Windsurfing in Egypt: Safaga - Too good to be forgotten

"I really want to go!": Nick Spangenberg, windsurfing pro and otherwise more at home in the waves of Denmark, Gran Canaria or Chile, is hot in the run-up to our trip to the flat water slope in Safaga, Egypt. "When I was in Egypt for the first time in 2016, I knew I would be back. I like the climate, the conditions and the whole all-round package." And now Safaga.

Many spots in Egypt are ideal for windsurfing. A few kilometres north of Safaga is Abu Soma with the Surfmotion centre. Many windsurfers head for this windsurfing spot at the southern end of Soma Bay every year and you regularly hear and read about it.

• Surfmotion Soma Bay: Passion for windsurfing - Interview with Peter Müller

Attractive advert for a broad target group

But what happens in Safaga, what makes this spot special and, above all, how has the infrastructure changed in recent years? The editor-in-chief of surf magazine asked us to work out the new features for this spot check. Yes, and there are some new features of the already attractive spot for a broad target group. First of all: a total of three centres offer windsurfing in Safaga and there is also a good selection of hotels on site.

But let's get back to Nick Spangenberg: after the brief "Go, we'll do it together", it felt like it only took him a few hours to organise his trip from Kassel. "The plane to Hurghada was booked in no time at all. The ION Club provided good support for the shuttle from the airport to Safaga and the Hotel Shams Safaga is practically in front of the ION Club," says the enthusiastic 20-year-old. "After a flight of just over four hours, you're in paradise in Safaga on the Red Sea," I try unsuccessfully to get a word in edgewise, "and I can swap my winter jacket for shorts. That's fantastic!"

Windsurfing in Safaga

The distance to the water deep enough for windsurfing is only short, as you can start surfing immediately even at lower water levels. Alternatively, if you want to go foiling, you only have to go out about 30 metres to find deep enough water for foiling. Even before that, there are always deeper areas in the water where you can start on the windfoil board, but after a few metres there are always reef banks "lurking" underwater. Outside the reef area, you can enjoy the open sea with deep water and plenty of space without obstacles. Depending on the wind strength, the water is relatively smooth, choppy and even has small wind waves.

The wind comes a few degrees offshore to sideshore in the morning and shifts completely to sideshore during the day. Here too, the wind forecast predicts the shifting wind well for the day. If the wind is still blowing a few degrees offshore on the beach in the morning, it works quite well if you surf out a good 100 metres. The further we move away from the beach, the more constant the wind becomes. And by lunchtime at the latest, it is exactly sideshore in front of both ION Club centres and therefore very constant.

The water sports conditions in Safaga are fantastic - both for beginners and experienced surfers."

Nick Spangenberg: "The water sports conditions in Safaga are fantastic - both for beginners and experienced surfers. With a safety boat from the ION Club, you can go out on the water without any worries and if you need help, it usually doesn't take more than five minutes to get ashore. The spot in Safaga offers a variety of conditions, so there is something for everyone. The wind is a little weaker on the shore, but there are hardly any waves or chop. A little further out, at 20 knots, there is already a good chop for practising jumps and experiencing the thrust of the waves."

ION Club

The well-run ION Club offers a very good infrastructure and great conditions at the northern end of Safaga Bay. Here you will mainly find wingfoilers and kitesurfers. At the time of our visit, the offshoot of the ION Club located 500 metres further south mainly offered windsurfing. It is still unclear whether this will continue to be the case in 2024. However, wingfoilers are also welcome here. The four Shams Hotels are located between the two centres: from north to south, these are the 5-star Shams Prestige, the 4-star Shams Imperial, the 4-star Shams Safaga and the 5-star Shams Lodge Hotel, which is located directly in front of the ION Club windsurfing centre.

During our time together in Safaga, Nick can't get the grin off his face because he is staying in a bungalow right on the beach at Shams Safaga and therefore really in the front row. "I paid just 330 euros for the week with all-inclusive catering for this great accommodation in the very first row to the water - and therefore also to the windsurfing spot," says the JP/GunSails team rider.

