Kite Area guide
Diani Beach, Diani Coast
The busier half of the lagoon: the side with the hotels, the schools and the traffic, riding the same reef and the same two monsoons as Galu to the south.
When to kite
Best months: December, January, February, March, June, July, August, September.
About this Kite Area
Diani Beach runs along Kenya's south coast behind a barrier reef and is the busier and more built-up of the two riding areas here. The lagoon between beach and reef changes character with the tide, and with a range reaching four metres that change is dramatic: low water is shallow and flat, ideal for learning and for freestyle, and opens breaks on the reef itself; high water is deeper and choppier, better suited to foiling and shore break.
Two monsoons drive the season. Kaskazi, from the north-east, runs December to March at 15 to 20 knots almost daily, strongest through the early afternoon, over water at 28 to 30°C. Kusi, from the south-east, runs June to September at 15 to 25 knots in cooler air and brings enough swell to make the reef worth riding.
The sand entry conceals rock, coral, broken shell and sea urchins. Reef boots with a strong sole are standard here rather than optional.