Have you ever tried kitesurfing?
It’s one of the fastest growing water sports in the world and if you try it chances are that you’re hooked for life. The sense of freedom out on the water, the endless possibilities to learn and progress and and the thrill of being carried up in the air by strong winds are all elements that will want you to keep coming back for more over and over again.
Another aspect that adds to the beauty of this sport is the lifestyle aspect of exploration and travel. Going on a kitesurf trip is one of the most refreshing things you can do as you end up seeing new places, meeting new people and exercising your body all while doing what you love.
To make the first step towards your first kitesurf trip I’ve put together 5 steps to do and think about before you head off on your windy adventure.
1. Find a destination
When it comes to kitesurfing there will always be one requirements that puts anything else in the backseat. It has to be windy. So tan lines and nightlife aside, the first thing you need to do is to find out where the wind blows for the time of your trip.
Luckily this is easy enough with this web site. Global Kite Spots will give you a list of early season, peak season and late season destinations for any given month. This chart relies on the prevailing trade winds that are very reliable. Certainly there are local variations and areas in the world where it’s hit or miss all year around, but as a starting point this will point you in the right direction.
2. List your needs
Once you’ve compiled a shortlist of possible destinations for your kitesurf holiday it’s time to look at any other needs. Probably budget is of great importance. Sure you can go to South Africa in February and have all the wind you want, but if you’re flying from Europe you might find Egypt more close to your budget, and still quite likely to give you wind for your bucks.
Other things to consider are air/water temperature, waves vs. flat water, kite schools/rental availability, nightlife, things to do on winddless days etc.
All these things you can easily find out online with a little help from our friend Google, which leads us into our third step.
3. Research local kite spots
Maybe you’ve narrowed down your trip destination to Canary Islands. Now you need to find which island to aim for, and what locals spot you can head to. A quick Google search should give you a list of local kite centers and schools, and usually there are also plenty of threads on forums like Kiteforum.com and Kitecrowd.com. On this blog I put up reviews of every spot I visit as well.
4. Find a cheap flight
For finding the cheapest flight head to Skyscanner.com and put in destination and dates. Usually it’ll be a low budget airline like Ryanair or Easyjet. Bear in mind that if you’re bringing your own gear you’ll have to pay extra for sport equipment, and price and weight limits differ among airlines. For example Ryanair charges £50 one way and allows up to 20 kg, whereas Easyjet is more generous allowing up to 32 kg for £35 one way.
5. Find a good value accommodation
Where do you want to be based? Maybe it makes sense to try a few different spots during your trip. For finding good and cheap accommodation there is obviously local hotels, easy enough to find via Bookings.com and similar sites. But don’t forget to check Airbnb.com where you can rent whole flats usually for less than a hotel room. If you want to be really close to the spot, the local kite centres quite often provide some basic accommodation in close proximity to the water.
And there you have it. Follow these 5 steps and have an amazing time on your next trip!