Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Dakhla Morocco, African Kitesurfing Destination

Dakhla Morocco, African Kitesurfing Destination

Youri Zoon (2 time world Champion)

“Dakhla is an amazing spot just in the middle of the desert surrounded by dunes but incredible kiting! Wind pretty much blows every single day. Good for a kiting holiday!”  


Located on the awesome coast of the Western Sahara Desert in Morocco is this new and most fantastic African kite destination with conditions perfect for both pro kiters and amateur kiteboarders. Dakhla has a perfect constant wind surrounded by the awe striking Sahara Desert and Atlantic Ocean.

Sahara Desert - IKO Kiteboard Training in Morocco

WHY IS THIS PLACE SO GOOD?
In addition to having the perfect wind during the entire year long, this place is good for any kind of water kiting. Out in the sea are perfect waves for kitesurfing or other aquatic sports.
Most impressively is that inside the “lagoon,” are several flat-water spots perfect for beginners, initiating lessons and even for those practicing advanced tricks.


CONDITIONS IN DAKHLA
Winds are mostly between 20-30 knots. The water is flat to choppy. The temperature is around 18-30 degrees Celsius depending on the season with the best kiting season being February through December.

Dakhla Video



IKO IN DAKHLA, MOROCCO, AFRICA
An IKO Kite Center is the place to start your kiteboarding adventure. IKO has Kite Centers all over the world. The IKO asks you this one question,“Where do you want to fly today?”

Learning how to kiteboard in an IKO Kite Center assures safe and fast learning using quality tested methods that maneuver you safely off the beach and into the water. IKO Kite Centers have specific liability insurance coverage for kite-related activities. Once you reach a certain level of development, you will be certified with the IKO Member Card that will enable you to rent equipment and demonstrate your certified level of skills to everyone.


The IKO has numerous certified Instructors in DAKHLA available to help every level of kiteboarder, and to see students through their progression no matter what their existing skill level happens to be. In DAKHLA, advanced kiters can learn new tricks as well as progressive safety measures. New kiters can learn to kite and advance quickly and safely from one of our two exceptional schools in the area.   
 

Kites in the Morocco, Africa Desert - IKO 


IKO KITE CENTERS IN DAKHLA
  •  WindfishPro DAKHLA
WindfishPro is an excellent IKO Kite Centre for learning at in Dakhla, Morocco. You can enjoy great Atlantic waves. Click Here to get more information about WindfishPro Dakhla.

  • SKYRIDERS DAKHLA IKO SCHOOL
Skyriders IKO Kiteboarding Kite Center
Skyriders Dakhla is a great IKO Kite Center to learn at in Dakhla Morocco. Click Here to get more information about Skyriders Dakhla.
        
ADVANTAGES
-       Wind all year
-       Steady winds
-       Easy riding
-       Warm
-       Never rains
-       Flat water



THINGS TO CONSIDER AND PREPARE FOR BEFORE COMING TO DAKHLA
  • Bring a sweeter for night temperatures as they decrease.
  • Bring a lot of sun screen
  • Bring goodies with you (Chocolate, Chips, etc.). After a week in the desert, you will beg for some junk food.
  • Take a kite repair kit in case your kite falls a part.
  • Bring clothes that will help you navigate, as there is sand everywhere.
  • Remember that this place is really isolated.
  • The village is an old military station, very isolated but if you like the culture go and give it a look. One piece of advice is to not take pictures of the locals. They can get very upset and even ask you to delete the picture.

                           “The perfect place for finding yourself” - Alvaro Onieva      





KITES TO BRING
Depending on your weight, for example, someone 65kg should bring:
-       7m
-       9m
-       11m
HOW TO FIND THIS DESTINATION, DAKHLA

  1. Book a flight to Casablanca or Canary Islands. These are the only two places that have flights to Dakhla.
  2. You can also take a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tanger. Then, drive down to Casablanca (about 4 hours to Casablanca), and from there fly to Dakhla.
  3. Some people do a long road trip to Dakhla. This will take about 2 days. The most challenging aspect of this route is that some places don’t have any cities or gasoline stations for over 300km! If you do decide on of driving to Dakhla, please be careful and aware of these issues.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN DAKHLA

Make sure you organize some down-winders with your local school there. One of the incredible places to ride is the“White Dune,” and is only about 45 minutes down-wind from the Wind Fish Pro Center.