The majority of kiting around the Cape Peninsula happens in Table View, north of the city, where the wind blows from the left. Sunset Beach is the closest to Cape Town city. Here the southeaster wind kicks in first and it can take while before it reaches the other spots further downwind.
Ross-Dillon Player (RSA) in action on Day One of Red Bull King of the Air 2019. Image credit: Tyrone Bradley / Red Bull Content Pool.
Further north passed the bay you will come to Dolphin Beach and then Kite Beach, where the wind blows cross-shore. Dolphin Beach is a nice spot to start a downwind because there are many spots up north, all the way up to ‘Big Bay’ and beyond.
Round the corner at Big Bay there’s a pleasant grassy área next to the beach with some bars, restaurants and shops, what makes it a nice pit stop if you re traveling with your wife or family. Expect to share the spot with windsurfers and sharks, but don t worry, there has not yet been registered a shark attack on a kiter in those areas. And the windsurfers: most kiters tend to ride slightly downwind from the windsurfer. Do so at Kamers, First Stone or Eerste Steen, Derde Steen and Horse Trails but these spots are much less crowded!
Further up there is an advanced wave spot called Haakgat. Even further up you ll see Melkbos which is the last spot on this stretch of coastline. General rule is if it is too strong south: head up further north for less wind.
WIND & CLIMATE
It blows generally reliable and strong during south african summer (December and January being the peak). There is mostly no Wind during the morning, but 30+ knots by mid-afternoon.
Summer has very pleasant temperatures of 25 -35 C in contrast to very cold atlantic water temperatures averaging 14 C. Head southeast of the city to the Indian Oceans to get up to 19 C. You’ll have to suit up, sometimes even a 4mm with booties and gloves.
OFF THE WATER
Plenty of things to do beside kitesurfing in and around capetown. Go hiking or mountainbiking in the beautiful mountains around Capetown. Visit the winefarms or go for a safari in the national parks. You can go see the pinguins at the cape, or go cage diving and see the great white shark from up close.
Capetown is famous for its great food at cheap prices. It `s a great place to go healthy with lots of juice bars, fresh seafood restaurants etc. For accommodation most kiters prefer to stay around Sunset Beach / Table View / Big Bay (but also Muizenberg, southwest of the city) where there’s plenty of choice, from guest houses and hostels to luxury self catered homes. Around camps bay you can rent a 4 or 5 star villa for a reasonable price and you will be close by, to crash one of the many fashion parties in that neighbourhoud. To go shopping there are many options with many shopping malls spread over the area.
It is easy to get around with a rental car, beware to drive on the left though. Crime can be an issue, so stay alert, and don `t drive into the townships.
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Paje is a small village and a great kitesurf spot in Zanzibar which is still not too crowded. You’ll find butter flat sea lagoons and a fun little wave out on the reef all in tropical blue waters.
Undergoing the tide, conditions chance drastically. Low tide is flat inside the reef, and as tide comes in, so does the chop and the kickers. There are bouys showing you where there are safe passages, and where not to go at low tide. There are also seaweed farms and áreas with sea urchens marked by bouys.
WIND & CLIMATE
The two windy seasons go from January to February and June to August but there’s a breeze on most of the days outside this periods as well. Especially with a foil, you will have fun on most days. The wind blows cross-on from the left in the winter season and cross-on from the right in summer. During summer it blows an 13-25 knots, during winter months up to 20 knots. Zanzibars climate is pretty hot, around 30 C with warm water temperatures of more or less 27 C.
OFF THE WATER
Paje is small but it has a good variety of hotels and guest houses, most of them close the kite spot. Eight quilometres south of Paje you’ll find a large sea lagoon protected by a sandbank.
If there is no wind you can choose out of many excursions. Zanzibar has a pretty well developped tourist infrastructure. Visit the spice plantations and visit the colourful markets of Stone Town. Zanzibar has great diving, or you can go fishing or go on a boat tour.
