My Beach: Dahab, Egypt

What are your first recollections of the beach?

I grew up in Cairo, but my parents made it a priority to take us to the sea whenever they could. The first time I remember being in Dahab, I must have been around five. It looked really different back then – fewer buildings, more beach, and a much quieter atmosphere. I still remember the Bedouin girls putting colorful bands in my hair.

That said, when we were younger, we mostly spent our holidays in Nuweiba, which is about an hour from Dahab. Our summer vacations were always in Germany. We only really started coming to Dahab regularly when my brother got into windsurfing – he wanted to be in Dahab for the conditions, so we shifted. I was maybe 13 then. I’d spend hours in Baby Bay, reading books and watching him windsurf. Back then there were these wooden shades along the beach where Bedouin women would sit and serve tea. The beach was always calm, peaceful, and mostly empty.

Tell us about your first sessions.

I started kiting when I was 15. My parents had tried for years to convince my brother to teach me how to windsurf, but I wasn’t interested – and neither was he in teaching me. Around that time, I started seeing kiters in the lagoon in Dahab, and a few of my brother’s friends had already switched from windsurfing to kiting. So my parents took me to Harry Nass, which was one of the few kite schools back then.

We only had four days, so I had to rush through the course and didn’t even get to do a proper waterstart, but I was hooked from the beginning. A few months later I came back and finally managed to get on the board a little. After that I got my own gear – but the board I bought was way too small (128cm), so it took me another year and a half until I could properly ride upwind. It didn’t help that I was only kiting a few days every couple of months.

Who else did you ride there with?

At the beginning, I was mostly kiting alone. I’d go to Baby Bay super early in the morning, because at the time it was a windsurfing-only spot. I’d get on the water before the first windsurfers showed up, then head to the open sea, and come back after the older (and grumpier!) windsurfers had left and the younger ones – mostly my brother’s friends – took over. They were always really supportive, cheering me on whenever I tried something new or landed a jump. It was a great time.

Eventually, some of the local Bedouins started learning to kite as well, and we slowly turned Baby Bay into shared ground between kiters and windsurfers. But I still often went alone – especially very early morning when it was just me and the Bedouin fishermen. Now, I don’t kite alone anymore. I’ve seen how important it is to have someone nearby in case anything goes wrong. Luckily there’s a great group of people in Dahab who kite regularly. These days, I mostly kite with my fiancé – we’re usually out on the water together.

Can you talk us through the typical conditions?

From mid-February to April, we usually have consistent strong winds, typically between 20 and 30 knots, with some exceptional days going over 30 knots. In May, you can still get good wind, but it starts to drop off as you move into June. July until mid-August is generally hot and not very windy. From mid-August through to the end of October, the conditions are ideal for training – steady winds again in the 20-30 knot range, plus warm water. November to January is a bit quieter in terms of wind, but you can still expect around three days a week with 20 knots.

Baby Bay is known for its flat water and offshore wind, which makes it great for Big Air. There’s also Assalah, where you get small kickers, but it’s over coral reefs and only rideable at high tide. And then there’s the Blue Lagoon – it’s similar to Baby Bay in terms of conditions, though it tends to work better in summer and is a bit trickier in winter. The wind patterns are also a bit different: Baby Bay is generally stable in the early morning and gets gustier later in the day, while Blue Lagoon is the opposite – gusty in the morning but more stable later on.

Has the set up at the beach changed over the years?

The beach at Baby Bay is still the same at its core. The wooden shades I mentioned earlier were removed, but the Bedouin women are still there, serving tea and offering carpets to sit on. What has really changed is how much more crowded it’s become. There are days when it’s hard to even find an empty spot to sit. You’ll see people walking up and down the beach selling things – iced coffee, ice-cold rice pudding, snacks.

I still love going in the early mornings; it feels closer to how it used to be. The best days at Baby Bay are during Ramadan, when the beach is empty and peaceful again. The hardest days are during national holidays, when it gets really packed. Unfortunately, mass tourism has definitely left its mark on the environment. There’s so much plastic under that beautiful blue water we kite in, and the corals aren’t as bright and colorful as I remember from when I was a child. Change is natural, of course – but I really hope we’ll see a shift toward more sustainable tourism in the future.

What would be your perfect day there?

