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The growing popularity of kitesurfing in Kenyan coast

Sunday, March 10, 2024 - 9 min read

A learner undergoes a kitesurfing class at Diani Beach in Kwale County on February 29, 2024. PHOTO | SIAGO CECE | NMG

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

A few years ago, kitesurfing was not popular in the coast. The water sport, which involves surfing with a kite and a surfboard, would hardly be noticed or mentioned in local sporting events.

Kitesurfing was associated with foreigners who loved it. But the tide is turning as more Kenyans enrol in kite schools to learn the skill.

Kitesurfing was not popular by then, but he took the risk to learn the skill and expand it. He had to be certified by an International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) to be recognised as a trainer. “I had to travel to Zanzibar to get this accreditation. It was not easy and I saved a lot, but I had to do it. After certification, I did some freelance work for five years and then set up my school,” narrates Goodluck.
At the moment, the certification costs around $2,000 (Sh285,000) and is more expensive when done in Kenya compared to Zanzibar. There are only five kitesurfing schools and three local kitesurfing instructors in Diani, with the rest being foreigners. A kitesurfing school has an office, an equipment store and changing rooms.
Goodluck says the high cost of equipment, which is also not found locally, makes the sport expensive and perceived to be for the wealthy. "Foreigners have access to the equipment and also connections with their counterparts in other parts of the world. But for us, it is tough to even get contacts abroad. All this equipment is manufactured in Europe,” he said. But things are slowly changing as the sport takes root.

“The challenge is that you still have to renew your accreditation after a period, which is expensive,” he says.
However, he said that more Kenyans should embrace the sport despite the cost. Additionally, most locals are locked out of water sports activities and opportunities due to a lack of swimming skills, which is a prerequisite.
For learners who can swim, the surfing class starts with a small kite to make them understand the movement and how the strength of the wind affects its power. For the actual kitesurfing, Goodluck said one has to warm up with a few exercises at the beach. This is after they have put on the gear; a belt (harness), kiteboard, and sometimes a vest and a helmet for safety, for a learner.
One then picks the kite that has been set up by the beach with four lines more than 24 meters. The lines are connected to knots in the kite that have already been pumped with air on its edges to make a C shape.
One locks the lines into a hook on the belt (harness) and then walks strategically to the water while flying the kite, depending on the direction of the wind.
For the surfboards, they have foot straps where one places their feet the moment they get into the water, to ensure they are held perfectly throughout the surfing.
Surfing also involves tricks and stunts, which are a major contributor to better scores during competitions. Since the harness holding the kite is tied around the waist, the experts said that one is advised not to have any back complications when taking part in the sport.
“The back is the centre of everything, and, besides the hands, that is what is used to control the kite, especially when there are strong winds," he says.

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The growing popularity of kitesurfing in Kenyan coast

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