Updated in October 2025
- KBC have new wing foiling facility right by the Steigenberger
- I took different gear with me
- I’ve added a few additional travel tips
Soma Bay is a coastal resort on the Red Sea in Egypt, located about 30 miles (~45 minutes) from Hurghada International airport.
The bay offers relatively flat water and consistent cross/offshore winds. The wind is very reliable from March to October. Kitesurfing and Windsurfing are also very popular, and the Red Sea is renowned for Scuba Diving.
We went there in October 2024 and again in 2025. We stayed at the Steigenberger Hotel using the KBC Ras Soma Kite Centre for Winging.
There is a 2 minute ride along video from 2025 on the Go Wingfoil YouTube channel if you are interested in a first person view.
In a nutshell
Pros:
- Warm climate and water with reliable cross/off shore winds
- Flat water with very easy entry and no shore break
- Large riding area with plenty of space
- A little further out across the bay there are small waves offering the chance of some gentle surfing
- Well equipped watersports centre offers equipment hire, storage, lessons and a place to chill between sessions
- Friendly and helpful watersports staff, they’ll carry your board back and forth and hose it down after sessions
- Safety cover through watersports centre if things go wrong
- Good quality accommodation close by with a regular shuttle service to the watersports centre
- ~5 hour flight from UK and just a 2 hour time difference
- Egypt represents very good value for money
- Egypt has a wonderful climate when it is getting cold in Northern Europe
- Going out every day in great conditions helps you develop skills faster
Cons:
- A 5 hour flight is long-haul for some. In 2025 we booked extra legroom seats which was worthwhile
- Egypt can be extremely hot in the summer months so take care when booking
- There is not a huge amount to do for non watersports partners (like my long suffering wife) but the hotel is a lovely place to relax in the sun
- Development is underway between the watersports centre and the hotel. We noticed some noise in 2024, though not in 2025
Where is it ?
Ras Soma is part of Soma Bay around 45 minutes travel from Hurghada International airport in Egypt.
Easyjet and TUI both fly to Hurghada on a daily basis from the UK. It is a 5 hour flight. There are many flights from other European countries in particular Germany. (I haven’t linked to TUI as my only experience of them was disastrous.)
March to October offer the most reliable wind. Spring and Autumn tend to provide the most pleasant climate.
We stayed at the relatively new, all inclusive Steigenberger Hotel which we both really liked. The accommodation was very comfortable and modern and the food very varied and of high-quality. The hotel isn’t cheap, but Egypt does represent very good value for money overall and we found the Steigenberger to be excellent value for money. You can walk to the watersports centre from the hotel in around 15 minutes. There is a reliable shuttle though, it takes five minutes and runs every hour on the hour (departing from the watersports centre back to the hotel at quarter to the hour). I walked back once and found that it was not especially scenic as there is quite a bit of development going on. After that I took the shuttle.
A couple of additional travel tips from the 2025 update:
- Extra legroom seats on Easyjet are well worth the cost for a five hour flight.
- You need a visa for Egypt which you can buy at the airport for cash. To avoid a big queue, do this online in advance at the official Egypt visa site (use the official site to avoid unnecessary additional fees).
- I have been nervous about taking a hard board in the past. Investing in a really robust travel bag was well worth it.
Costs
Flights and hotel are the main costs, I will leave you to explore those at your leisure. We flew Easyjet and they provide a good basic service in my view. One especially good feature is Easyjet’s sporting equipment (windsurf board) option. This allows you to pack up to 32 kg and meant I took everything I needed.
The KBC RAS Soma watersports centre has its own charges. There is a full price list available on their website but as I had my own gear my main costs were (updated in October 2025):
- €100 for use of the centre as a Steigenberger guest. For this I was able to store my board with the foil attached, deflated wings, rashie, impact vest helmet and other gear for the week. This also pays for the rescue service should something go wrong. The beach team will happily help you carry your board to and from the water’s edge and wash it down after a session (a tip for them is appreciated and well worth it).
- In 2024 I spent €10 for a locker with a padlock for valuables for the week, in 2025 I didn’t bother with this.
- On both occasions I bought some photos from the pro photographer (some of which are shared below) ~ €40 each trip.
