Planning and Travelling to Cape Town: A Kitesurfer’s Guide

Hey everyone, Adam here from Northern Watersports!

One of the questions I get asked the most is how do you travel with kitesurfing gear? It’s no small task, especially when heading to world-class kite destinations like Cape Town. From choosing the right airline to navigating airports with oversized bags, I’ve learned a thing or two over the years.

This year, Kayla and I packed up for another three-month adventure from Northern Watersports HQ on the Wirral to Cape Town, South Africa and would like to share our experience so you can feel more confident travelling with your gear.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to help you plan, pack, and travel like a pro.

STEP 1 - PLAN YOUR BAGGAGE

The first step is to work out how much gear you want to take and how many bags you will need to take. Most people can get away with just a suitcase and a sports bag. But for longer trips—like our three-month stay—Kayla and I each packed for both kitesurfing and wingfoiling. Here's what our baggage looked like:

Our Baggage Breakdown:

2 x 23kg Suitcases

Per bag 

• Clothes

• Toiletries 

• Climbing equipment

• Some parts of hydrofoil that took wing bag over 23kg

2 x 23kg Kitesurfing Sportsbags (ION KITEBAG)

Per bag:

• 1 /2  boards

• 2 x kites (8m Core XR Pro and 10m XR 8)

• 1 x bar (Core Sensor Pro 4)

• 1 x pump (Core XL Pump)

• 1 x wetsuit (4:3 CSkins Rewired)

• 1 x impact vest (Ion Impact Vest)

• 1 x helmet (Forward Wip)

2 x 23kg Wingfoil Sports Bags (FBC V2 WING TRAVEL BAG)

Per bag:

• 1 board (Ensis Rock N Roll)

• 2 x wings ( Ensis Topspin and Ensis Score v3 )

• 1 x foil (Sabfoil 799)

2 x Carry-on Bags

Per bag:

• Laptops

• Chargers

• Headphones

PRO TIP: Always pack spare clothes and toiletries in your carry-on. We should have followed this tip as we hadn't factored in a delay of our first flight which delayed all of our 6 bags for 24 hours!

STEP 2 - CHOOSE YOUR AIRLINE

This can be the most stressful bit! Especially if you are crazy like us and want to take so much equipment.

There are plenty of airlines that fly to Cape Town, most with a layover somewhere in Europe, Middle East or Northern Africa.

We've previously flown with Qatar quite a few times who give you 2 x 23kg bag allowance which can be sports bags.

British Airways (BA) and Virgin Airlines also allow you to use your baggage allowance for sports bags but only include 1 x 23kg bag in your booking so check the costs for additional sports bags. This can range from £100 to £200 per bag each way depending if you go for 23kg or 32kg bag.

PRO TIP: Make a spreadsheet of airfare plus baggage fees to find the best deal. We usually make a spreadsheet with the airfare then add on sports bags to work out the cheapest route.

For example:

STEP 3 - BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION

When travelling to a new place it's always a good idea to book in with a kite house or hostel so you have instant friends and people to go kiting with. You will find the people at these places have been coming to Cape Town for years and will happily share their tips and take you around.

In Cape Town we have stayed at two places:

Khaya Kite and Yoga Hostel 

Super friendly vibes owned by my good friends Miri and Luke. It's located in the heart of Blouberg, close to beach, bars and restaurants. There's a good mix of people for kitesurf and yoga and loads of weekly hikes, trips, yoga, pizza nights and kitesurfing arranged each week.

Budget friendly for longer stays. Accommodation options from cheap 8-bed dorms to private ensuite rooms.

Cape Town Kite Club (CTKC)

Owned by our good friend James who is part of London Kite Surfing Association and a local kiter to Rhosneigr. The house is located in Big Bay, 80 metres from the famous Big Bay kite spot. CTKC offers high-end accommodation for people who want a more chilled trip. 

Like Khaya, there's a great social atmosphere here where you often eat together, do downwinders together, weekly braai (BBQ), trips to take in Cape Town’s many attractions including Table Mountain, food markets, museums, vineyards and of course nights out. James also has a 3-bed dorm room he offers out cheaper for students and instructors.