Safaga convinces as a complete package for windsurfers and companions

In front of both ION Club centres is the large, never crowded beach. We also talk to windsurfers who spend their holidays here in Safaga because the Surfmotion centre in Abu Soma was fully booked. And here in Safaga? It offers so much space and good conditions for windsurfing! But the ION Club here in Safaga also has regular customers, i.e. windsurfers, who like to come back here again and again because the overall package of infrastructure and windsurfing conditions is great. During our time here, we also spoke to windsurfers who leave their own equipment on the beach during the day and put it between the bungalows or directly on the terrace in front of their own bungalow for the night. The spot at the north end of the bay is there for wingfoilers and kitesurfers. "But of course, if windsurfers also cruise up here from time to time, then they are also welcome," says Moh, station manager of the ION Club, which has the latest wingfoil boards from Fanatic and Duotone Slick Wings with Boom for training and hire in its programme.

More and more foilers on the water

Keyword foil: Whether it's windsurf foilers, wing foilers or kite foilers, we saw a larger proportion of foilers during our time at the spot and Moh would also like to expand its offers for foilers in the future. Both ION Club centres are less busy than the Surfmotion centre further up in Abu Soma, which windsurfers also appreciate - as we learnt from them during our stay.

Even more remarkable is Nick, the reigning Wave U20 Vice World Champion, who, to our astonishment, not only had a 129-litre Magic Ride freeride board from JP in his luggage, but also loved having it under his feet. The boy makes a fitting plea for windsurfing.

"As a waverider, you wouldn't normally expect me to enjoy doing my laps in calmer waters. But it's precisely this variety that makes windsurfing so special for me and the time I spend together with Axel and other like-minded people is a great experience. There are so many amazing places in the world and in Egypt I like to jump a flaka with freestyle equipment in turquoise waters, do a duck jibe with big freeride equipment over a coral reef when the wind is weaker and sometimes just go out on the water with a foil to enjoy the peace and quiet. For me, it's just important to spend time on the water, but my favourite thing is wild conditions in the waves ..."

Tip: Long drive to Tobia Island

The wind conditions in the first session of the day like to pull us to Tobia Island, 3.8 kilometres away, because with the wind direction usually prevailing in the morning around NNW, we can make the trip there in one go and then have a great session in the finest turquoise water colours. The sand is snow-white and we have the feeling of being on a lonely little Caribbean island. A few months ago, the island became the property of a hotel owner, and to enter the island you have to pay ten euros, for which sunbeds and parasols are also offered. The concept works and from lunchtime onwards there are up to 150 holidaymakers who arrive by motor yacht and want to enjoy Tobia Island, or "Utopia" as the new owners call it. Be that as it may, we have fun during our sessions around the island. On the leeward side, we even catch waves up to one metre high!

In the best case scenario, we will return to the ION Club Station in Safaga with the wind already shifted a few degrees to the right and thus on a perfect space sheet course.

"My absolute tip is to surf to Tobia Island in the morning if the wind forecast is stable. As the wind is slightly offshore in the mornings, you can land on the small island with Caribbean flair in one go. On windier days, Tobia Island even has a small surf that invites you to jump in. However, I recommend taking a few extra euros for your visit to the island so that you can have a drink there. Once you've fortified yourself and explored the island, you can head back to the mainland at lunchtime on a room wind course. With a bit of luck, you might even come across a family of turtles that have lived in Safaga for over 120 years."

Spot exploration with the motor yacht from the Tornado water sports centre

The "Tornado" water sports centre is located at the 4-star Paradise Abu Soma Hotel. There is hardly any wind in front of the centre, so the owners Sabine and Alex and their staff go on daily tours towards Soma Bay on their motor yacht "Kiteadventure". Anchoring takes place at precisely those spots that offer optimal conditions. While it is primarily guests who want to go kitesurfing or wingfoiling from the motor yacht, "windsurfers are just as welcome," Sabine emphasises. The motor yacht is around 30 metres long and offers areas for chilling out, a community area and the option to stay in the sun or shade. You can bring your own equipment or hire equipment from the Tornado water sports centre. However, the currently still good equipment with NeilPryde sails and JP boards will not be renewed.

When they return to the starting point in Safaga in the afternoon, guests also have the opportunity to do a downwinder next to the yacht.

You can organise your stay on the boat flexibly, for one or more days, with or without an overnight stay. The boat has ten comfortably equipped double cabins with their own shower and toilet. Meals are freshly prepared in the galley by the boat's own chef.

