Windsurfing in El Tur with Jem Hall

Having just recently returned from El Tur with Jem Hall I thought I had to post this little bit of news about the sailing venue and especially the wave sailing to be enjoyed just a 10 min taxi ride from the center. On the first day Jem warned us to take it easy as there was going to be plenty of wind the following few days and more than likely some good wave sailing to be had at the local wave beach.I must admit to being a little skeptical, however the following day the wind began to kick in and the day after was a solid force 5 to 6 as promised. Jem gave us the order and together with Gregg the Oceansource owner and my wave sailing buddy Mark we rapidly loaded the local taxi with our weapons of choice,hand picked from the newly stocked racks of RRD Wave boards and Ezzy Wave sails. 10 minutes later we were on the beach excitedly rigging up. I had to pinch myself several times to check that I was really there on the beach gazing at the aqua blue sea,golden sand and amazing sets of waves rolling across the whole bay! I watched as Gregg jumped onto his board in front of me and set of at high speed just in time to hit the first big ramp,launching into a massive forward loop,flipping heck I could not believe my eyes.It was my turn next ,the cross-onshore wind helping me easily make it over the white foam into the smooth water between the breaks and then hitting a perfectly formed little wave and jumping sweetly over it ready for the next logo high wave which saw me going over vertical into an involuntary back loop and landing on my back. After several runs we were all up to speed with the conditions and enjoying the feeling of free sailing in this paradise all on our own. The tips that Jem gave me were really starting to pay off now,especially the ones about jumping and how to sail the board through the air, but the best of all was the coaching on the similarities between care gybing and wave riding.My frontside wave riding was really starting to improve and I was starting to catch more waves. 2 hours later the taxi arrived to pick us up and take us back to Moses Bay,after returning the RRD 75lt wave cult and 4.5 Ezzy SE wave sail, we re selected some freeride gear and joined the rest of the crew in the bay with our tell tale ear to ear grins giving the whole story away. How could this day ever be exceeded I wondered,well the next day was exactly the same and we repeated the whole process once more,only this time a little more prepared for the experience. The remaining part of the holiday and coaching from Jem was business as usual,coupled with that the company of a cracking set of like minded people all wanting to improve their windsurfing. The biggest learning point for the whole group was going out to sail with a purpose,we had all started to take down notes,setting goals and targets then reflecting on them. we had all started to learn how to improve and speeding up our learning process. I will be going back that's for sure,perhaps when the second center is ready which will right on the beach. Beside the wave beach there is also the Point which is at the mouth of the harbor where a reef meets the rolling swell creating some excellent jumping conditions. In my opinion an awesome venue with a variety of conditions to suite every level. Helen the center manager could not do enough for us to make sure that all our needs were met. There is also a superb little beach bar that serves all sorts of sandwiches and drinks to keep you going through the day. Highly recommended!!!

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written by TwoFish , July 11, 2008

I'm recently returned from El Tur and I would also add a huge thumbs up for the place.

My gybing was, frankly, crap. So I went there with a group of fellow 'Crap Gybers Anonymous' types, all under the very excellent instruction of Jim Collis. I won't go into too much detail because I think Boards Mag is going to run an article on us, but:

- My sailing and gybing improved beyond my best hopes
- The Oceansource centre there is brilliant. Top kit. Top people. Excellent location. Great coaching.
- The wind blew every day
- Dolphins came into the bay to play round us as we sailed on most days

I'm a big Dahab fan and I will be back there too. Dahab has 200/300 people on the water though. Half the population of North Rhein Westphalia is normally in the way when you go for a gybe (complete with Speedos, bandanas etc.). If it's not got a McD and a Starbucks, they can't be far away. El Tur is a real Egyptian town with two dozen sailors max on the water. When you walk through town it's an event for the locals and in the best tradition of Arab hospitality they treat you as welcome guests (to the point where it gets quite embarrassing when chaps keep shouting "WELCOME" at you in the street.

It's not the place to go if your holiday need to involve shopping for Prada shoes and having an aromatherapy massage every morning. However if you want good sailing, an excellent centre, no crowds and a bit of Egyptian quirkiness, get there soon before the mob discovers it.

Oh, and if anyone is planning a group trip, it really, really should be up at the top of your list.

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