If there is one place where learning to kite is fun instead of stressful, it is Rügen. The island and its offshore lagoons, the Bodden, offer some of the largest standing-depth areas in Germany: shallow water where you can stand up as far as the eye can see. That is exactly what you need at the start. Here are the areas worth it for beginners.
Why Rügen is so beginner-friendly
The magic word is standing depth. In the Bodden around Rügen the water is often only knee- to hip-deep over hundreds of metres. If you fall, you stand up, sort out the lines and carry on, without fighting to stay afloat. The water is mostly smooth because the waves stay outside, and the wind comes in clean across the flat landscape. There are hardly any better conditions for practising.
The finest standing-depth areas
The classic is Suhrendorf on the island of Ummanz, one of the largest standing-depth areas in the country, best in a westerly wind. On the other side lies Dranske with the Wieker Bodden, ideal in an easterly wind, and because the two are close together, you cover almost every wind direction. Schaprode and Thiessow in the south-east are fine, shallow areas too. May, June and the windy stretch from September to October are the best months.
What to watch out for on the island
Rügen is not only a playground but also a lot of nature. Parts of the Bodden are protected areas where kiting is only allowed in certain zones or not at all, and during the breeding season there are closures. Keep your distance from the reed belt and from flocks of birds, and only kite where it is designated. That way the area stays open for the years to come too.
For the first safe runs there is hardly a better area than the Rügen Bodden. Plenty of space, shallow water, clean wind. Treat yourself to a weekend on the island, and you will notice how quickly you progress. We are happy to tell you which Bodden works in which wind.