- I didn’t rent equipment as I had my own, the price for gear rental is listed on the KBC site.
What did I take
As mentioned earlier I had a dedicated 32kg checked windsurfer bag allowance (we had one conventional 23kg checked bag in addition between us.)
In 2024 I used the Manera 5′ Wing Bag to take my Gong Hipe Cruzader inflatable board along with 2 wings, foil setup and wetsuit etc. In 2025 I bought a new FBC Travel Bag which allowed me to take:
- My Swift 90 litre hard board
- FBC Day Bag for my board
- Duotone Unit SLS 5.5 m Wing
- Duotone Unit 4.0 m Wing
- Slingshot Phantasm Foil setup with mast, fuselage, G1000 front wing and two alternative stabs
- Rashie and rashie leggings
- Waistbelt and harness
- Impact vest, helmet and knee guards
- Bags for wings
Learning from my previous trip I left my Duotone Ventis 7.0 m and my wetsuit at home. I didn’t miss them !
Rigging and Launching
The KBC centre is well equipped with two good size storage rooms. I was able to leave my board and foil constructed so there was no set up needed. They have an area with some astro-turf and inflators for wings just in front of the centre where you can inflate your wing and leave it during breaks to avoid it rubbing on the sand.
Note that the inflators do not have pressure gauges, the guys go by feel. I took my own electric pump so I knew I was pumping to the right level, which I think is critical with Wings.
Tides impact launch and exit. At high tide it’s less than 100 metres to the water from the KBC centre. However, this then requires wading out through knee deep water for 200 metres or more before you get to deep enough water to foil. At low tide on the other hand, it’s further to the water but it’s deep enough to launch after around 20 metres. As the beach team will happily carry your board to the water’s edge I slightly preferred low tide, it’s not a huge deal either way.
The KBC guys have marked a channel to launch through, avoiding a couple of coral reefs. This is pretty straightforward (see video above) for anyone who can taxi confidently and stay cross wind. Because the water is shallow there is no shore-break to worry about either leaving or returning. The launch point goes from shallow to deep enough within a couple of metres, so when you return it’s pretty clear where to dismount. The bottom is also very soft and sandy so if you do get it slightly wrong it’s pretty forgiving on the foil.
New for 2025 is a wing foiling centre right by the Steigenberger. This is fairly small at the moment, but you can launch from here directly into deep water from just in front of the centre. This also allows you to go back into the hotel for a drink and a chill between sessions which is nice. I did spend one day foiling from there but in the end preferred the main centre for the following reasons:
- There is more wind shadow and gusts by the Steigenberger, it’s not terrible, but the wind is noticeably less clean than at the main centre.
- The facility is new, basic and very small, I like the extra facilities and laid back vibe at the main centre.
- The storage is very basic, I felt happier keeping my gear at the main centre.
- It was more crowded at that end of the bay, with wingers, kiters and windsurfers from other hotels.
- The KBC safety cover is based at the main centre and is not actively monitoring this end of the bay.
On the Water
The prevailing wind is cross-off shore. The whole week I was there it was sufficiently cross shore that I had zero concerns about getting in and out. There were less experienced wingers there at the same time and even a total beginner was able to pretty much go straight out and back to shore.
The wind at the end of the bay where the KBC centre is benefits from very little in the way of wind-shadow. In general we have had the upper end or even above what windguru forecast. On both my weeks we had clean 15 to 20 knot winds most days with a few 20 to 27 knot days thrown in. I just rigged my 5.5 m or 4.0m wing, never felt under or overpowered hooked into my harness and relaxed. For someone like me who is used to gusty inland conditions that is heaven.
If the wind is forecast to drop, be a bit careful at the Steigenberger end. Having pushed my luck I had to flog back there when the wind did go in the late afternoon.
The sailing area is pretty large. As you get further out into the bay, or as you head north you find deeper water. You will find small waves here, they aren’t big enough to flag out on but you can certainly play around using a combination of wave power and the wing power to get a bit of a feel for surfing them.
