Kitesurf spots in Malindi

Che Shale is a remote, laid-back bay up the coast from Watamu, fronting an eco-lodge on a vast, empty beach that feels worlds away from busier Kenyan spots. The water is mixed, offering flat, friendly sections for learning and progression alongside playful waves further out for riders wanting more bite, and it stays kiteable across all tides. Two trade-wind seasons drive it: the Kuzi from June to September blows SE and steady all day, often 18 to 25 knots in the windiest mid-summer weeks, while the Kaskazi from mid-December to mid-April fills in from the NE after lunch at a gentler 15 to 20 knots. The wide, untouched beach gives endless room to rig, launch and land with no real obstacles on the sand. Crowds are almost nonexistent, with usually fewer than fifteen kiters and a single local school, so it suits everyone from beginners to advanced. Watch for rocks in and around parts of the bay.

Watamu, on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast near Malindi, is a postcard kite spot: white sand, warm water and a reef-fringed lagoon that delivers both flat sections and waves depending where you ride. Inside the lagoon, sandbars create a shallow, flat-water playground that suits beginners and freestyle, while the reef a few hundred metres out kicks up clean waves for the more experienced. It runs on two reliable trade-wind seasons, the Kaskazi from the northeast (roughly December to April) and the Kuzi from the southeast (around May to September), both blowing cross-onshore at a steady 12 to 25 knots. The wide beach gives ample launching and landing room, with the schools clustered south of the village. Watch the reef and exposed rocks at lower water. Crowds are moderate and friendly, busier around the schools but with plenty of open water; great for all levels.