Kitesurf at Blougbergstrand, Cape Town

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  • Overview
  • Good to know
  • Getting there

Overview

Cape Town has earned itself a well-deserved reputation as a reliably windy destination, and for this reason, professionals and amateurs alike make their way to enjoy its many beaches and strong winds between October and March. This is a location that provides the perfect mix of kitesurfing, adventure and city life. Many people who visit, stay for the season — making use of co-working spaces to fund their lifestyle so that they can maximise their opportunity to kite at one of the most wind reliable places in the world and enjoy the culture, scenery and thrills that Cape Town has to offer. Blouberg and the surrounding areas have so much to offer that you’ll struggle to run out of things to see or do. If you rent a car, be sure to check out the surrounding kitespots to get a good variety of conditions and make the most of the wind. Should you fall upon a non-windy day or morning, you can easily find your entertainment for the day and scale it to be as active and adventurous or as chilled as you like. The action inspired amongst you will find your thrills hiking up Table Mountain and Mountain Biking in Stellanbosch; while anyone wanting to wind down for the day could visit and sample the wines of the mountainous Stellanbosch region, visit the Bay Harbour market, see the penguins at Boulders Beach or take a trip to Robben Island. At the end of the day, you can always meet up for one of many sunset parties at the beach bars and clubs or take a 20minute ride into Cape Town City centre.

Good to know

VISAS: Passport dependant. UK/EU/USA passports visa exempt for 90 days max tourist stay. CURRENCY: Rand PRICES: Beer: R15 (€0.90) Food: Lunch R75-150 (€4.50 - €9) Accommodation: 3R00-1000 (€18 - €60) per night Kite Lessons: 6hrs approx R4300 (€260) Kite Gear rental: approx R800-1800per session/day (€49.50 - €111.50) LANGUAGE: Afrikaans, English INTERNET: Slower than the European standard. Best options at some of the cafes or co-working spaces. TRAVEL ADVICE: Apply ordinary common sense to your actions. Cape Town has crime like any other city in the world. Lock your windows and doors when you’re not at home, don’t leave valuables in your car and take care in the evening, especially after a drink. TEMPERATURE: Air temperature averages at 23+°C / 73°F at the high wind season, and feel much warmer in the no or light wind days. But if the wind is blowing, expect to feel chilly. Evening temperatures drop quite significantly as the sun sets so expect to go from boardies to hoodies if the wind is blowing into the evening. Water temperature ranges from 18-21°C / 57-59°F, a 4/3mm wetsuit is standard here but those of us who feel the chill more may opt for warmer options.

Getting there

NEAREST TOWN: Bloubergstrand NEAREST CITY: Cape Town NEAREST AIRPORT: Cape Town International Airport (CPT) There are plenty of big-name car hire services as well as local car hire services. If you choose not to rent a car for your time, taxis or UBER are easy to take from the airport to your accommodation. GETTING AROUND: If you take beachfront accommodation, it is possible to go without a car hire for your stay. However, if you choose to stay a bit further away from the beach, or just want to explore more, car hire is the best option. For downwinders, a pre-paid MyCiti Bus card, UBER and downwinder transfer companies can be very useful.

  • Beach
  • Wind
  • Rules/Hazards

Beach

The beaches along the east coast of Cape Town offer a great variety of conditions and opportunities for downwinders. For clarity, the following spots are listed in order of approach South to North. Sunset Beach - SSE, S, SW-NW The common starting point for downwinders. At Sunset beach the wind comes in earlier and stronger than at Bloubergstrand, worthwhile considering when rigging for a downwinder. Dolphin Beach - SE, S, SW-NW A very popular spot that is known for its well-spaced wave sets, ranging from 1-4m in height) making it great for both wave and freestyle riders. Dolphin Beach can get a bit crowded so head upwind for more space. Kite Beach - SE, S, SW-NW The most popular spot for kiters (it’s all in the name). Kite beach sits halfway between Dolphin Beach and Table View and is the primary spot for many kite schools and beginners. The winds here are generally less strong than at Sunset Beach. Table View - SE, S, SW A typical endpoint on downwinders for people not wanting to continue around the rocks to Big Bay. Table View is a great spot to practice wave riding as it is less crowded than some of the other beaches but can become gusty on a northwesterly wind. Big Bay - S, SW-NW If you’re after a long wave, the swell at Big Bay starts further out and comes in very clean downwind of the rocks. The spot is quite narrow due to the rock formations and the wind is typically cross to cross on. The wind tends to come in a bit later in the day than at other spots further south. Haakgat - S, SW-NW For this doing a longer downwinder, this is usually the endpoint. Haakgat has a sandbank which provides world-class waves breaking left and right with swells reaching around 4m. Flatwater Spot - Langebaan Main Beach & Shark Bay - SE, S, SW-NW For those wanting flatter water, Langebaan is a 1hour drive away and is frequently used by kite schools to teach beginners. The most comfortable conditions for kiting at Langebaan are when the tide is coming in. An outgoing tide has quite a strong current which makes upwind riding difficult on a south-easterly wind. AMENITIES: Kite School, Gear Rental, Rescue Boat, Beach Assistance, Gear Storage, Kite Shop, Kite/Gear Repair, Toilets, Shower, Parking, Cafe/Bar, Accommodation, Food Shop.

Wind

Cape Town is famous for the ‘Cape Doctor’ wind which receives its name for its ability to clear the city of air pollution. This south easterly predominant wind rolls in over the top of Table Mountain and provides cross to cross onshore wind directions for most of the beaches surrounding Blouberg. The wind gets stronger in the afternoon in Cape Town so anyone who prefers the weaker side of 30kts should hit the water earlier in the day on a strong forecast day. WIND DIRECTIONS: SE, S, SW-NW WINDIEST MONTHS: High Season: December, January, February. Mid Season: October, November, March.

Rules/Hazards

Some of the spots have limited beach space, wrap bars up instead of leaving lines across the beach. The shore break is large on Sunset Beach, take this into account when choosing which spot to ride at if you are less experienced with shore dump. During peak season, the beaches get busy with kiters. Adhere to the rights of way and be familiar with wave riding rights of way. Take care of other riders who have forgotten their rights of way. *If you need kite related service like kite repairs, lessons or beach assistance it is recommended to choose resorts that provide these services. ** It is always recommended to seek additional knowledge about the spot from local kite School or qualified instructors.

Info

Rider Level:
beginner, intermediate, advanced
Discipline:
freeride, waveriding, foiling
Spot Type:
Choppy, Small wave (up to 1m), Medium wave (up to 2m), Large wave (2m+) Open water, Beach
Launch area:
Sand
Tidal:
yes
Windiest Months:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec

Around Blougbergstrand, Cape Town

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