Kitesurfing in Russia: where to learn? And where can you ride the waves?

The favorite places for Russian kitesurfers are the shores of the Anapa Sea, the Taman Peninsula and Yeisk in Krasnodar Krai, as well as the coast of the Kerch Peninsula and Yevpadoria in the Crimea.

In summer, in the south of Russia, the warm sea is much wider, but in these places ideal conditions are formed: the coast is wide, the inlet is gentle, there are few storms in the bays, and at the same time suitable wind conditions are quite common.

The ideal places for beginners are the town of Vityazevo and the village of Veselovskaya in Anapa, and the villages of Dolzhanskaya and Yasenskaya on the outskirts of Yeisk. In these places there are many triangular bays with very shallow and warm water and no waves at all. In good weather, if the level is sufficient, you can go out to sea.

It is not difficult to determine the most successful places – there are definitely kitesurfing schools, car campsites and equipment rental spots.

In Crimea, the best kitesurfing spots are KaZantip, Shcholkine and Mysovoye on the Kerch peninsula, where, like on all the Azov coast, the beaches are wide, the coastal slopes are gentle and the water is warm. The easiest place to learn to kitesurf is Donuzlav Bay – a shallow, calm reservoir just off Yevpatoria. There are many homes on the coast of Crimea. You can rent there for a very low price.

If you don’t know what you prefer between kitesurfing and windsurfing (also called “windsurfing” or “windsurfing”), then you can go to any of the above places. These places are good for both sports. Please try them all and choose the one you like.

Caspian Sea

In Russia there is another sea with great beaches – the Caspian Sea. In Dagestan the beaches and the coast are in a very unbalanced state. In some places it is very desolate; in others, the bases of the Soviet era are used to this day, but there are also quite modern complexes. Extreme water sports in the Caspian Sea have not yet gained much traction, but surfers, who are seekers of adventure and new places, have found several locations.

The best of these spots is at Sulak Bay, just north of Makhachkala. The water here is shallow and warm enough, with almost no waves and basically no one around all the time. All that’s left to do is “wait for the wind”. To get there, the last few kilometers are on dirt roads. The road is in pretty bad condition. Next to it is the border base. If you go there, you have to remember that you are always under surveillance.

Around Moscow and St. Petersburg

The most popular surfing spots around Moscow are not close – about 135 km to Lake Pleshcheyevo in Pereslavl-Zalessky. Surfers and windsurfers have had their eye on this place for years. If you are good at kitesurfing or windsurfing, then “Pleshka” (as Lake Pleshcheyevo is known) is a great place to meet up with your “long-time” buddies, especially on race days. If you just want to learn about kitesurfing from a distance, then Pleseyevo Lake is ideal – the shore is wide, it’s easy to learn how to fly and maneuver a kite, and the water around the beach and surf spots is not deep and only a few dozen meters from the shore.

Residents of St. Petersburg are interested in the resorts on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Indeed, there are always a lot of people coming to this resort next to the recreation centers and club hotels. Kitesurfers don’t value this area – they need too big a place to start surfing, and it’s too dangerous for inexperienced beginners to surf with long lines. But if you can find a quiet spot to launch your kite and get in the water, the windy weather will keep you happy.

So, are you ready to surfing in Russia? Click here to get your Russian invitation, visa.