Paje is pretty quiete at night but there are some parties at nearby Uhuru Beach on the weekends. There’s a small supermarket in Paje for basic groceries. Local food is cheap but hotel restaurants are more expensive.
Getting around is easy as taxis are cheap. Crime is minimal but use common sense.
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Jericoacoara, called Jerí by the locals, is a small village in the northeast of Brazil. It is with its pretty remote location, around 300 kilometers from Fortaleza and surrounded by dunes, an idyllic and popular tourist destination. Access is difficult and only by 4by4 vehicles. Wind is guaranteed almost everyday from June through to January, similar like other destinations on this coastline all the way from Cumbuco till Barra grande.
Jeri counts with fantastic kite conditions along the 25 kilometers of beach downwind of the village. Right behind the big dune of Jericoacoara, where most of the kiting is done, the wind is slightly side off shore. Though a bit gusty, the small kickers are clean as skateboard ramps and once you are airborn, you will feel the G force of 30+knots. Further downwind towards Guriu river the wind is perfect side onshore. Many people do downwind untill the rivermouth or all the way till Tatajuba. Prea is about 12 km upwind and also a popular downwind into Jeri.
WIND & CLIMATE
The wind blows cross or cross-onshore, predominantly from the northeast. Right in front of Jeri village it’s cross off that is why most kiters head downwind passed the big dune where the wind blows more cross-shore. Forget to go sunbathing on a towel, just standing up you will get your legs sand beamed. The trade winds are enhanced by some thermal effect so expect peak wind speeds in the afternoon.
The main wind season starts in June- July and goes until January-February when the rainy season begins. They call it rain season, but it is still mostly sunny and windy these months. Wind is not a guarantee though like in the windiest months which are August – November, with wind on 95% of days and often over 30 knots in the afternoon. Water temperatures are warm, so no wetsuit is needed but a lycra to protect you from the sun is a must! The wind makes it cool off in the evenings, so bring a sweater.
OFF THE WATER
There are no hotels directly at the kite spots, but yes many hotels and pousadas in Jeri village, from basic to super luxuary. The village has no pavement roads, only sandy allies with restaurants, supermarkets and souvenir shops. The beauty and remoteness makes Jeri a popular hippie hang out and tourists adore escaping the urban life style. There’s no cash machine and the nearest one is in Jijoca, at 35 km. If your batteries run low, you can explore the nearby national park by buggy or ride a horse up to ‘Pedra Furada’, the ´pierced rock´– symbol of Jericoacoara – a huge rock on the beach with a hole in the middle. Other activities are sandboarding, SUPing or longboard surfing at Malhada beach.
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Aaron Hadlow – The Red Bull King Of The Air, Big Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
Spots:
West Coast – Langebaan, Mulzenberg, Silverstroomstrand, Yzerfontein, Peraly’s Beach, Cape Sports Bay, Shark Bay, Hobie Beach, Swartriet, Shelley Point, Elands Bay, Jojo’s;
Cape Town – Melkbos, Hagkat, Big Bay, Kitebeach, Dolphin Beach, Rietvlei, Sunset Beach, Milnerton, Whitsands, Misty Cliffs, Scarborough, Platboom Bay, Glencairn, Fishhoek e Muizenberg;
Overberg – Macassar, Strand, Pringle Bay, Stony Point, Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond, Hawston, Maanskyn Baai, Brandfontein, Suiderstrand, Struikbaai, Plaat, Kassiersbaai, Witsands;
Durban – Palm Beach, Scottburgh, Warner Beach, Durban Bluff, Bayhead, Vetch’s Beach, Durban Kitebeach, Umdloti South Side, Umdloti North Side, La Mercy Lagoon, Tinley Manor Beach, Richards Bay, Pelican Island Sodwana Bay.
Season: October | November | December | January | February | March
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Pontos: Eilat
Temporada: o ano todo, mas a melhor temporada é no verão .
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