Your first kitesurfing lesson at Riah Kite Academy in El Gouna starts with a warm welcome at the beach station, followed by a structured progression from land-based kite control through to your first water sessions—all in a shallow, flat lagoon where you can stand at all times. Here is what a typical first day looks like, hour by hour, so you know exactly what to expect.
Most guests arrive from Hurghada airport, just 20 minutes away. Riah arranges airport transfers for €28 one way or €50 round trip. The drive is straightforward along the main coast road into El Gouna’s resort area.
When you arrive at Riah’s beach station, you’ll find a relaxed but professional setup: equipment storage, a restaurant and bar area, changing facilities, and the shallow lagoon stretching out in front of you.
Your instructor will greet you, introduce themselves (Riah’s instructors speak 5 languages), and run through the day’s plan. With max 2 students per instructor, you’ll get genuinely personal attention—this isn’t a crowded group lesson where you’re waiting your turn.
You’ll be fitted with a radio communication helmet that lets your instructor talk to you in real time while you’re on the water. This is one of Riah’s distinctive features—most schools shout from the beach or use hand signals.
Before touching a kite, you’ll cover essential theory:
This isn’t a boring lecture. Your instructor will use the actual equipment to demonstrate each concept, showing you the safety release mechanisms hands-on and explaining how the kite responds to your bar movements.
You’ll start on the beach with a small trainer kite or a full-size kite (depending on wind conditions and your instructor’s judgment). The goal is building muscle memory for:
This phase feels playful—you’re standing on solid ground, the kite is doing interesting things above you, and you’re building the fundamental reflexes that will keep you safe on the water.
Once you have basic control, your instructor may introduce body dragging—lying in the shallow water and letting the kite pull you across the surface. In El Gouna’s 0.6-1m deep lagoon with sandy bottom, this is about as safe as body dragging gets anywhere in the world. You can stand up at any point.
With kite control established on land, you’ll move into the water. The shallow lagoon means you’re wading in at knee-depth—there’s no dramatic deep-water entry. Your instructor stays close, communicating through the radio helmet.
In the water, you’ll practice:
Don’t expect to be riding upwind on day one—that’s a multi-session progression. But by the end of your first session (3 hours), most beginners have:
Your instructor will review what you accomplished, what to focus on next time, and answer questions. If you’re on the Beginner Course (€660, 12 hours), you’ll typically have 3-hour sessions over 4-6 days.
After your session, Riah’s facilities are available: grab lunch at the on-site restaurant, have a drink at the bar, try a yoga class for post-session stretching, or use the co-working space if you need to catch up on work.
Ready to experience your first day at Riah? The Discovery Course (€360, 6 hours) gives you a taste, while the Beginner Course (€660, 12 hours) takes you to IKO Level 2 certification. Both include all equipment, instruction, and that game-changing radio helmet.