The perfect day is when the wind is already blowing as soon as you wake up. You grab a quick granola breakfast, hop in the car, and head to the beach. When you get there, it’s empty and clean. Maybe a few fishermen are sitting in the corner, watching the sea, waiting for a sign that tuna are heading toward their nets – then suddenly grabbing their fins and snorkels and diving in to catch some fish. It’s a steady 27 knots, the wind is perfectly stable, and the water is flat. I kite with just Omar for two or three hours, until around 10 or 11, when a few friends start to show up. Not too many people – just enough to cheer each other on and have fun out on the water. Every now and then, you might spot a turtle quietly coming up to the surface for a breath of air before disappearing beneath the blue again. The wind holds strong until sunset. You spend the day kiting, hanging out on the beach, and soaking it all in. When the sun finally goes down, you pack up and head home – tired but happy, with nothing on your mind except what’s for dinner.

So, where’s your favorite place to eat or what is your favorite meal after a session?!

Honestly, home. My fiancé and I cook at home most of the time, and after a long day of kiting, nothing beats a simple home-cooked meal. My favorite is probably molokheya – a typical Egyptian dish that doesn’t really have a translation. It’s a green soup made from a leafy vegetable (kind of like spinach) that you don’t really find outside the Arab region. We usually have it with rice, fresh salad, and chicken on the side.

Sometimes, after a long session, we’ll go to a local Egyptian place or order in. I love a good quarter chicken with soup, vegetables, rice, and salad – or some kofta. And if we feel like mixing it up, there are some great Italian restaurants for pizza and pasta, like El Dorado or Dai Pescatori. We also love Lebanese food at Sabah we Mesa or Seaduction, or sometimes we go to Red Cat, a Russian restaurant that has a lot of variety.

Talk us through one kite session that stands out for you.

That’s a difficult question – there have been so many sessions over the last 13 years! Of course, the ones that stick in your mind tend to be either the ones where something went wrong or the ones that felt like a breakthrough. I definitely remember sessions where the wind was so strong I could barely hold on to my 7m kite and was just trying to stay upwind. I remember the session where I tried my first kiteloops and completely crashed – it was such a mess but so much fun at the same time.

One session I’ll never forget was in September, just before my birthday a few years back. I was out with a bunch of friends, and that day I landed my first board-off kiteloops and my first boogies. I was so excited – I couldn’t stop smiling. But honestly, my favorite sessions are the ones like I mentioned above: those perfect days when the wind is steady, the water is flat, and you’re just out there with friends, enjoying every second on the water.

Do you think you would have got to where you are today if Dahab hadn’t been such a familiar spot?

No, I don’t think so. If it weren’t for Dahab, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today. I might never have learned to kite at all – maybe I’d be a freediver now instead! For me, it was the perfect mix: good weather, a beautiful small town, and the chance to be in Egypt. I really love living in the Middle East compared to Europe. It was the decision to move to Dahab that made me the kiter I am today.

When did you last ride there – how was it?!

Honestly, the wind hasn’t been the best these past two weeks. It feels like the winter and summer winds are battling it out, so it’s been unusually gusty. I went last Friday to Blue Lagoon. It was strong – I was on my 7m Thrive – and gustier than usual, but still good. I had a really nice day there. We took the boat over the evening before, slept under the stars, and woke up to the sunrise. The wind picked up around 9am and I was the first one on the water.

Since the genocide happening in Palestine, Blue Lagoon has been really empty. I was sharing the spot with just three or four other kiters until around 2pm when the wind dropped and a few more people showed up. The first session, about three hours, was great training. The second one, in lighter wind, was fun – I focused on improving my right-side tricks.

If you had to choose another spot that you love but that is completely different, where would it be?

I do like Barcarès – it’s completely different because it’s freezing and the wind can get super strong, but I love that it’s flatwater, which is always a plus for me. I wouldn’t want to live there though; it’s just way too cold!

If Gran Canaria had a better entry and exit point, I think I’d really love kiting there too. The wind is consistent and strong. And when it comes to waves, that’s a whole different story for me.

I can imagine I could really love Cape Town. I went once, but unfortunately got injured after 10 days. Still, I absolutely loved the country from a nature perspective – it’s stunning. I’m just not sure if I could fall in love with a place that has so much inequality. That said, I’m really looking forward to going back at the end of this year, hopefully having some great sessions and maybe seeing the country from a different point of view.