Windsurfing Into
the Unknown:
Kenya
Mr. Tricktionary Michael Rossmeier (Rossi) and Canadian
pro freestyler Phil Soltysiak had one goal this winter: get right
off the beaten path and sail waters where few windsurfers had
been before. This wasn’t easy to find during the winter months,
but, after many long nights of discussions in Tarifa (these boys
have it tough), they came up with their destination: Kenya on
the East coast of Africa, south of Somalia and north of Tanznia.
They had a plan: Week One, explore beaches south of
Mombasa; Week Two, explore beaches north of Mombasa; and
Week Three go on Safari. Sounds good? Here’s what happened.
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Things to know
Jambo – Hello
Asante – Thank you
Hakuna matata – No worries
Local currency – Kenyan Schilling (KSH)
Spoken languages – English and Swahili
Places to stay and windsurf
H20 Extreme – h20-extreme.com
Diani and Galu Beach - Equipment rental, storage
and lessons
Turtle Bay Beach Club – turtlebay.co.ke
Watamu – Resort, equipment rental, equipment storage
and lessons
Che Shale – cheshale.com
North of Malindi – Boutique resort, equipment storage
Kiboko Camp – kibokocamp.com
Safari camp
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hey were greeted in Mombassa,
with the usual response in nonwindsurfing territories – their
transfer driver having a near
heart attack over the size of their kitbags.
However Jack, the driver, quickly regained
his composure, and said, “Hakuna Matata,”
meaning no worries – and by driving “Pole
Pole,” slowly, everything would be fine. This
turned out to mean constantly slamming
on the brakes and swerving to avoid taxis,
three wheeled Tuktuks and hundreds of
crazy Matatus – mini-vans offering seating
to twelve passengers and one insane
driver that swerve at full speed around
potholes and speed-bumps, known locally
as “sleeping policemen.” That’s not to
mention people pushing overloaded carts,
in the driving lane, at a turtle’s pace.
Their first destination, Diani Beach,
was about one and a half hours from the
airport, but to reach it they had to cross the
Port of Mombassa, and there is no bridge.
Instead there are ferries (with an official
capacity for three hundred passengers) but
which carry nearly twice that amount. The
boys braved the journey and were happy
to make it to other side and reach Dani
Beach in time for lunch. These guys aren’t
shy when it comes to ordering food, and
chose every African dish on the menu: ugali
(a white polenta made with cornmeal),
sukuma wiki (a type of cooked cabbage),
chapati (East African flatbread) and a beef
stew. The dishes didn’t come quickly so the
‘waiting time’ was spent screwing on foot
straps and organizing the gear.
After lunch, it was a sweaty walk
through a short forest, over a main street,
down a dirt road, and onto the beach
through Forty Thieves Bar. However, on
arrival, the breeze was light and the water a
stunning aqua marine. Phil and Rossi hooked
up their freestyle boards, and on a 5.4 and
5.2 respectively took to the water. The
launch was easy. The bottom is sandy, and
because of a reef 600m offshore, the inside
waters are flat and friendly. The reef was
shallow, but with a short fin, the boys sailed
over it to hit small breaking waves – perfect
ramps for loops, shakas and air flakas.
Tides play a big role here: at low tides
the water is flat, and at high tide it becomes
choppier. Extremely low spring tides
can be a problem as some areas are too
shallow to windsurf, and the outside reef
and sandbars emerge over the waterline.
That’s when it’s times to move south to
Galu Beach.
Galu Beach is less busy than Diani but
just as idylic. The lawn in front of the center
is a perfect rigging area, and palm trees
shelter equipment from the sun. Safety
isn’t a problem on these beaches. You can
store windsurfing and camera gear in H20
centers guarded by Massai warriors – easy
to spot by their distinctive red dress and
stretched earlobes. There is one centre at
Galu Beach and two at Dani, one by Forty
Thieves and the other about 1km south.
