I am a kite surf enthusiast. I live in London, so when I can’t take any holidays, I pack my wetsuit and my harness on a Saturday morning, and I head to the south coast of England for the day, hire a board and kite and I’m ready to go.
One of my favourite spots is Camber Sands. It’s a beautiful beach and a paradise for kite surfers. The kite school there is great and once you are independent you can rent a full range of equipment. All of the kiters I’ve met in Camber are friendly and helpful and will offer advice and tips about the spot, any dangers and help you launch and land.
In fact England has some amazing spots. The south coast alone has so many, offering a range of conditions, wind directions and vibes. For accessibility from London, Shoreham and Camber are amazing. Shoreham is pebbly with a shore dump but for confident beginner/intermediate upwards is great spot. Camber has a huge tide and its sister spot Greatstone gives you options when the wind and tide need to fit around your schedule. You can travel around the world to exotic spots but look at home first, I’ve had some of the best days on the water in the spots above and they’re 2 hours from my front door!
For me kite surfing is a not only a great hobby, but also a massive stress relief. I love the adrenaline rush, the contact with salty water, and the wind… It’s not a sport that you practice at the gym or on a pitch. When you’re kite boarding, you’re in full contact with nature, and there’s nothing more liberating than that. Being on the beach makes me happy, and I can easily forget about my busy life in London. During the week, I cycle to work and I go to the gym quite regularly, but I have to say that one hour kite surfing is so much better for my body and completely changes my mood!
From a health point of view, kiteboarding, just like most board sports, is great for your fitness. A good one hour session on the water is as good for your body as any gym session and the connection to nature feeds the mind and soul like nothing else. It’s a cerebral sport and can often seem overwhelming when you start. The changing wind, the equipment, waves, shore breaks, other kiters, safety, the list goes on and seems daunting at first but once you are past the basics and get the first feeling of being up on the board and riding it, all starts getting committed to muscle memory and starts feeling like second nature.
Some people can crack the basics in a few days, I’ve seen them and they’re impressive and annoying in the same breath! You need to be patient and often you’ll make the effort to travel to the beach and you to have to sit it out because of no wind, too strong conditions etc. That’s part and parcel of the sport and as you get into the mindset you see other kiters happy to read a book, practice a self rescue, wash their kites, go for SUP and generally enjoy the vibe and environment.
When you do get to the beach, you’ll get used to the drill: unpack your kit, which kite? 9, 12, 15? Pump up, if it’s cold you’ll have your full wetsuit, maybe risk a shorty, launch and you’re off.
It’s a different scenario if it’s hot. I’ve had the pleasure of kite surfing in very hot places such as Tarifa in Spain, Essaouira in Morocco, and Hurghada in Egypt. We’re all excited about kiting on a warm and sunny day. But what’s the last thing you think of? Sun protection.
Well maybe you’re more conscious than most people, but I see lot of burnt kiters coming off the water when the sun is beaming bright, usually on the arms, torso and shoulders. Sunscreen can be messy, doesn’t work that well for sports where you are rubbing up against a harness and smashing yourself into the water regularly. And the wind blowing hard makes you think that it’s not that hot, and that the sun is not that powerful, so many water sports lovers hit the waves in just their swimmers, which is such a beginners mistake!
Sunscreen lotion is not kind to the ocean and difficult to apply on your own, especially your back.
Unfortunately, most sunscreens contain nasty chemicals such as oxybenzone or octinoxate, which are very harmful to the coral reef. The sale of sunscreen lotions containing such chemicals is now banned in a few places, and hopefully many more governments will follow up.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t use sunscreen lotion, please DO USE IT, but try and buy an environmentally friendly one.
You may argue that these lotions are more expensive, but can you put a price to saving our oceans?
My solution is to apply it liberally on the face, hands and legs and wearing some protective swimwear that has SPF built in. That way, I don’t need any lotion on my upper body.
Long sleeve rashvests work for everyone, and girls also have the option to wear a long sleeve one piece swimsuit.
They can also mix a bikini bottom with a long sleeve rashvest and bikini top underneath for a bit more style.
Guys only have the option of a rashie, but girls have so many more alternatives. Active swimwear has become an ever expanding industry, and unlike a few years ago, there are a lot of fashionable options you shouldn’t ignore.
What you must be careful of is to make sure you get an SPF rated garment. How many people have you seen burnt under a parasol on the beach because those UV rays are passing straight through? It’s the same for clothing, just because your skin is covered doesn’t mean it’s protected.
You certainly don’t want that when you’re out for a few hours on the water. Covering up is by far the best solution, many of us are fair skinned, maybe have a skin condition or just simply want to protect ourselves. Nowadays we all know of the harmful effects of sun exposure, so be sensible, and protect yourself.
When you can combine that with a stylish garment that gives you all year, all day protection, who can complain?
You don’t need to be packing litres of expensive sunscreen when a long sleeve swimsuit will give you the majority of the protection you need and if it’s high quality and maybe even reversible will last you years.
The same goes for no wind days. What’s better than a few hours working on your core muscles and taking in the beach on a SUP? The problem here is even worse. You are moving relatively slowly, working up a sweat and maintaining your orientation in the sun. A wetsuit here is too restrictive and hot, so a long sleeve rashvest or long sleeve swimsuit would work a treat.
Flexible SPF50 fabric will still give you all the movement you need and give your arms, back and torso full protection. Fantastic!