MOONBEACH in Egypt.
Moonbeach has been a top windsurfing spot for years and, in recent years, has been catering for kitesurfers at the Hacienda spot a few kilometers down the coast from Moonbeach.
The day before we arrived, the guys at Moonbeach got permission for exclusive use of 2 private lagoons at a new and uncrowded spot a short distance down the coast from the Hacienda spot. Each day before the wind kicked in, we'd head down to the villa at the lagoons in the Chevvy van...
The villa is right in front of the main lagoon. Just step out onto the beach, walk 100yds to a safe launch spot and set up...
From the main lagoon, you can head upwind through the mouth into a wide expanse of ankle to knee deep water with channels and sandbars to jump. Alternatively, just blast about exploring the area. This was really popular with the guys on the trip who were just getting used to staying upwind. They could just blast about with plenty of room for "errors" !
From this wide expanse you could sail into the second lagoon if you wanted a lagoon to yourself!
Meanwhile, the total beginners enjoyed the safe environment of the lagoon to learn the basics and the intermediate to advanced amongst us could practice new moves and check out their mistakes on video and digital camera. Because the lagoon allows photographers to stand right up close upwind, crosswind, downwind or knee deep right in the action, it's a great place to get photo evidence of your successes and failures!...
Being the big head that I am... I'm just gonna post a few of the successes!
unhooked backloop kiteloop...
and another...
raley hooked in...
unhooked raley...
Where there's lagoons, there's sand bars to jump over
You could start safe and just jump over the tip and then start further up wind and see how much you dare jump. This one's a nice little sequence of a toeside olly over the small bar...
The only contact we had with other humans was the odd fisherman, some other riders further down the coast (who weren't allowed in the lagoons (hehehe) and the occasional visit from the coastguard... and their camels...
The wind kicked in at around 11:00 each day and lasted until 19:00. We had 9 days of wind mostly on 9m kites but some days on 13m and a couple of big kite days at the end of the trip. By then we were knackered though and kind of glad of the break!
It's great going to a place with wind stats like Egypt because you can relax and know there's no rush to get on the water... you've got all day, have an hour working on a new move, have a break, chill out and drink plenty of water and then get back out and nail that move.
At the end of the day, we headed back to the resort at Moonbeach for some very tasty food at the hotel, a few drinks at the Spreader Bar and if we were particularly battered from almost landing stuff all day long, we could treat ourselves to a Thai or Swedish massage. For the ultra keen there was Yoga every morning before breakfast and if you fancied a day off the kiting (yeah, wierd, I know, but some people do!) then there's trips to Cairo, walks in the desert, snorkling or even windsurfing
Have a nice trip!
