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Get airborne!
Kitesurfing
Kite Surfing South Africa
© Downhill Adventures
Did you know?
Kite Surfing dates back to 13th-century China where it was used as transportation
Kitesurfing is all the rage. When you combine the elegance and skill of surfing with your childhood joy of kite-flying, what do you get? The sheer exhilaration of kitesurfing, one of the newest water sports around and one that is growing rapidly in popularity.
In the past a really windy day was more than enough to call off a day at the beach. But with the advent of kitesurfing there are suddenly plenty of enthusiasts just waiting for windy days to hit the beach. Essentially, kitesurfing combines the technologies used in paragliding and wake boarding to create a system whereby the rider is strapped to a wakeboard-like surfboard and attached to a harness of a giant kite (more like a paraglider sail). The challenge is then to catch the winds and ride your board across the ocean - free as a bird!
You need a good sense of timing and speed and then you can also pull of some remarkable tricks. Professionals can leap hundreds of metres at a time with practice and the right wind conditions. It takes a bit of getting used to in order to be able to get your kite up and steer your board, but it is a brilliant way to make the most of a windy day.
South Africa offers several ideal locations for kitesurfing. Cape Town itself has the ocean and the winds. It is also the home of the Cape Sports Centre which is both a premier kitesurfing destination and leading kitesurfing school. Up the Cape West Coast at Langebaan you will find internationally renowned kitesurfing conditions. Blaauwberg, on the opposite side of Table Bay from Cape Town, is another favoured destination and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, known as the 'Windy City' has more than enough wind and beach to get you flying.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Kite surfing
Cape Town:
Port Elizabeth:
What will it cost
Aside from the cost of the kite-surfing gear, this sport is free.
Some operators do, however, offer lessons for a fee
Length of stay
You will probably not take more than half a day for a kite surfing session
What to pack
Your nerve
What's happening
Keep an eye on local weather reports and in touch with your tour operator to find the best days for kite surfing