Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
KITE SURFING
“IF YOU are in Cape Town you can either moan about the wind or make a good thing out of it,” the instructors at High Five tell me as I find out firsthand why Cape Town is hailed as among the best places in the world to kite surf – thanks to strong winds, big waves and beautiful scenery. And, “kite surfing never gets boring”, one instructor says. “You can go on flat water, jump sky high, ride waves – it is just one big playground for kite surfers.”
Despite the rain, I was ready and willing… with absolutely no idea that kite surfing is no walk in the park.
My three-hour lesson took place on the beach, actually. I learnt how to prepare my equipment – from the kite to the strings to the harness.
Although the process seemed tiresome, with the strong Cape Town winds I was obviously aware that a silly mistake could mean injury to me or to some innocent bystander. And this was something I experienced firsthand when I was crashing my kite left and right, almost being dragged away down the beach numerous times.
After three hours, I’d made some improvements and was flying my kite with much more ease but was definitely not yet ready for the ocean.
With one lesson under my belt, however, two more threehour sessions would be required before I could take to the water, I was told. But by that time I’d get an accredited certificate that will allow me to kite surf anywhere in the world, including my hometown in the US.
● The cost of the three-day, 12-hour course is about R2 500, but if there are three of you, you’ll get three lessons for the price of two. Go to www.highfive.co.za to find out what the craze is all about.