at 09:15 Eleonora, my Italian colleague, and I took a direct Condor flight from Hamburg to Hurghada. I’d promised clients flat water, huge standing areas, homely stays, warm temps, and great wind odds—and that’s exactly what we got.

The first evening was for relaxing and getting to know everyone, and next morning training started right away: with a 3m2 trainer kite on the beach. After an hour I felt like a pro at kite control and started gearing up. “Safety first” is clearly rule number one for beginners, so I ended up in a seat harness, impact vest, booties, and a helmet. Since I couldn’t even touch my knees without pinching my legs, I doubted I’d manage anything in the water—other than floating like a starfish on the surface… which, by the way, works brilliantly in the Red Sea!

The first body drags went quite well, even if being pulled across the water by a 12m2 kite feels anything but right. My coach Stefan noticed my lack of love for this drill and offered to try a waterstart with the board. That’s where it ended for the day. I peeled off my gear and tried to clear the liter of seawater the body drag had flushed through my nose.

Hard to believe, but after a long, tiring day in the water, a sauna in Egypt in December actually makes sense… After dinner we often hung out to play Activity, billiards, or chat about the day on the water. The weekly campfire BBQ was especially cozy and family-like.

The next day I made huge progress and, after a few elegant crashes, actually rode 100 m left and right. Being carried across the water by a 12m2 kite felt absolutely amazing! My instructor seemed set on making me a kite pro in 6 days, shouting nonstop: “Kite at 12. AT TWELVE! Get on the board. Kite with your right hand. Right hand! Pull the bar, to 10, to 11, go!”

In the frog position, mapping times to clock points while feet are in straps and your hands try not to use the bar as a lifebuoy takes focus. But once you pull the kite and lift off more or less in control, the effort pays off.

We used the only windless afternoon to paddle a SUP to the reef that shelters the lagoon. Armed with snorkel, mask, and fins, we drifted over the stunning reef and admired the variety of plants and the fish colors. I’d thought a sea urchin was a ping-pong–sized ball with tiny spines—now I know those spines can be as long as a forearm.

Egypt’s wind is ideal for beginners: onshore, pushing you back to the beach, not out to sea. It also means your first meters are always downwind toward the shore.

I still had to “walk upwind” with my feet on the seabed. With a kite on your harness that’s pretty tiring, so my urge to ride or at least hold height grew fast. By day four I no longer had to walk, and by day six I could gain ground and ride away from the beach with the board under my feet.

The level I reached was beyond what I’d dreamed of for one week in Egypt, so on my last day I took time for a beach ride with horses from the nearby hotel. Mohammed, my guide, trusted my riding completely and, with a “Yallah” meaning “go” or “faster,” sent our prancing horses into a blazing gallop; in 2 seconds we hit the end of the beach. I was thrilled! After an hour we dropped the saddles, ditched shoes and pants, and went swimming with the horses. After tons of fun photos and splash battles I returned to the kite club soaked and sunburned.

Since the sun hadn’t set yet, I slipped into my wetsuit one last time and headed out. As the sun sank, I repeated everything I’d learned that week—and was relaxed enough to soak up the sunset vibes.

Saying goodbye the next day was really hard—the vibe felt so much like family. I grew very fond of everyone and felt an urgent need to visit again soon.

If this has inspired you to learn kitesurfing, check out our KiteWorldWide guide to learning to kite.