The centres at Dani have beginner sails and
boards, and one has enough slightly dated
equipment to put together a free-ride setup for a couple of sailors.
Galu Beach has deeper waters than
Dani that make for perfect dead-flatwater sailing at low tide, but at high tide
the chop makes it difficult. The reef is
further offshore and there can be weeds
depending on offshore storms. The boys
decided after ten days (nine of them on the
water without having to change sails once)
that they were ready to move on and see
what north of Mombasa had to offer.
“During the ‘busiest time’ on the water
there were three people out: a kite
surfer, and Phil and Rossi
Luckily a local windsurfer from Malindi,
named Morris, showed up with a small,
open, old-school jeep and a grin on his
face. The optimistic Morris had no worries
about transporting the boys’ infamous
kit bags. With four board bags on the roof
and two suitcases strapped to the spare
tyre, the guys hit the road, taking the ferry
through Mombasa and headed north. They
passed by endless stretches of pineapple
fields and Morris ignored two police checkpoints, saying that they asked him to stop
too late, and in any event all they wanted
were bribes.
At the Turtle Bay Beach Club in
Watamu, there was a small windsurf
rental center, but every sail, hanging
in the racks, was ten years old and
completely crinkled. The boys arrived
mid-afternoon and the wind was up,
so they hit the water. Depending on
the tides the sailing conditions varied
a lot. At low tide the water was shallow,
but sailable, and there was flat water
downwind of a visible sandbar. At higher
tides, a small swell broke over the
sandbar, creating smooth water between
the swell coming in and small ramps on
the way out. In the middle a huge coral
head protruded out of the water, creating
a dramatic scene. Phil and Rossi spent
four days blasting amongst turtles near
the Watamu National Marine Park that
boasts a variety of marine-life, second
only to the Great Barrier Reef.
Che Sale was their final sailing
destination and during the journey from
Watamu, their driver told them about the
security situation in Kenya. According to
him, the 2008 post election violence was
caused by grudges between tribes living
inland, and none of it was aimed at, or
against tourists. He described how Malindi
became a ghost town after the highly
publicised kidnapping near the Somalian
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“Pack one board, one
rig, experience a unique
culture and have a blast
border in 2011 and that the coastal people were anxious to prevent
similar mishaps occurring.
The approach to Che Sale is on sand tracks laid out with coconut
peelings and there is one hotel on the five kilometre stretch of beach.
It is built from the Palm and Casaruina trees which surround it. The
hotel has seven simple but stylish rooms, all without any real doors or
windows. Wind blows through them all day long keeping the building
at a comfortable temperature. In the evenings a generator heats water
for a shower and a chance to turn on a light or charge batteries.
During the ‘busiest time’ on the water there were three people
out: a kite surfer, and Phil and Rossi. In front of Che Shale the wind is
onshore, slightly from the right, and a swell builds up in the afternoon,
creating a nice bump and jump spot. To the right side of Che Shale the
water is shallower and flatter. Moving further out, Phil and Rossi scored
a couple of fun jumping sessions on their freestyle boards on an outside
reef, which varies in depth, and can work in any type of tide.
After fifteen out of eighteen days on the water (with exactly the
same sail and board set-up) the guys were ready to take a break. They
left their kit at the Kite-Surfing school at Che Shale and drove inland
to Tsavo East National Park. There they saw herds of elephants, lions,
zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, gazelles, buffalo and baboons. They slept
at Kiboko camp, and the local Masai took them on a morning walk up
the river to meet crocodiles and hippos. Lucky they didn’t bring their
windsurfing equipment, because some of the watering holes looked
like tempting windy flat-water lagoons.
So, was the consistency of the steady Kaskasi breeze, the warm
equatorial Indian Ocean, and some of the most beautiful beaches in
the world worth the effort? The boys told us, ‘Yes. Kenya is a perfect
destination for a windsurfer to pack one board, one rig, experience a
unique culture and have a blast. Thanks Phil and Rossi. We’re SOLD.
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