The center

H2o Extreme is Kenya’s first and most comprehensive water sports center offering kitesurfing, windsurfing, SUP, surfing, kayaking, body boarding and skim boarding. Further on it is the only IKO affiliated kite school in Kenya with over 15 years of experience.

The school was founded back in 2003 by Boris Polo, who was born and raised in Kenya. Boris started off with a small surf shack based at the original The Sands at Nomad and later on also at 40 Thieves Beach Bar. Due to the dependency on the tides and the number of boats on central Diani Beach, he soon decided to move to Kenyaways Kite Village on Galu Beach, which offers better and safer water and beach conditions for all water sports.

Boris not only helped to boost kitesurf and windsurf related tourism in Kenya, but he also explored Kenya’s remote places by kite. He was part of an expedition to cross the Chalbi Desert on land boards and was the first person to ever kitesurf on Lake Turkana, which is the largest permanent desert lake with the highest population of Nile crocodiles.

In 2022, Eveline Van Dijk, born and raised in the Netherlands, jumped at the opportunity to buy the school and she is currently the proud owner of H2o-Extreme. She is someone who can be found on the water with her kite most of the time. For years she traveled and taught as a kite surfing instructor, introducing over 1200 students to the power of Mother Nature. Now, she is happily doing just that on the Kenyan Coast, in Diani.

If you are also interested in discovering the diversity of Kenya, you are welcome to join us on one of downwinders, day trips to the flat water paradise Funzi or go on an individually tailored “surfari” to combine the best of Kenya’s beaches with an unforgettable wildlife experience.

The Spot

With its consistent trade winds blowing side to side-onshore from December to March (Kaskazi) and June until September (Kuzi), Kenya is one of the top spots worldwide for any wind-related water sports. The white sand and spacious beach with the turquoise coloured and the warm Indian Ocean offers the right conditions for every level and age.

Generally, the conditions in Diani are tide dependent. With the low tide, we have flat shallow water within the lagoon and waves breaking out on the reef. This will please all free riders, freestylers as well as wave riders. The more the tide rises, the choppier the water gets inside the lagoon and the more narrow the beach gets. With the full high tide, there is little to no beach left, deep water everywhere and a shore break. Small kickers in the shore break invite for boosting some extra air and the deepwater also allows foiling throughout the lagoon.

The tide differences are especially big during spring tides, which take place during full moons and new moons. In comparison to central Diani Beach, Galu Beach has the big advantage of always having enough water to kite. Only windsurfers will have to wait for the water to rise a bit due to the long windsurf fins. Be aware of sea urchins! The Indian Ocean is tropical water and of course, there are sea urchins on the ground. Generally, they are not a problem as the entering and exiting zones have sandy bottoms. But if you are still insecure, losing your board from time to time and not mastering your up-wind body dragging yet, you should consider bringing shoes with a Kevlar sole to protect yourself from getting sea urchins into your feet.

If you are curious to check the tides during your stay in Kenya, please click here to view the full tide table.

Getting here

There are multiple options to make your way to Diani Beach. Mombasa International Airport is approx. 40 km away and the transfer takes about 1.5 hrs, depending on traffic in Mombasa downtown and at the ferry. A big choice of airlines flies multiple times per week directly to Mombasa. Condor, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways are some of them. You also have the option to fly directly into Diani, which is possible via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. This will save you the transfer from Mombasa to Diani. Usually, the accommodation will arrange the taxi transfer from either airport. Costs are about 40 USD one-way from Mombasa and 10 USD one-way from Diani Airport.

Make sure, that your passport is at least valid for another 6 months when travelling to Kenya. When entering Kenya, there is the necessity of a visa. The normal tourist visa is valid for 3 months and can be purchased via e-visa prior to your travel. The costs are 51 USD. You should start the process not later than two weeks before the start of your holidays.

Where to stay

There are multiple accommodation options close to our centre. It is advisable to stay on or close to Galu Beach if you are a water sports enthusiast. You have the choice between all-in hotels, B&B guest house or self-catering.

Hotel options are: Blue Marlin Beach Hotel, The Sands at Nomad, Neptunes Hotel, Baobab/Kole Kole, Ocean Village Club, Mzima House, The Zubeida, Lantana.

Guest Houses/Backpackers: Kenyaways, Mami Wata House, Elo’s Beach House, Diani Backpackers.

Self-catering: 420 South, Tamani, Moringa House, Diani Beachalets, Tequila Sunrise Villa, Zuri Cottages at Vulcano, Paradiso Apartments, Sea Front Apartment Diani, Marula Beach House.

You can also find an additional choice of private housing on Airbnb.