Hydrofoil Kite in El Gouna — How to Start Foiling

How to start kitefoiling in El Gouna. Levitaz foils, level requirements, lagoon conditions. For independent riders ready for the next step.

If you’re a kitesurfer looking for the next level, kitefoiling is probably what you’re thinking about. Riding above the water on a hydrofoil is a different experience from anything on a twintip. It’s quiet, smooth, and addictive. But it’s not for everyone and it’s not easy.

This article is an honest guide to kitefoiling in El Gouna — what you need to know, what equipment we use, and how to approach it.

What Is Kitefoiling

Kitefoiling is kitesurfing on a board with a hydrofoil instead of a classic twintip. A hydrofoil is a wing under the water on a mast. Once you gain speed, the wing generates lift and the board rises above the surface. You ride above the water — without drag, without chop, without noise.

It’s a completely different feeling. On a twintip you feel the water under your feet: chop, impacts, every bump. On a foil, none of that. You fly. Silence, smoothness, and speed with minimal effort.

Why It Requires Experience

Let’s be upfront: kitefoiling is not for beginners. Not because we want to be exclusive, but because it simply doesn’t work without solid fundamentals.

Kite Control Must Be Automatic

On a twintip you can split your attention between kite and board — you do both consciously. On a foil, you need all your concentration on your feet: where the board is, how high you’re flying, how you’re tilting the foil. The kite you have to steer automatically, almost subconsciously.

If you’re still thinking about where to put the kite, you don’t have the spare capacity for the foil. It’s that simple.

We Recommend Independent-Rider Level First

As a minimum, you should already be an independent rider — able to ride upwind, do transitions, ride in both directions, and bodydrag confidently. Ideally you can already jump and have dozens of hours on the water behind you. If you’re still building those skills, our Zero to Hero beginner course gives you a structured start; your demonstrated skills and the conditions, not a purchased number of hours, decide when you are ready to progress.

Why so much? Because the foil reacts fast. A small change in foot pressure means a big change in height. If you’re not used to reacting instinctively, you’ll fall. And falling on a foil is different from falling on a twintip — the foil is sharp and moves unpredictably under the water.

For the full progression from twintip to flying, see our guide on the kite-to-foil transition.

What Equipment We Use

Levitaz Foils

We ride foils by Levitaz — a German hydrofoil brand we’ve worked with since 2015. We carry various wing sizes and mast lengths for different levels and conditions:

• Larger front wing = more lift, slower, more stable — better for foiling beginners
• Smaller wing = faster, more agile, less stable — for advanced riders
• Shorter mast = you ride closer to the water, less room for error, but works in shallower water
• Longer mast = more space above the surface, smoother ride, but you need deeper water

Flysurfer Kites

For foiling you typically ride a smaller kite than on a twintip (the foil has far less drag, so you need less power). Our fleet of 250+ Flysurfer kites — Indie, Stoke, ERA, Soul, Sonic and Hybrid in sizes from 3 to 21 m² — gives instructors and the rental team broad options to recommend suitable available equipment for the rider and measured conditions. Depth and safe rideability still decide the session.

El Gouna Conditions for Foiling

Shallow Teaching Area — Advantage and Challenge

Our lagoon has a first roughly 800 m knee-to-waist-deep sandy teaching area and a dedicated deeper foil zone beyond it. A longer mast needs suitable clearance, so the team checks the tide and actual depth, chooses the operating area and matches the mast before each foil session.

Foil sessions use the dedicated deeper zone when tide and conditions provide suitable depth. Rescue support is available during operating hours, but transport, a specific intervention and a response time cannot be guaranteed.

Flat Water

The lagoon is sheltered and usually flat, without a regular shore break. Wind chop, water movement and depth still vary, so the team selects the deeper foil zone, timing and mast length from the actual conditions.

Wind

Kitefoiling works in lighter wind than a twintip. Thanks to minimal drag, a smaller kite and lighter breeze are enough. That widens your wind window: days when you’d be sitting on the beach with a twintip, on a foil you’ll be riding.

How to Start Kitefoiling With Us

Open Hours

The most common format: you tell us you want to try foiling and we check your level (your certification, a quick chat, and possibly a short ride on a twintip). If you are ready, suitable equipment is available, and depth and conditions are safe, we set up the foil session. Open-hours rental starts from €60/hour for kite gear, with foil sessions priced by format.

Individual Coaching

For faster progress, we offer individual coaching with an instructor. The instructor guides you through your first attempts, corrects your technique, and dials in your equipment setup. It’s the fastest path to flying.

Own Equipment

Have your own foil? A Kitepass covers beach use for verified independent riders on their own equipment, and storage is available too. Riding still depends on operating hours, current depth, conditions, zone rules and foil suitability; the pass is not access to rental equipment.

Typical Learning Progression

Days 1–2: Getting Acquainted

First attempts on the foil. The board on the water, you try to lift above the surface. You’ll fall — a lot. That’s normal. The foil behaves differently from a twintip and your brain is still learning the new inputs.

The key: don’t think about the kite. If you’re thinking about the kite, you don’t have capacity for the foil. The kite must be on autopilot.

Days 3–5: First Flights

You start to lift and stay above the water — first for a few seconds, then longer. You learn to control height: front foot pushes the board down (lower flight), back foot lifts it (higher flight). It’s like tightrope walking — constant small corrections.

Days 5+: Riding

You ride above the water consistently and start working on turns, riding upwind, and smoothness. This is where the addiction kicks in. That feeling of flight is so good you won’t want to go back to a twintip.

Who It’s For and Who It’s Not

Ideal for:

• Experienced kitesurfers (independent riders with dozens of hours on the water)
• People looking for a new challenge
• Kitesurfers who want to ride in lighter wind
• Those seeking a quiet, smooth experience on the water

Not for:

• Kitesurfing beginners
• People who don’t yet have automatic kite control
• Those who don’t want to fall a lot (learning to foil means plenty of falling)

Safety

The foil has sharp edges and moves quickly under the water. Our safety rules:

• Helmet — recommended whenever you’re on a foil
• Impact vest — protects you during falls
• Plenty of distance from other riders
• Rescue support — available during operating hours; a specific intervention or response time cannot be guaranteed
• Guidance from the team — where to ride, where not to, and how to share the lagoon with others

We take foil safety seriously. A foil can be dangerous if you don’t respect it.

Conclusion

Kitefoiling is a progression worth chasing once you have the level for it. At Kitepower, foil work uses a dedicated deeper zone when tide, conditions and mast clearance suit. Rescue support is available during operating hours, but a specific intervention or response time cannot be guaranteed.

Want to try it? Get in touch or browse the rental. We’ll tell you honestly whether you’re ready, pick the right equipment, and get you on the water.