Kite surfing in Dubai

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

http://www.ducomaritime.com/

Becoming an 'Easy Rider' - Final part

So today was the big day! I was so nervous, as always turning up this morning. Everyone taking the road test, four of us, turned up before 7am. The examiner turned up at 7 sharp (I can't get used to people actually doing something on time in Dubai!). We all get on our bikes, I am told to go first and the examiner tells me, that if I get the chance to break away and just go for it, then do so.

The examiner and our instructor follow behind in a car, watching us closely for any mistakes. There are four immediate fail categories and each rider is allowed ten minor mistakes.

So we trundle out and hit the road. No major issues, I just ride as I had been doing during my classes and make sure I get my three lane changes in and remember my positioning in the road. Thankfully the traffic is minimal at that time in the morning and I manage to time getting onto the main roads as the flow of traffic is stopped at the lights - phew.

We all make it back in one piece and wait anxiously for the verdict. Three of us have passed and one failed. Luckily I managed to pass the test - yippee! Of course it's extremely frustrating and sad for the guy that didn't and I just think about how many extra classes they're going to make him do, to make a quick buck!

Next I take my file to the transport clearance desk - would I like to pay 300 Dhs to get my license quickly? er no thanks, I'll wait the three days it'll take.

But the relief at finally doing this is immense and I'm so glad I have done it.

Does this make me a good rider? Nope, absolutely not. As a beginner and 'green' rider, you're probably the most dangerous person on the roads. It takes years of experience and practice to become a good rider.

Now, what bike do I want to get? :-)

Happy riding :-)

Becoming an 'Easy Rider' pt7

Part 7 already? Wow what a mission this is turning out to be! So a week later and I'm ready to re-take Level 2, after of course completing my mandatory eight extra classes. I arrive at 7am on the dot and am relieved to see that it's the same examiner as last week. There are only two of us  redoing this test, everyone else is doing their Level 1. So of course we are told to go first and I get to go first out of everyone - oh no! My nerves were getting the better of me - big time. But I managed to do my curves left and right with no issues, far better than the previous attempt.

Then, the dreaded light bank comes out! I cannot tell you how much I hate this thing. It's just something that would never happen in real life and you really have to try and stop your brain from guessing what order your going to get the stops and swerves in. The instructor can see I'm extremely nervous and I told him I'd taken a few falls the previous week, so he's like ok I'm going to give you two stops, then left, then right. My first braking attempt is ok. The second my head is all over the place and it's probably the longest stopping distance I've ever done. The examiner makes it clear, that I cannot afford to pick up any points during the swerving, which thankfully I don't.

I end up with a total penalty point score of 31. You're allowed a maximum of 41. So I passed and I didn't fall Hoorah! I'm still annoyed though, as during my school assessment I only picked up 16 points - oh dear. But it's a pass and that's what I needed.

So, what next? Well the final stage which is the Level 3 road test. Of course you don't get to do it the same week, you can't even book in until the next day, and road tests are only done on Thursdays, so that's over a week to wait. But I'm looking forward to it.

Another step closer.

Happy riding :-)

Becoming an 'Easy Rider' pt6

So after passing my Final Assessment with the school, which is basically seeing how you're doing riding out and about on the road, you can then put in for the Level 1 & 2 test with the RTA examiner. Now they only do this test on a Tuesday, so if you finished your classes and final assessment the week before, it's a long gab in between with no riding - unless you have a mate with a bike and find some deserted place to practice - so you're pretty much forced to book extra lessons in the meantime - money, money, money!

This morning I rocked up at 7 am, along with the other NINE people taking the test and the examiner. Rather than doing people individually, the examiner had two people on the go at once, which actually put me a bit more at ease as it was more like our normal riding scenario. In the gap between the cones and the 'slow ride' area I dropped a foot DOH! I was so nervous I wash shaking all over the place and just couldn't get my balance. However, much to my surprise the examiner saw how anxious I was and said he'd look the other way this time - phew! The rest of that test was fine and he passed me.

Level 2, however, was just horrible! I know that curving to the left, for me, is far more difficult than to the right - in fact it seems to be that way for the majority of people for some bizarre reason (note to self - must look into that!) - so of course you do the left curve first. That went ok, I was much better on the right, as I knew I would be.

Then the dreaded, dun, dun, duuuuuun, light box! You all line up and one by one ride towards the lights and see if you're going to get a left, a right or an emergency stop. My right swerve was ok, not the best, the first emergency stop was also ok, then disaster! I got thrown a second emergency stop, hammered on the front brake, went into a skid and lost the bike - when they start to fall it's all over, nothing is going to stop it from hitting the deck and you with it. Gutted! That of course is an instant fail.

But it's ok, just means I have to try again next week. The downside being of course, you now have to take an extra eight classes! Two weeks ago, it was an extra five classes - money, money, money!

I did feel sorry for one guy who failed for the fourth time and he was virtually in tears. There's quite a problem with language barriers and if you don't understand the instructions properly it can be a real issue for some.

I'll get there, I will!

Happy riding :-)

Becoming an 'Easy Rider' pt3

So having done my theory test - which is just a series of thirty five multiple choice questions, that are relatively easy if a. you've been driving a long time, b. you've read all the info in the books. Needless to say that I passed - yay.

So onto the practical sessions now. This morning I did three, thirty minute lessons back to back - you have to, thirty minutes just isn't enough time. Have to say that my instructor was very good. We started with all the basic parts of the bike and their functions, then going through being able to use everything without looking, such as ignition, starting, lights, indicators, fuel switch etc. You practice getting on and off and using the foot stand, going through the gears and how the brakes work.

Next you have to walk around with your bike, before finally getting on and just going dead slow with the instructor supporting the back of the bike. I have to say that riding extremely slowly is a complete mission, your balance is all off, but it gets much easier as you're allowed to pick up speed. The of course you have to get used to stopping and starting again.

Learning clutch and speed control I found a little tricky, but once you're able to pick up a bit of speed and actually go up a gear, it makes everything sooo much easier.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons and by the end was zooming quite merrily around the car park. I can't wait for the next go where apparently I'm already going to learn the necessary things for the level one test - yikes.

Happy riding :-)

Becoming an 'Easy Rider' - pt2

So after much toing and froing, my learners permit has finally been issued. What happens now? Well apparently I have to do two one hour lectures, one on knowledge awareness (general rules of the road) and one on motorcycle awareness. Now, seeing as all the classes for women were inconveniently scheduled for afternoons, I asked if it would be ok for me to sit in on the men's lectres instead - once again lots of umming and ahhing and do I need a no objection letter from my sponsor for this and in the end the RTA guys said 'no', just turn up for those lectures when they're convenient for you - phew another hoop avoided :-)

Once I've done these two lectures then I have to do the test, which is a forty minute, multiple choice audio test - er ok  then. So we'll see how that goes.

The practical actually riding sessions are a mere thirty minutes each, which the drivng school blocks together so you normally do three or four lessons at the same time - otherwise I guess you can't really learn anything in such a short amount of time. With the way it's been scheduled, I should finish my thirty lessons within about three weeks flat. My obvious concern about the way things run here, is that if you're just riding around a carpark, the first time you actually get onto the road would be during your actual road test - a bit daunting and scary to say the least!

Anyway, everything is booked, I have all the gear, so it's all systems go and let's see how this pans out.