Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
Kitesurfing is one of the latest thrilling water sports to hit Oman. With the exciting aspects of surfing, windsurfing and wakeboarding, this adrenaline-packed sport is where you can ride big waves, jump really high, do low technical spins or just cruise. Kitesurfing is catching the wind on the lovely beaches of the Sultanate due to its accessibility — only needing a 10mph wind for which Oman is perfect.
Located in Muscat at Grand Hyatt, Watersports Oman is offering the equipment and lessons in some of the best kitesurfing locations in Oman. According to its managing director Florian Baiker, “It is truly fun and an exhilarating sport. Everybody can learn kitesurfing. For example people at the age of 65 also can do it. Kitesurfing is a very technical sport and you don’t need that much upper body strength. We have a lot of girls doing this sport. Oman is a perfect playground for beginners and experienced kite addicts, with warm seas and favourable winds throughout the year. The long beaches and favourable winds make the Sultanate an ideal location for this exciting water sport.”
According to him, you don’t have to bother about your age or current fitness level. “We are specialised in transforming you into a kitesurfer.” The lessons are tailored to suit every individual’s abilities. If you are experienced, they will help you build on what you already know. And if you are brand new to the sport, the trainers will take you step-by-step in a safe, fun and easy manner.
You have to take a course to learn kitesurfing. The intensive course is 11 hours which is split into 3-4 days. You have to go through all the procedures to go independent. And the goal is that you ride the first few metres independently on the board. During most of these 11 hours you fly the kite and there is no board involved. The most important thing is to get the kite under control. “It is very technical. There is no need for strong arms and an athletic body. We take maximum three people for a course at a time to get them maximum time and ensure quality. The learning curve will be steep. Basically after 11 hours we reach the stage that the student will be independent to practice by his own,” he said.
Usually beginners start with very small kites on the beach. They don’t even have to go into the water first. Even though the small kites are powerless, the technique and system is same as that of the big kites. Thus you can safely learn on the beach how to control the kite. “After little later the learner graduates into bigger kites, then to water and we train you body manoeuvring techniques to slide in the water, which is lot of fun,” Florian said. But you can do it only for 2-3 hours a day because you will be tired.
According to Florian, the basic requirement is you must know swimming and the minimum age is 10 years. You have to be very comfortable in the water. Watersport Oman will provide the equipment, which come from Austria. Florian says that in Oman kitesurfing is possible during the whole year and the weather conditions are perfect for the sport. “But in the summer we are blessed with very good wind conditions in the south of Oman such as Asyla (three hours drive) and further south, as well the temperature is just 30°C during the day. Also Muscat and Quriyat offers very good wind conditions,” he said.
The timings depend on the booking, said Florian who is from Germany, but learned water sports in Dominican Republic. He is also running water sports schools in Maldives and Sri Lanka and has plans to start a water sport school in Muscat near Grand Hyatt. The company also sells water sports equipment. The basic 7-hour course will cost you OMR160, while the intensive course OMR210 for 11 hours.
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Learn Kitesurfing
Watersport Oman
watersport-oman.com
[email protected]
+968 9269 4962
Beginner Package
(2-3 persons) 7 hours 2-3 days
OMR160
Intensive Beginner Package
(2-3 persons) 11 hours 3-4 days OMR210
Advanced/Private Lessons
1 hour OMR35
For the advanced kitesurfer we have experienced teachers who will train you advanced moves.
What’s Taught?
Upwind, gibing, transitions, surface handle pass, air transitions, kite loops, unhooked moves, strapless, and wave riding.
