There are kite schools where students spend months learning. And then there are schools where the same progress happens in days. The difference isn’t about student talent — it’s about conditions, equipment, and the teaching approach.
This isn’t an ad. I want to explain the specific factors that affect learning speed. And why the particular combination we have at Kitepower El Gouna works.
1. The Lagoon — When You Fall, You Stand Up
This is factor number one and nothing can replace it.
Our lagoon is knee to chest deep across an area of 2–3 km. Sandy bottom, no rocks, no coral. When you fall — and you will fall often, that’s normal — you simply stand up and go again.
At a deep-water spot after a fall:
- You swim to the kite
- You relaunch the kite from the water (technically difficult for beginners)
- You search for the board that drifted away
- You swim back into position
- You’re exhausted before you even ride again
In the lagoon:
- You stand up
- The kite is above your head
- The board is right next to you
- In 30 seconds you’re riding again
The difference in the number of attempts per hour is enormous. More attempts = faster learning. It’s that simple.
And one more thing: fear. At deep-water spots, beginners are afraid. Understandably — they don’t know what will happen if they fall into deep water with a kite above their head. In the lagoon, that fear disappears. And without fear, you learn faster because you focus on technique, not survival.
2. Walkie-Talkie Coaching — Real-Time Corrections
Every student in our courses gets a walkie-talkie in their helmet. The instructor communicates in real time — during riding, during water starts, during everything.
Without walkie-talkie, a lesson looks like this:
- Student rides (or tries to)
- Makes a mistake but doesn’t know it
- Returns to shore (takes 5–15 minutes)
- Instructor says what was wrong
- Student goes back on the water and tries to correct it
- Repeats the same mistake because they’ve already forgotten the correction
With walkie-talkie:
- Student rides
- Makes a mistake
- Instructor immediately: “Kite higher, push on the edge, lean back”
- Student corrects in real time
- The correct movement gets locked into muscle memory
The difference is dramatic. Students with walkie-talkie reach the same level in roughly half the time. That’s not an exaggeration — it’s our experience from thousands of lessons.
3. 250+ Kites = Always the Right Size
Wind changes. In the morning it blows 14 knots, in the afternoon 22. During a single lesson, conditions can shift by several knots.
At Kitepower El Gouna we have over 250 Flysurfer kites. That means the instructor can swap your kite for the right size at any time. More wind? Smaller kite. Less wind? Bigger kite. Students always ride in optimal power — never overpowered, never underpowered.
At a smaller school with 20 kites, you choose from what’s available. And if the only 12m kite is rented to someone else, you ride a 10m in conditions meant for 12m. Result: a frustrating session, minimal progress.
4. Flat Water = Focus on Technique
Waves are a beginner’s enemy. They disrupt water starts, complicate riding, and are tiring. At an ocean spot, the student deals with two things at once: kite technique and waves. In the lagoon, they deal only with technique.
Flat water in El Gouna is like learning to drive in an empty parking lot vs. in heavy traffic. Both will teach you to drive, but in the parking lot you’ll learn faster and safer.
5. IKO Method Since 2004
We’re not a school that opened last year, still figuring out what works. We’ve been teaching since 2004 using IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) methodology. In that time, we’ve taught thousands of students and know exactly:
- How much time to dedicate to theory vs. practice
- When to transition from bodydrag to board
- How to recognize when a student is ready for the next step
- When it’s better to end the session and continue tomorrow (yes, sometimes less = more)
IKO methodology isn’t rigid — but it provides structure. And structure = efficiency.
6. Maximum 2 Students Per Kite
In private lessons you have the instructor all to yourself. In semi-private (two students), you share the instructor, but each person gets their own time on the water.
At some schools you’ll see groups of 4–6 students per instructor. The math is simple: in a 2-hour lesson, each student gets 20–30 minutes of active time. With us, you get 60+ minutes.
More active time = more attempts = faster learning.
7. Northern Position — Unlimited Upwind
Our spot is at the northern tip of El Gouna. The prevailing wind blows from the north and northeast. That means when you ride upwind, you ride away from shore into the open lagoon. No obstacles, no end of the spot.
Why is this important for learning? Because a student practicing upwind needs space. At a limited spot, they reach the end and have to turn around (which they can’t do yet) or walk back. With us, you can ride upwind for a kilometer — and still have room.
What the Numbers Say
We don’t have a clinical study, but we have 20 years of data:
- 80–90% of customers return — people don’t come back to places where they didn’t progress
- Most Basic I students manage their first rides — in the lagoon, with walkie-talkie, with the right kite
- Average time to upwind: 8–15 hours — at deep-water spots, it’s more like 15–25 hours
37% of our customers come from Germany, 15% from the Czech Republic. The rest from all over the world. People don’t fly here for convenience — they fly here because it works.
What We Can’t Control
Let’s be fair — there are things beyond our control:
- Student fitness — some people learn faster, some slower. That’s normal.
- Previous sports experience — surfers, wakeboarders, and snowboarders have an advantage in balance. But non-athletes learn too.
- Wind — El Gouna has over 300 windy days per year. But occasionally there’s no wind. And we refuse to send students onto the water in unsuitable conditions.
- Motivation — a student who wants to learn will learn faster. That’s true always and everywhere.
Summary
Faster progress at Kitepower El Gouna isn’t magic. It’s a combination of:
- Shallow lagoon = less fear, more attempts
- Walkie-talkie = instant corrections
- 250+ kites = always the right size
- Flat water = focus on technique
- IKO method since 2004 = proven system
- Max 2 students/kite = more active time
- Northern position = unlimited space
Each of these factors helps on its own. Together, they make a measurable difference.
Want to try it? Check out our courses or read reviews from students who’ve been here.