Location Review: Safaga - Egypt

Safaga, Egypt

Safaga, located 30 minutes south of Hurgarda on the Red Sea, offers guaranteed sun, heat and more importantly, win. Wind tends to be a pretty vital aspect in any kiting holiday and Safaga certainly has the perfect mix.

For the 9 days I was out there I had perfect wind every day, but I have to admit the wind out there has come very awesome bonuses, such as lay-ins! Basically due to the thermals the wind is off-shore until it switches cross-on at around 9-9:30. It is quite surreal how, like clockwork, every day in the space of about 10 minutes the wind will transform from being gusty off shore to constant, smooth, strong and perfectly behaving cross-shore. This means after the full days kiting from the previous days, or possibly a few to many drinks the night before, there is need to rush out of bed and get out on the water at 8am. Instead enjoy a cheeky lay in and a lazy breakfast and aim to be ready to hit the water for 9.30.

The wind will then happily blow for anywhere between 3-6 hours, dying down in mid-late afternoon.  I was out on a 7m or 9m Cabrinha Switchblade most days. However saying that, being a small chick some days the wind kept blowing enough for me to have sunset sessions on my 17m Zephyr. In my eyes, there is definitely no better way to spend a sunset than strapped to a kite with nothing but you, the wind and the waves! paradise.

The water conditions in Safaga also have some massive bonuses. If you are a learner, then quite honestly this is the place to go. Club Mistrel is right on the beach looking out over a gorgeous flat water lagoon. This lagoon is the ideal play ground for a new kite to have their lessons! It is shallow, sandy and boasts crystal flat waters. There are a couple of coral heads...but my encounter with them is a whole new story, let’s just say don't land a trick...or should I say fail to land a trick just up wind of them! Sorry back to the learning. The club offer lessons pretty much any time the wind is blowing, so ideal if you want to get your partner out on the water learning while you smash it up at the same time!

The lagoon is paradise for any freestyle kite, however the drawback is that Club Mistral have taken ownership of the gem. This means that if there are lessons the lagoon is a no goer. But have no fear, the kiting around the lagoon and slightly upwind is still calm just not butter flat. Club Mistral offer/ enforce you to have boat rescue which means you can quite happily ride out a good fair distance without having to give 'what if I have to self rescue' a second thought! The further you go out the rougher it is, giving you a wicked play ground of kicker like waves, but if you prefer the calm flat water simply stay closer to chore and that’s guaranteed. Another point worth noting is that Club Mistral have a break in their lessons for lunch...meaning the lagoon is free for all, so enjoy!

I feel I must qualify my last statement, free for all. When I say all, I mean the handful of kiters who have made the magical discovery of Safaga. Never once during my time there did the water feel over crowded or manic with kiters. It seems Safaga is a relatively unknown gem of a kiting location. If you head down the coast a little further to Nama bay I hear you will find water heaving with kiters, but Safaga gives you the space needed to bust out new tricks and push your riding without panicking that someone is going to plough into you...or visa versa.

Even with few kiters the place is buzzing with people to chat to about new tricks, get advice from and generally have an ace time. The Club has air compressors, so no pumping kites in the scorching heat. Warning when you return home you WILL miss the compressor! Trust me!

Written by: Vanessa Procter