Planet Allsports Station

In April 2023, a new Planet Allsports centre was opened ten kilometres south of Safaga. Located directly in front of the Mirage Safaga Apartments and Suites Hotel, the centre offers windsurfing and wingfoil lessons as well as rental equipment. Planet Allsports previously had a centre in Abu Soma just below the Surfmotion centre, but this was often covered in wind, especially during the winter months.

Safaga City

We particularly like the fact that you can take a taxi into the town of Safaga within ten minutes and get a taste of Egyptian life outside the hotel complex. We like walking through this big city with its mosques, coffee houses, the city beach and so on. It's so easy and so interesting to get an insight into people's lives this way.

"My conclusion: Back at the airport in Hurghada, I told myself again that I would come back - but then with my girlfriend! She can also go windsurfing here. And going surfing with her on a boat trip to Tobia Island would be a great experience for both of us. And if there's no wind, you can go snorkelling, diving or sit on a camel. Safaga is the perfect place for family holidays, partner trips but also for solo travellers, because it never gets boring. Whether it's volleyball, bodega, football or excursions to Safaga city centre - there's something for everyone here."

Three questions for Moh, manager of the ION Club in Safaga

What characterises the windsurfing conditions in front of the ION Club in Safaga?

All levels of windsurfers and windfoilers can have fun here and the distance to the hotels is only a very short two-minute walk. Even if you just want to go to the bar for a drink or to the hotel for lunch in between, everything is ideal here. Windfoilers are only a few metres from the deep water, there are no corals and there is a constant wind, which can be gusty in the mornings under land.

Talking about wind conditions, you've been here for twelve years. How can you describe the wind conditions in Safaga?

The wind at the Red Sea is a purely thermal wind in the root zone of the trade wind, which remains stable for longer during the day in the summer half-year from April to October than in the winter half-year, which runs from around December to March. In the winter half-year, the wind returns earlier, i.e. in the early afternoon, whereas in summer it blows through until late afternoon. In summer it averages 22-27 knots and in winter 18-25 knots. Peak values, such as the 30-35 kn you experienced in March last year, are not the rule, we only experience this a few times a year. The wind shifts from NNW to NNO by midday, which has the advantage that windsurfers can easily reach Tobia Island in the morning with half the wind, i.e. in one go.

Keyword Tobia Island. You plan regular tours to this island.

A lot has changed here! You will be spoilt on the island with parasols, cold drinks, a lunch, toilets and so on. We plan to organise tours there about once or twice a week, which will also include a support boat. E. we will accompany every windsurfer on the way to the island, and if anything should happen, we will be there immediately. The stay on the island will be an unforgettable experience for every surfer. But of course everyone can also go there on their own, just like you did.

We at the ION Club are also happy to help with any other tours that our guests would like to do. A tour to the city of Safaga combined with a visit to a great Egyptian fish restaurant? A look inside a mosque or typical Egyptian supermarkets? We will be happy to organise this and, if possible, go with you. Or does a guest need help with a transfer to the airport or a tour to Luxor? We have changed in this respect and are happy to help anyone to have a great time with us in Safaga!

Spot Info Safaga

Journey

You can fly directly to Hurghada from almost all airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The flight takes around four hours. The transfer from the airport to Safaga takes a good hour and is usually organised by the tour operator. You can book here, for example:

• surf-action.com
• ion-club.net
• planetallsports.com

Wind and weather

Safaga is basically a year-round spot. The best wind months are June to October, when you have almost daily planing winds, but even in the winter months the wind yield is well over 50 per cent. At the Safaga spot, the wind blows slightly offshore and somewhat gusty in the morning, turning to sideshore from midday and reaching its full strength. In the months of November to March, the nights can get quite chilly and the wind also requires a short-sleeved wetsuit. In the summer months, lycra for sun protection and shorts are sufficient.

Spot

Safaga is a classic freeride and intermediate spot. It is also popular with kiters and wingfoilers. But windsurf foiling also adds to the versatility of the spot. You can take to the water practically every day with a foil. There is a shallow area, which is marked just like the shallow areas on the reefs. From the main spot, experienced surfers (never alone) can take a long trip to Tobia Island off the coast. There are also guided tours. The bright turquoise waters off the island are a little consolation for the fact that this once deserted island is now used commercially.

Accommodation

The Shams hotel chain offers several types of accommodation at the spot. From rather simple bungalows located directly on the beach to very comfortable all-inclusive hotel rooms, you have a free choice. As the accommodation in Safaga is comparatively inexpensive, the area is also very interesting for families with children.