STEP 4 - PACK YOUR GEAR

You will want to make sure you have a high quality and light bag for you gear to take advantage of your baggage weight allowance as much as possible. You don't want to go out and buy a bag that weighs too much as this eats into your allowance of gear. We use ION and FBC bags for our equipment.

PRO TIPS: 

• Get a handheld scale to check the weight of your bags before you leave. This saves messing around at the check-in desk.
• Ensure you wash and get all the sand off your equipment as this can easily add a couple of kg to the weight.
• Try and protect your boards and any other delicate items with your kites/wetsuits while packing.

STEP 5 - GETTING TO THE AIRPORT

We generally like to get to the airport 2-3 hours before our flight to give us loads of time to mess around with the large bags.

If you are travelling alone, your gear will fit in the back of a car with the back seats down. But when travelling with four gear bags and two suitcases like in our case, it becomes a little harder to get there.

Luckily, Pete the legend and his big van drove us to the airport 🙂 If you don't have a Pete in your life, booking a lift with an Uber XL or an airport taxi/transfer service is your next best bet.

STEP 6 - NAVIGATING THE AIRPORT

Airports definitely aren't designed for people with sports bags. Narrow doors, lifts, bollards and zig-zag queues make it hard. Brits love a queue but not these kind.

PRO TIP: Put your suitcase on a baggage trolly, then clip the handle at the end of your kite bag onto the hook on the back of the trolly to easily navigate the airport.

STEP 7 - CHECKING IN

Make sure you are super polite and happy to the check-in assistant. Try to find some mutual ground and have a chat. Normally we are way over our baggage allowance as we bring our life for three months - additional climbing gear, yoga mats and stuff we need to work. So we aim to connect with the assistant to hopefully accept our baggage although it's over the limit!

PRO TIPS:

• Wear your kite harness to save a few kg from your bag

• Put your foot up against the check in scales to take a few kg off the weight

• Put your carry on bag in front of scales to rest your sports bag on to reduce the weight.

• Hide some gear with a friend or below check in desk to sneak into your kite bag after it has been weighted 🤫

Once the bags have been weighed then you take the sports bags to the oversized baggage drop-off point. This is your chance to sneak in that harness and any other bits of gear you had hiding. We have never had an issue at oversized baggage with heavier bags.

STEP 8 - RELAX 

Wooo! All of your bags are checked in and it's time to grab some food and a nice beer.

With some banks you can get a lounge pass for £20 each - totally worth it. Time to get your feet up and enjoy unlimited food and drink before your flight.

This year it took us 1.5 hours from getting to the airport to check in as the queue was very, very long. Our flight was delayed an hour due to fog at Heathrow so we still had time to grab a sandwich and two drinks which costing us...

£40! Should have checked into the lounge...

STEP 9 - ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT

This year we had a “direct” 12-hour overnight flight form Heathow straight to Cape Town. We found this way more tolerable than our usual 7 and 9 hour flight via Qatar. We were able to watch a film, eat some dinner and sleep all night. Wake up for breakfast, land in CPT and grab our bags!

STEP 10 - NAVIGATING CAPE TOWN AIRPORT AND GETTING TO KHAYA KITE HOSTEL

As a tourist from the UK, you have 90 days to visit the country without requiring a visa. At passport control, you may be asked to show your return ticket. We personally have never been asked.

Once you’ve collected your bags (or filed a claim if they’re delayed!), head to your accommodation. Renting a car is the easiest way to transport your gear.

Once you arrive, check-in and enjoy your time in this stunning part of the world!

Final Thoughts

Travelling with kitesurfing gear can be challenging, but with the right planning, it’s totally doable. Cape Town is a dream destination for kitesurfers, and the extra effort is well worth it. If you have questions or need advice on your next trip, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to help!

Planning your next kitesurfing or wingfoiling adventure and need gear recommendations or travel tips? We've been there - Call or text us today for expert advice.