Why El Gouna Is Ideal for Czech Kitesurfers

A Czech base in El Gouna: co-owner Lukáš Vogeltanz (IKO Head Instructor) speaks Czech — plus a Czech community and 4–5 h flights from Prague.

Czech kitesurfers make up a meaningful share of our guests. They’re not the largest group — that’s the Germans — but they have something at Kitepower El Gouna you won’t find easily elsewhere: Czech-speaking support straight from one of the owners.

My name is Lukáš Vogeltanz, and I’m Czech. I’ve been an IKO Head Instructor since 2009. Kitepower’s school history dates to 2004, the current northern base has operated since 2016, and Andrea and I have co-owned and run it since 2023. So when you come to El Gouna as a Czech kitesurfer, you’re going somewhere they speak your language.

Why El Gouna?

4–5 Hours From Prague

The flight from Prague to Hurghada (HRG) takes roughly 4–5 hours — direct, no connections. From Hurghada to El Gouna it’s about 30–40 minutes by road, and we can arrange a transfer and pick you up right at the airport.

For Central Europeans, El Gouna combines warm water, measured wind data and a first roughly 800 m knee-to-waist-deep sandy teaching area with a comparatively short flight.

The Season When You Need It

Czech weather from November to March is wet, grey, and the wind is cold and irregular. During exactly that period, El Gouna is fantastic. In December and January the water cools to around 20 °C and you’ll want a full, long wetsuit (we provide it), but there’s wind and the spot is quiet — fewer people on the water. From March it warms up, and by spring you’re riding in boardshorts and a rashguard.

In other words: when conditions back home are at their worst, you can ride in El Gouna. For a Czech kitesurfer, that’s the whole point. For the honest month-by-month breakdown — built on four years of data from our own weather station — see our best time to kite in El Gouna guide.

Czech-Speaking Support

I’m not here as a mascot. I handle strategy, marketing, IT, instructor training, equipment selection and teaching on the water. When you need advice about a course, gear, or which kite to rent for your weight and the wind — you can talk it through in Czech.

That doesn’t mean only Czechs teach here. In peak season we field a team of up to 25 instructors who, between them, speak eight languages — Czech, Slovak, English, German, Polish, Russian, Italian and Arabic. But a Czech-speaking contact is always around — either me directly or someone from the team.

In practice it looks like this:

• Before arrival: Write in Czech by email or through the contact form. We reply in Czech.
• At the spot: I or a Czech-speaking colleague help with orientation, gear selection and course recommendations.
• After departure: Need to ship equipment? Want advice on next steps? In Czech, no problem.

What We Offer — Specifically

Kite Courses

Our Zero to Hero beginner course is 8 hours, typically spread over 3–5 days, and includes all equipment, a two-way BB Talkin Bluetooth helmet for real-time coaching, and IKO certification of the level you actually demonstrate. We don’t park you on the beach flying a trainer kite — after a short safety briefing and rigging on the sand, initial drills move into the first roughly 800 m knee-to-waist-deep teaching area when conditions suit. Wind, fitness and demonstrated skills set the actual pace; course hours do not guarantee independent-rider status. VDWS certification is available via our instructors for an extra €40 (popular mainly with Germans, though some Czechs want it too). For current prices, see the course page.

Wing Courses

The beginner wingfoil course is 5 hours. Wingfoiling is a great alternative for lighter-wind days and is quicker to learn than kitesurfing. If you’re weighing the two, here’s kitesurfing vs wingfoiling.

Rental

We run 250+ Flysurfer kites (LEI Indie, Stoke and ERA; foil kites Soul, Sonic and Hybrid, from 3 to 21 m²), 60+ boards, and Levitaz hydrofoils. We’ve been the official Flysurfer distributor and test point since 2009 and a Levitaz partner since 2015, so we know the gear inside out. Browse kite rental and wing rental.

Storage and Kitepass

A Kitepass gives you spot access if you ride your own gear. Storage lets you leave your equipment in Egypt year-round — if you visit regularly, that beats flying boards and kites back and forth.

A Czech Kite Community in El Gouna

This is hard to describe, but it’s real: over the years, a small Czech kite community has formed in El Gouna. People who come back repeatedly — some every year, some twice a year, some for a month or two.

You’ll meet Czechs riding solo, couples, families. It’s not an organised group — Czech kitesurfers simply gather here naturally because the spot is quality and the support is in Czech. Many of them first met here and now plan their trips together. We can’t arrange that — it just happens.

Most of Our Guests Come Back

About eight in ten of our guests are returning customers — and among Czech guests it’s even more pronounced. Those who come once usually come back. The reasons are always the same:

• They know it here. They know where everything is, know the instructors, know the spot.
• They trust the quality. Flysurfer and Levitaz gear, professional instructors and rescue support during operating hours, with no guaranteed response time.
• The price makes sense. Egypt is more affordable than European destinations, and the equipment and instruction are top level.
• They have friends here. After a few visits, you know people — and that’s a reason to return.

Our Google reviews speak for themselves — read what people who’ve been here actually say.

Families and Beyond the Sport

El Gouna isn’t just a kite spot. It’s a place where you can bring the whole family — including a partner or kids who don’t kite.

• A large wooden kids’ playground right at the spot
• A beach restaurant with food and cold drinks steps from the water
• An air-conditioned coworking room with a sea view, for those combining work and sport
• El Gouna itself — a self-contained, gated Red Sea town with hotels, pools, shops and a hospital

A partner can spend time on the beach, by the pool or walking the marina. The base has a children’s playground, but it is not supervised childcare and an accompanying adult remains responsible. Lagoon depth changes with tide and conditions. And you kite.

When to Go?

A brief overview for Czech kitesurfers:

• October–November: Reliable wind, warm weather, boardshorts. A popular window — book early.
• December: Transitional; quiet before Christmas, then Christmas and New Year get busy.
• January–February: Cooler, wetsuit needed, but a quiet spot and the lowest accommodation prices. Great if you want peace.
• March: Warming up, stable wind, excellent value.
• April–June: Warm, boardshorts; Easter gets busy.
• July–August: Hot (35–40 °C), but from mid-August the wind is at its best. Few people in July is an advantage.

More detail in our month-by-month wind guide and on the spot page.

How to Start

1. Check our courses and prices.
2. Write to us in Czech — via contact or email.
3. Book your dates through online booking.
4. Buy flights to Hurghada (HRG) — direct from Prague.

And if you have any questions, write in Czech. We’ll answer.

In Short

For Czech kitesurfers, El Gouna brings together Czech-speaking support, measured wind data and a community of riders. Kitepower’s school history dates to 2004 and the current northern base has operated since 2016; the live forecast and actual conditions still decide every session.

This isn’t advertising — it’s something you can verify with anyone who’s been here.