New water sport attracts tourists to Diani beach

Local and international tourists are flocking to Diani Beach thanks to a new water sport known as fly-boarding.

Introduced in East Africa recently, the sport has turned the beach into the best destination for holidaymakers. A fly board is a type of jet pack or hover board that supplies propulsion to drive the fly board through air or water to perform a sport known as fly-boarding.

Fly board enthusiasts say the latest motorised water sport in the world creates excitement and magic.

James Thuku, one of those overseeing the introduction of fly-boarding in Kenya, said, “The pressure of the water coming through the hose to the boots shoves you up and you are basically gliding and flying on water.”

However, fly-boarders are required to know how to swim even though there are marshals to help those who face difficulties.

“We provide safety equipment such as life jackets. However, it is good for one to know how to swim. You should not have a phobia for water as we launch into the deep sea. However, there is always a guide to help in case there is a need,” he added.

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Apart from the fly board, there is also the jet ski, a 90 horsepower engine that enables riders to glide on water up to 40 miles per hour. It is easier to use a jet ski than a fly board because it is automatic.

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Rahab Wanjiru, another enthusiast, says fly-boarding has contributed immensely to tourism and improved business.

“We want to take the sport to other regions as it continues to gain popularity,” she said yesterday.

Mr Thuku said the number of tourists thronging the beach on weekends and holidays to take part in the sport was increasing each day.

The fly board was invented in 2012 by a French watercraft rider, Franky Zapata who was later granted a patent for his invention. The design allows the device to climb out of the water and be stable in the air.

According to Internet sources, the device was presented to the public for the first time at the Jet Ski World Championship 2012 in China.

A fly board is a bolt-on device that is attached to a Personal Water Craft (PWC). It is designed so that the PWC follows behind the rider's trail, allowing the rider multiple degrees of freedom, even allowing the rider to go underwater if they desire.

A fly boarder stands on a board connected by a long hose to a watercraft. Water is forced under pressure to a pair of boots with jet nozzles underneath, which provide thrust for the rider to fly up to 15 metres in the air, or to dive headlong through the water down to over two metres.

water jets

The pilot on the fly board is secured by bindings similar to a wake board and the rider is propelled from water jets below the device.

The fly board is buoyant for safety, which also allows the rider to rest in the water between rides if they happen to tire.

The use of a personal flotation device and helmet is required for safety against serious head trauma in the event the rider collides with the PWC or stationary structures, and to protect the ears from damage and discomfort from impact with the water.

The device is controlled by a throttle on the PWC. The equipment may be used in two modes: the primary mode requires two people, one to control the PWC throttle that regulates the power and height of the rider. The secondary one relies on an accessory called an electronic management kit, which allows the rider to control the PWC throttle.

The first Flyboard World Championships were held in Doha, Qatar, in October 2012.

In the 2015 season of America's Got Talent, Damone Rippy, a fly board enthusiast, performed fly-boarding on the show.