Kite Surfing - Paje Beach, Zanzibar
Kite Surfing - Paje Beach, Zanzibar
When I stepped off the ferry from Dar Es Salem onto the shore of Zanzibar, I thought I would tour the island. I had over 3 weeks, I figured I'd see the whole damn thing ya know?! A few days here, a few days there and I would have a complete perspective. Instead what happened was I sunk into the sand, found amazing friends and started a new sport that would leave me addicted, inspired and..broken. I spent 3.5 weeks on the East Coast of the island on Paje Beach, where I learned to Kite Surf.
Kite Surfing Season
There are 2 seasons in Zanzibar:
December -> March
June -> October.
Paje is a great spot not only for kiting, but for socializing and meeting new people. It really slows down in the off season, so it's best to come during kite season, even if you're not a kiter.
Where to Kite
You can kite in other areas on the island, but Paje is most popular because of the conditions. It's also where most of the kite schools and rental places have setup shop, so it's best to stay here if you want to take advantage of the facilities, coaches and fellow kiters!
Learning to Kite
All the schools offer 9 hour learning blocks. If you're a fast learner and have some experience in similar sports that may help you advance, it's possible to be up and kiting in 9 hours of lessons. If you don't have experience in any of the following, you should expect to take a little longer to get started.
Hours 1-3
Hours 4-6
Hours 7-9
Instructors:
There are 2 main types of schools and instructors:
Locals
Locals are local people who have setup shop as instructors and equipment renters who are ...local.
Usually less established than a formal school.
Schools
Schools offer instruction and equipment as well, but are more established as businesses and are generally run by foreigners who have come to Paje as lovers of kite.
Personally I was taught by a local because he was a friend of a friend whom I knew. Otherwise, I would go with a school cause the local scene is SKETCHY!!!!
Kite Surfing Season
There are 2 seasons in Zanzibar:
December -> March
June -> October.
Paje is a great spot not only for kiting, but for socializing and meeting new people. It really slows down in the off season, so it's best to come during kite season, even if you're not a kiter.
Where to Kite
You can kite in other areas on the island, but Paje is most popular because of the conditions. It's also where most of the kite schools and rental places have setup shop, so it's best to stay here if you want to take advantage of the facilities, coaches and fellow kiters!
Learning to Kite
All the schools offer 9 hour learning blocks. If you're a fast learner and have some experience in similar sports that may help you advance, it's possible to be up and kiting in 9 hours of lessons. If you don't have experience in any of the following, you should expect to take a little longer to get started.
- Wake boarding
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Water Skiing
- Skateboarding
- Snowboarding
- Skydiving (Parachutes - Kites)
Hours 1-3
- Kite theory and vocabulary (so you understand what your trainer is yelling at you as you're dragged along the ocean with mouthfuls and eyefuls of salt water)
- Kite Trainer Practice - On Land (with a cute lil mini kite)
- Safety Procedures and Self Rescue
- Big Kite equipment and setup
Hours 4-6
- Kite Control Fully Power
- Board Recovery in Deep Water
- Water Drag (you do a controlled drag of yourself forward in the water with no board - fun!)
- First Water Start
Hours 7-9
- Water Starting in Both Directions
- Full Autonomous Riding with Kite & Safety Awareness
- Work on Weak Sides
- That's bout it!!
Instructors:
There are 2 main types of schools and instructors:
Locals
Locals are local people who have setup shop as instructors and equipment renters who are ...local.
Usually less established than a formal school.
- Instruction Rates - $25/hour
- Equipment fatigue:)
- Generally one on one lessons
Schools
Schools offer instruction and equipment as well, but are more established as businesses and are generally run by foreigners who have come to Paje as lovers of kite.
- Instruction Rates - $50-$85/hour
- New Equipment
- Group Classes
- Premium rates for one on one lessons
Personally I was taught by a local because he was a friend of a friend whom I knew. Otherwise, I would go with a school cause the local scene is SKETCHY!!!!
INJURY...
On my last day in Zanzibar, the winds were high, the waters shallow and my confidence soaring. A perfect combination.
After a respectable run North of shore, chop waves and a couple of wind gusts flipped me off my board and I landed awkwardly on my right ankle. She sprung..it sprang. After laying in the water for a solid 5 minutes saying "Holy F$%#, Holy F$%#, Holy F$%#" I hobbled out of that hot ocean and off that white powdery beach for the last time. A perfect way to end a 6 week journey through Tanzania.
If you're bored at airports and have 15 hours to kill..and can find an airport employee to push you around for a bit so you can get some footage, then you too, can also edit video at 40,000'.
On my last day in Zanzibar, the winds were high, the waters shallow and my confidence soaring. A perfect combination.
After a respectable run North of shore, chop waves and a couple of wind gusts flipped me off my board and I landed awkwardly on my right ankle. She sprung..it sprang. After laying in the water for a solid 5 minutes saying "Holy F$%#, Holy F$%#, Holy F$%#" I hobbled out of that hot ocean and off that white powdery beach for the last time. A perfect way to end a 6 week journey through Tanzania.
If you're bored at airports and have 15 hours to kill..and can find an airport employee to push you around for a bit so you can get some footage, then you too, can also edit video at 40,000'.
Full Zanzibar post coming soon..
