Ahlan, which is how people say hello and welcome here, and you will hear it before you have even unloaded the board bag. This is Dahab, a small town on the Gulf of Aqaba, with the Sinai mountains rising straight behind the beach and the mountains of Saudi Arabia across the water. Down at the lagoon a long sand spit holds the open sea back, and inside it the water turns turquoise and flat.
The first reach of the day, red-brown mountains on one side and dark blue sea on the other, is one to remember. Plenty of people come to Dahab for the diving. The ones out on the lagoon are here for the rush.
The gulf is only 15 to 20 km wide here, so the wind squeezes between the Sinai mountains and the Saudi ranges, and when the desert heats up the thermal adds to it.
Not yet checked against a weather station or an independent model, so treat these figures as a guide.
At a glance
Is it for you?
Skill levelGetting there
WaterBit of chop
Wind · AugUsually turns up
Crowds · AugBusy patches
Local vibeFriendly enough
Water qualityClean
NightlifeA bar or two
CostMid
Geek analysis
August in the record
73% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
In August the wind most often sits at 12 to 15 kt (35% of daylight hours) and is over 12 kt from 9am to 2pm on at least half the days. See both charts in the full report
No weather station near enough to check these figures against.
August on the record
The month's own figures, not the year's average.
Rideable days23 of 31Ten Augusts in the record
DirectionN 4°
Wind, rideable hours14 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air36.4°CMaximum
Waves0.5 m0% of days run big
Take it with you
The full Dahab report
Seven sections over six pages, built from the same record as this page. A PDF you can read on the plane.
01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind02The month's own records03Full stays, schools & kit04Per-launch tide windows05Zones, reef & offshore wind06Getting there, packing & best months07Sources, and their limits
WindChaser spot reportDahabSouth Sinai, Egypt · August73% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
When it gets busy
Crowds
Jun · High
April to June and September to October are the busy months. The kite lagoon is small and can get a bit chaotic at peak times, while Area 2 and the open water beyond it give advanced riders more room.
On the water
What August usually does
Wind directionN to NNEDown the Gulf of Aqaba, offshore to cross-offshore at the lagoon, the centres say. The record reads north in every month of the season.
Wind strength20 to 30 ktThe range the guides give for the warm months. Rig small and size down when it builds.
When it blowsFrom the morningOften up in the morning, and in summer it can blow all day.
Your playground
Launches & safety
Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.
Launch
Hazard
Parking
School
Stay
Webcam
Approximate
Local intel
Getting there & on the ground
Nearest airportSharm El Sheikh (SSH)About 90 km south, roughly an hour and a half by taxi or transfer.
