It's not normally a sport that you'd associate with the UAE, as the winds can be unpredictable and not as strong as other spots around the globe, yet kite surfing has taken off in a big way. When the winds are good, if you head over to Kite Beach or NessNass Beach you'll see kites of every colour of the rainbow taking to the air and people eagerly taking to the water for a riding session.
I'd long been fascinated by this particular sport but wake boarding had been my staple adrenaline sport of choice for a good few years now, but then when the wind is up and the water is too choppy to ride, what's the alternative?
Last year I had a few lessons and then got stuck back into my wake boarding. This year however, I was determined to get the hang of it. I booked some lessons with Duco and Toma from Duco Maritime and found them both very professional, patient and extremely helpful and encouraging. In the initial stages, you learn to fly the training kite on the beach, which even with stronger winds can give you a good old pull about. Once a student has mastered the training kite, then it's time to learn how to fly the big kite. Safety is key in this sport as the last thing you want is to be dragged along, so it's important to know how to get yourself out of trouble and get rid of the rig to avoid any issues.
Learning to fly a kite anywhere from 13 - 17+ metres can be quite a daunting prospect, but a lot of fun and an exhilarating experience at the same time. Once you learn how to control the big kite, it's time to get into the water for some body dragging and learning how to control everything actually in the sea. The instructors go with you for the first few goes, to make sure you've got everything under control, then you're ready to try it on your own. Being the newbie out on the water can be quite scary, as you might not have as much control as other people. Certainly crashing the kite into the water - which is inevitable - and trying to relaunch it again can be pretty tough, but obviously a necessary skill.
Once you've learned all this, and practiced how to rescue your board, then it's time to try and get up on the board - this I've not quite mastered yet, as I have to shake off my wake boarding know-how first - when you first try it, it's like a coordination nightmare. Controlling the kite, whilst trying to put your board on your feet and if you're not the most flexible person in the world, it can be a bit of a challenge. At this point I'm learning it's all about the 'feel', getting up quickly, controlling the kite, keeping momentum, picking up speed etc. I have so far managed to get up twice, which was a great feeling, especially as I had several people cheering me on from the beach, before I fell back into the water.
So the challenge continues to crack this and hopefully very soon I'll be joining the masses gliding along the water with my bit multi-coloured kite. The thing I like about this sport is that it's something you can do on your own :-)
If you'd like to take up the sport, or have an introduction, why not get in touch with Duco and the team.
https://www.facebook.com/DucoMaritime
Last year I had a few lessons and then got stuck back into my wake boarding. This year however, I was determined to get the hang of it. I booked some lessons with Duco and Toma from Duco Maritime and found them both very professional, patient and extremely helpful and encouraging. In the initial stages, you learn to fly the training kite on the beach, which even with stronger winds can give you a good old pull about. Once a student has mastered the training kite, then it's time to learn how to fly the big kite. Safety is key in this sport as the last thing you want is to be dragged along, so it's important to know how to get yourself out of trouble and get rid of the rig to avoid any issues.
Learning to fly a kite anywhere from 13 - 17+ metres can be quite a daunting prospect, but a lot of fun and an exhilarating experience at the same time. Once you learn how to control the big kite, it's time to get into the water for some body dragging and learning how to control everything actually in the sea. The instructors go with you for the first few goes, to make sure you've got everything under control, then you're ready to try it on your own. Being the newbie out on the water can be quite scary, as you might not have as much control as other people. Certainly crashing the kite into the water - which is inevitable - and trying to relaunch it again can be pretty tough, but obviously a necessary skill.
Once you've learned all this, and practiced how to rescue your board, then it's time to try and get up on the board - this I've not quite mastered yet, as I have to shake off my wake boarding know-how first - when you first try it, it's like a coordination nightmare. Controlling the kite, whilst trying to put your board on your feet and if you're not the most flexible person in the world, it can be a bit of a challenge. At this point I'm learning it's all about the 'feel', getting up quickly, controlling the kite, keeping momentum, picking up speed etc. I have so far managed to get up twice, which was a great feeling, especially as I had several people cheering me on from the beach, before I fell back into the water.
So the challenge continues to crack this and hopefully very soon I'll be joining the masses gliding along the water with my bit multi-coloured kite. The thing I like about this sport is that it's something you can do on your own :-)
If you'd like to take up the sport, or have an introduction, why not get in touch with Duco and the team.
https://www.facebook.com/DucoMaritime
It's quite interesting infact and miss those days when I used to do a lot of kite flying back in the days. It's a shame we can't do much of it here in Dubai.
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