Kitesurfing may not be the most popular activity to grace shores, but once you become familiar with the unique watersport, it’s hard not to love.
For starters, kitesurfing combines different aspects of various watersports, drawing from windsurfing, paragliding, wakeboarding and more.
That multidimensional nature is what attracted Mostafa Al Hussaini, owner and founder of Dukite, a Dubai-based kitesurfing and stand-up paddleboarding school and shop.
“It’s a bit of kite flying, wakeboarding and surfing. It was a multi-factorial pleasure, having fun from so many different aspects,” said Hussaini.
“It was something I could do for a long time and I was attracted to it. I saw a lot of people, once they’ve tried it, can easily get addicted to it.”
Addicted is what Hussaini became after giving up his full-time job as a dentist to pursue kitesurfing, despite having no previous experience with watersports.
It wasn’t a seamless transition, however, with Hussaini initially finding little support for kitesurfing in the UAE, which motivated him to open up Dukite in 2005.
“There was a lack of getting proper kitesurfing instruction in Dubai,” Hussaini said.
“Most of the instructors available were parttime, so it was very difficult to start myself when I wanted to learn.
“There was also a lack of equipment choice and variety. There weren’t a lot of options and prices were quite high.”
So Hussaini opened a shop for kitesurfing and paddleboarding equipment, bringing over brand names like Roberto Ricci Designs, Prolimit, Pat Love, Airush, Xenon Boards, Starboard and more.
On the school side, Dukite now boast 11 kitesurfing instructors and three paddleboard instructors, carrying certification from the International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO), Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI) and Verband Deutscher Windsurfing und Wassersportschulen (VDWS).
The courses will take first-timers and teach them the necessary skills and safety instruction to ultimately turn them into independent kitesurfers.
Once you’ve learned the sport, the sky is the limit as to how far you can push the boundaries. “You’re always in full control of everything,” said Hussaini.
“While in other sports, you’re either controlled by the waves or the speed of the boat driver. “In kitesurfing, you control the speed, height, distance, everything.”
Courses range from eight to 10 hours of private lessons, which cost Dh350 per person for one hour and up to Dh2,800 for eight hours.
Rates are inclusive of equipment. If you’re ready to ride like the wind with Dukite, visit www.dukite. com to get started.
