Short answer: yes, El Gouna is probably the best place in the world to start learning kitesurfing. And now the longer answer — here’s why.
A Lagoon That Forgives Mistakes
When you’re learning to kitesurf, you’re going to fall. A lot. And here’s the crucial difference between learning in El Gouna versus, say, the Atlantic or Tarifa.
Our lagoon is shallow — from 40 centimetres to chest height on an adult. The bottom is sandy, with no dangerous coral near the shore. When you fall off the board (and it’ll happen many times per hour), you simply stand up. No swimming, no chasing your board, no panic.
This might sound like a minor detail, but it’s absolutely fundamental. In deep water, after every fall you’re swimming, retrieving your board, getting set up again, and by the time you start riding you’re already exhausted. In shallow water, you stand up, reposition your kite, put the board on, and go. In the same amount of water time, you get twice as many attempts.
The lagoon is about 2–3 kilometres long and a kilometre wide, so there’s plenty of space. And because it’s divided into three zones — teaching, independent riders, and wingfoil — nobody’s flying around your head while you’re learning.
Rescue Boat on the Water All Day
We have a rescue boat with crew on the lagoon all day long. If you find yourself in a tricky situation (tangled kite, fatigue, drifted further than you intended), help reaches you within a minute.
For a beginner, this piece of information matters more than you might think. When you know someone will always come get you, you’re not afraid. And without fear, you learn faster.
Walkie-Talkie — Your Instructor Talks Directly to You
This is something most schools don’t offer. During your lesson on the water, you have a walkie-talkie on your helmet and the instructor gives you real-time guidance. Not after the run back on the beach, but right at the moment you need it.
“Kite higher. Now back foot on the board. Extend your front arm. Excellent, you’re riding!”
The difference is enormous. Instead of coming back to shore after twenty seconds and having the instructor tell you what you should have done differently, you hear the correction instantly and can apply it right away.
How Quickly Will You Learn to Ride
I’ll be honest here — it depends on the individual. Some people have a natural talent for board sports, others don’t. But thanks to the conditions in El Gouna, progression is significantly faster than at most spots.
A typical progression looks like this:
Day 1: Theory, safety systems, kite control on the beach and in shallow water. You learn to steer the kite, stop it, release it. Nothing dramatic, but absolutely essential.
Day 2: Bodydrag (being pulled through the water by the kite without a board) and first attempts with the board. Most people make their first metres on the board on day two.
Day 3: If you pick it up quickly, you’ll start riding consistently. Not kilometres, but tens of metres in one direction, a turn, and back.
Day 4–5: Working on riding upwind. This is the moment you become an independent rider — because you can get back to where you started without anyone towing you back.
After 8–15 hours on the water (roughly 3–5 days of the course), most people are at a level where they can safely rent equipment and ride on their own.
A full overview of courses on our kite courses page.
Free IKO Certification
Every course with us ends with an IKO certification — an internationally recognised card confirming your skill level. With your IKO card, you can rent equipment at any IKO certified school in the world. And with us, it’s included free of charge as part of the course.
The IKO system has clearly defined levels — from complete beginner to advanced rider. Your instructor evaluates your level and you receive the corresponding certificate. It’s not an exam — simply a confirmation of what you’ve learned.
Who Teaches at Our School
Our instructors are IKO certified professionals. Lukáš Vogeltanz, co-owner of the school, is an IKO Head Instructor and professional kitesurfer since 2009. We take instruction very seriously — not because we’re strict, but because poor instruction in kitesurfing can be dangerous.
During peak season we have up to 25 instructors who speak 7 languages — Czech, English, German, Arabic, Italian, Russian, and Polish. So language barriers aren’t an issue.
What You’ll Learn On
We’ve been the exclusive partner of Flysurfer since 2009. For instruction we use the Indie kite — designed specifically for teaching, with excellent stability and forgiving characteristics. We have over 250 kites and 70+ boards in all sizes (from 2.5 to 21 m²), so we’ll always find the right size for you.
All equipment is included in the course — kite, board, harness, helmet, vest. You don’t need to buy or bring anything.
What If I’m a Complete Sports Beginner?
Kitesurfing doesn’t require any prior board sport experience. It helps if you’ve surfed, snowboarded or wakeboarded, but it’s not a requirement. We’ve taught people who had never stood on any kind of board in their lives, and after three days they were riding.
What matters more than athletic experience: patience. Kitesurfing isn’t learned in an afternoon. You need a few days, plenty of falls, and willingness to listen to your instructor. If you have that, you’ll get there.
Why Not Every Spot Is Suitable for Beginners
For comparison — imagine learning kitesurfing at a spot with:
- Deep water (you swim after every fall)
- Waves (your board floats away, your kite drops into the surf)
- Strong current (pulls you away from shore)
- Coral underneath (sharp pain with every contact)
- No rescue boat (you’re on your own)
Now imagine El Gouna: standing-depth shallow water, sandy bottom, no waves, no current, rescue boat on the water all day. The difference is like learning to ski on a green run versus a black diamond.
If you’re considering where to start learning kitesurfing, do yourself a favour and choose a spot that doesn’t make it harder than it needs to be. El Gouna is exactly that kind of place.
Got questions? Reach out via contact or take a look at the spot to see where it all happens.