On Hel, one may go through all the stages of skill of this sport: from the first steps to the first competitions. If one does not know Polish, it is not a problem, as all the instructors recognized by the International Kiteboarding Organization (www.ikointl.com) speak English fluently. Several dozens of water schools offer their services.
For natural reasons, the Hel Spit is one of the best places in Europe to learn kitesurfing and other “board” sports. Almost always, there is a wind from the open sea to the west and along the inside part of the arch, which is established by the strip, thus pushing the surfers in the direction of the land. According to statistics, on average, the wind blows with the speed of 12 knots for 220 days a year. The best months for kitesurfing are May, June, and September. Surfers prefer the already mentioned north shore of the Spit and the waters of the Gulf of Puck. There, even half a mile from the coast, the water depth ranges from .5 to 3 feet. The bottom is sandy and pleasant. The area is free from dangerous coral reefs, thorny sea urchins, burning jellyfish or rocks, or other surprises lurking for swimmers in warmer climates. The water of the Gulf on the Spit side is clean, warm, and low in salt content so that even after prolonged training, it does not dehydrate the skin as much as the salty waters of the ocean and the Southern seas.
The kite, which is the main driving energy source, is not cheap, so sports schools offer the equipment for rent. In Poland, both the LET kites ( Leading Edge Inflatable kite) – with hard (inflatable) edges and inflatable hardening slips and the Bow kites, with a more bent edge and with a flat swept-back profile, are available. There are also power kites, which resemble paragliders, which are easier to start from the land.
Kitesurfing is the way of life for many people in Poland. One of the beaches on Hel has even kite-training equipment for tricks, the only water kite slider/kicker-park in Poland, and flood lamps to light the water and the beach during night Kite-Sessions. A good location for the future and already professional kite surfers is the town of Chałupy.
The Hel Spit connects with the mainland by Kosa Rewska. It changes into a long shallow, sub-water sand embankment. It is a unique shoal, can be crossed “with dry feet” from Kuźnica up to Rewa. We suggest participating in the annual ”Herring March.”
The Hel resort is a wonderful choice for several more reasons. By bicycle or by train, without standing in the traffic jams, we can get to tens of beaches from the side of the open sea, straight to the city center of Gdynia, Sopot, and Gdańsk and also to the green hills of Kaszuby.
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