If you want the photographer to get some shots of your wing foiling exploits then mention it to him. He will then periodically be standing in the shallow kite training area as you get closer to shore. You can head closer to him whilst staying deep enough and he’ll get some great shots (there are multiple examples on this page). You just select the ones you want at the end.
One last thing that doesn’t happen at my own spot is the occasional turtle surfacing. Look out for these cute creatures which I saw popping up multiple times most days.
Other water users
Aside from the turtles there are obviously lots of kiters from KBC and some other wingers but we are still a minority. There were also a few windsurfers hammering around who I think come from the hotel on the northern edge of the bay.
Generally it seems the kiters prefer the flatter water closer to shore, so once you get a little further out you’ll find you largely have the place to yourself. When launching and returning to shore it’s worth noting that beginner kiters are having lessons upwind of the wing foiling channel. Mostly they will be in the shallow water so you’ll dismount before they are a concern, but it pays to keep an eye out and be considerate in particular of those learning. The experienced kiters can obviously sail all the way in and can avoid you.
Bringing your own gear
A quick word on taking your own gear. In 2024 I took my Gong Hipe Cruzader inflatable, my full complement of wings and my foil set up. The Hipe is my downwind board that I specifically bought for lighter wind winging. Whilst this worked out well, I felt that my new Swift 90 Litre hardboard would be more fun in the reliable winds of Soma Bay. I was concerned about a hard board and airport baggage handlers but once I packed the new FBC Travel bag I was happy to take it and I’m glad that I did. Whilst the Hipe worked great in 2024, my 2025 experience was enhanced by having my Swift board. The board is more agile and playful and makes my transitions much easier. It also allowed me to play around surfing in the bumps more successfully.
As I mentioned earlier I learned from 2024 and didn’t take my 7m wing or wetsuit in 2025. I did use a long sleeved rash guard and long legged rash pants to protect my arms and legs from board rash climbing on and off the board. In addition and learning from a previous trip I got some Gill Knee Pads that worked great in preventing sore knees (Disclosure the previous link would generate a commision for me if you made a purchase. This does not cost you anything. I do not endorse products that I don’t use and like).
The gear that was available to rent at KBC seemed good, but I am familiar with my own kit. In particular I am comfortable riding my own foil and I really don’t believe you can beat the Duotone wings for power and performance. One of the benefits of being able to go out every day in great conditions is that you can develop the muscle memory of whatever skill you are working on faster than through intermittent sessions at home. My main aim had been to lock in my weaker stance (goofy) gybe and toe side riding. Being able to concentrate on that rather than acclimatizing to new gear really paid dividends. My conclusion is that it was well worth the Easyjet fee for taking everything with me.
Safety
The watersports centre provides safety cover so long as you are renting either gear or storage space. The boat is out and manned most of the time people are on the water. They seem to keep a pretty good eye out, I had a wing harness line issue in 2024 that I spent a couple of minutes in the water resolving and the safety guy came to check everything was ok. That’s pretty comforting.
As of 2025 the KBC safety cover does not actively monitor the Steigenberger end. However there are enough other kiters and foilers out here, with safety cover from their own hotels that it is pretty safe. The day the wind dropped on me a safety boat from another hotel came to check that I was ok to get back safely.
Wind and Weather
The temperature in October is generally mid 20 to 30 degrees C. There is almost never a cloud in the sky and the water temperature is mid 20 degrees too.
Wind wise it is very reliable at this time of year. KBC don’t have live weather but there is a live weather station further up the bay which should show current conditions. The guys at KBC are good at judging conditions, so it’s a good idea to ask. On a couple of days I felt the wind had dropped a little and both times was correctly persuaded to stay with what I’d been using.
The wind forecast by Windguru was very good for the time I was there. If anything we got the upper end of the forecast or even a little more.
Ready to go?
If you are suitably enthused and ready to find out more I can certainly recommend the team at Planet Wingfoil. I have been on a number of wing foiling holidays with them and they have great knowledge to help you choose.
Thanks for reading this far. If you are interested to hear more about the FBC travel bag or my new Swift hardboard then subscribe to hear when a new article is published. If you have your own favourite spot please tell us about it in the comments. Maybe I’ll see you there, let’s Go_Wingfoil.