These days there are many different types of water sports to take up… If you have a boat you probably already wake board or water-ski. Maybe you have enough cash to go splash out and get a jet ski, which these days seem to cost the same as a small boat! But what about a water sport you can do alone and for below 10,000 AED? Surfing? Sure, butwe have very limited waves in the UAE!
There is also kayaking and paddle boarding, both physically demanding but lacking in the adrenaline rush that I for one seek. Wind surfing? Sure but what about something new? So this leaves you with one other option Kite Surfing! You’ve probably all seen the Kite Surfers down at the beaches and now there is even a beach named after the sport; kite surfing beach, which is in Umm Sequim 1 just after DOSC!!
Kite Surfing has been around what about 8 years now? As a Jet skier at the time that Kite Surfing came about I took one look 
and dismissed it as a sport that’s just for the extremely physically fit and for someone with an abundance of patience and I powered off into the distance on my jet ski not giving it another thought, until recently.
I have actually noticed that there are many different walks of life Kite Surfing these days, not just extremely fit young people! Since I have ditched the Jet Ski and still looking for the water sports buzz, I thought I might see what it’s all about.
Kite Surfing is totally new to me and just for the record I haven’t surfed or wake boarded before either, so my first port of call was the stores that sell the gear. Although there are several shops that sell the gear, It soon became apparent that I was going to need some help here!! I didn’t have a clue what to buy, there are so many different kits and boards, I was lost apart from gauging from the sales guys that I could get all the gear for less than my 10,000 Dirham budget…
The next stop was Kite Beach; where I hoped to get some info and after having spoken to a few people was soon introduced to an instructor called Craig Traynor who was very friendly and helpful. I soon realized I could just go to the shop and get started…all I was going to need were some lessons!
Craig told me that I could need up to 6 lessons of which the first is 350 Dhs and 250 Dhs per session of 2hrs thereafter.So I agreed and we planned the first session, wind dependant obviously!
Session 1 – This was referred to as the land based taster lesson. Learning how to unpack, layout a training kite which was about 3 meters in width with a time control bar and a line coming off each end of the bar, this took 10mins to get in the air and was straightforward.This kite is used to get a feel for the wind and the different positions of where the kite is in air. 12 o’clock position is the point where there is the least amount of stain is put on your arms and the power zones 9 to 11 o’clock and 1 to 3 o’clock..Basic maneuvers were taught and practiced including how to be able to walk up and down the beach using only one hand to hold the bar, still keep the kite in the air and free up the other hand to carry a board. After this we moved onto the main kite that I would use to power me through the water on the board.
Basically, if you can’t get to grips with the training kite in this lesson Kite Surfing might not be for you. This lesson is also a good gauge for yourself as to whether this is something you want to continue with and if you are enjoying it so far.
I had advanced quite well according to Craig and we even managed to get the real kite out on the first lesson. Again learning how to unpack and this time blow up the kite, work the lines, understand the safety procedures, launch and fly the kite. Again
Craig taught me how to power the kite through the positions. I was expecting this too to be physical on the arms but now using the additional harness that goes around your waist all the strain was taken on the harness and you do not have to fight the bar unlike the training kite.
We had made good progress and I was looking forward to the next lesson which would involved getting wet and with the summer temperatures creeping up it would be a blessing…(To Be Continued)
Published in June 2012
