Kitebeach

Cape Town

Auszug aus dem KITE AND WINDSURFING GUIDE:

Melkbos is the northernmost of Table Bay’s quality beach-breaks. The further from Table Mountain, the later in the day the south-easterly starts, so it doesn’t generally get as windy here as further south. However, the waves in front of this very long sandy beach are usually well-sized – that’s why for many Melkbos is the main course on the daily menu. Haakgat is more exotic; this world-class point-break only works in very big swell, but when it does it goes off – easily 4 or 5 turns on clean mast-high faces. It’s far more relaxed in Big Bay, since this stretch of coast is protected by the infamous Robben Island – where Nelson Mandela suffered almost 30 years behind bars. But life’s easy in Big Bay: Food and drink, greens for rigging and chilling, secure parking and lifeguards make this spot very popular and it therefore gets crowded in the small rock-fringed bay. For launching a kite, go downwind of the rocks, or – if you’re looking for even more company – head over to the official Kitebeach in Table View. Here and next door at Dolphin Beach, beginners can use the sands for their first flights in the morning, before the pros show off next season’s event-winning moves as windspeeds increase in the afternoon. Down at the lake of Rietvlei, windsurfers will find flat-water in exchange for temporary membership of the local club. Meanwhile on the Ocean side, it’s firing at the classic wave spot Sunset Beach. A lot of people start their morning patrol here. As long as the wind isn’t too strong, there are good chances of epic waveriding; however, these powerful and hollow waves do like to close-out. If Sunset gets too crowded later on, head upwind towards Milnerton or (if you can arrange a lift back) launch from here into a fantastic downwinder to Table View. The Cape’s Atlantic spots offer a spectacular alternative to suburban Table Bay. The drive is an experience in itself, especially over the legendary Chapman’s Peak Drive. But unbridled, rolling Antarctic swell is the compelling case for a trip south. Plus, closer to the Cape there’s a higher probability of wind. The gleaming white sandy beach at Witsands offers a certain degree of safety in cross-onshore south-easterly, but cross-off north-westerly is best for clean down-the-line riding. Another performer in north-westerlies is Misty Cliffs, an extremely powerful reef-break with persistently weak wind on the inside – very dicey in front of a thoroughly rocky coast. No problems launching off the sandy beach of Scarborough though, towards probably this region’s fastest wave. Experts only, and even they shouldn’t sail too close to the kelp-beds; fall here and you’ll be washed mercilessly onto the rocks. Another adventure awaits near the Cape’s surreal southernmost tip; Platboom Bay hosts big, fast waves that break right in front of rocks, with only a sliver of sandy beach in the middle to come in on. An insider tip is in a north-westerly to launch off Diaz Beach at the northern end of the Bay and ride some gigantic sets a bit further. The only bad thing about Platboom: the nature reserve demands a 360-rand admission fee per person (that’s about € 20!) It’s another world on the eastern side of the Cape. The Indian Ocean is distinctly warmer and the beach-breaks of Glencairn, Fishhoek and Muizenberg are all more forgiving. Although you won’t see many windsurfers or kiters here; instead great whites abound in False Bay. Commercial operators are using all kinds of bait to erode the sharks’ innate disinterest of humans – shark-dives now promise an 80% chance of success.
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Zum Kiten startet man daher in Lee der Felsen oder gleich am offiziellen Kitebeach in Table View.
For launching a kite, go downwind of the rocks, or – if you're looking for even more company – head over to the official Kitebeach in Table View.
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