Learning to love the wind in Cape Town

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Learning to love the wind in Cape Town

On a windy day in the middle of a Cape Town winter, two of our newest Planet Kitesurf Holidays staffers, based in our new Cape Town office, experienced a lesson in kitesurfing with SKC Muizenberg. They describe their experience below:

kitesurfing-muizenberg-dogs

As local Capetonians we have spent years finding those perfect beach spots that are sheltered from the strong southeast trade wind that hits the Cape every summer. Muizenberg Beach is not one of those spots. It is an extremely long beach that is exposed to the south-easter and comes with pretty decent swell on any given day. 

muizenberg-south-africa-kitesurfing

Arriving at Muizenberg Beach that fine winters day we had not imagined that the wind would be so perfect for learning to kitesurf. Winter in Cape Town does not usually offer the onshore wind needed to kitesurf, however on this day the wind was perfect and blowing out of the southeast. This very chilly wind did not make listening to the instructor’s introduction to kitesurfing any easier to grasp but as a seasoned instructor he knew the best way to get around this problem was to draw the diagrams in the sand. Perfect! As newbies to the sport, we learned everything we needed to know about the bar, the lines, how everything connects to the kite, beach hand signals and most importantly the different power zones within the kite window. 

training-kite-muizenberg

Now it was time to put the theory into practice with a training kite. Well, what an awesome feeling of power that was. We took turns practicing moving the kite from the 3 o’ clock position to the 12 o’clock position and then back over to the 9 o’ clock position. With only one or two graceful falls to the ground, the instructor decided we were doing pretty well. We moved on to trying our figure of eights and the full circle. The wind picked up a bit while we were out there which made the experience a lot more thrilling. 

learning-kite-Muizenberg

Next was trying out a full size kite. We hooked up to the harness and with the instructor hanging on to us for safe measure, we took the kite up with ease. The wind was powerful but we were ready and managed to control that kite perfectly and move up and down the beach. It’s easy to believe that we are now hooked on kitesurfing!

learn-to-kitesurf

The whole experience has definitely taught us that there is something to be gained from this persistent summer wind. No longer will we need to hide behind a large boulder on a beach to avoid the wind. We will be searching out the wind for that perfect kitesurf holiday. Stay tuned for the report on our next lesson when we enter the water. Exciting! 

Along with the perfect windy summers for kitesurfing, Cape Town also offers so many holiday activities for couples, solo travellers, and families. Make your way up to the top of Table Mountain on the cable car, swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach or visit any one of the incredible wine farms dotted in and around the peninsula. For the kitesurfers there are plenty spots to choose from, between Muizenberg in the south and Sunset Beach in Blouberg you will be able to kitesurf almost every day in summer. If you are looking for that perfect spot to learn to kitesurf then check out Planet Kitesurf’s Langebaan holidays. Langebaan lagoon offers beginners perfect conditions to learn. The lagoon is flat and calm and the town of Langebaan offers something for the whole family to enjoy. Contact us for more information and to find the perfect spot for your skills!