International pro riders share experience first hand with UAE watersports’ enthusiasts
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Abu Dhabi
28 October-02 November, 2025 | Fahid Island
The GKA, GWA and SFT Surf Foil World Tour are to stage clinics for kiting, winging and foiling to enable the international athletes to engage with local school children and experienced watersports enthusiasts.
Each day, on the sidelines of the kite, wing and foiling World Cups at Abu Dhabi, presented by Aldar, the professional athletes will be on hand to introduce groups of children to kiteboarding, wingfoiling or hydrofoiling.
Other daily clinics in the late afternoon are aimed at adults with some experience of any of the three sports. The hour-long clinics will enable the sports enthusiasts to meet the pro athletes to discuss their watersports’ passion.
“With so much action going on here in Abu Dhabi,” said Liam Dredge, “we’re really focusing in with some off-the-water clinics, diving deep into connecting with the riders and connecting with the local community.”
The focus of the groups of school children is to introduce youngsters to watersports they may not have already encountered.
Finely poised
Abu Dhabi is keen to develop the area as a watersports’ hub for the wider UAE community and international enthusiasts who, it hopes, will flock to the Gulf’s warm waters and steady breezes.
Staging the high-profile finish to the wingfoil FreeFly-Slalom year—where the world’s best athletes race around technical courses in a series of short, sharp races—will help underline Abu Dhabi’s ideal conditions for watersports.
The race for the men’s and women’s FreeFly-Slalom titles is finely poised, with Suardiaz and Cappuzzo unable to afford any slip-ups if they are to make it a hat-trick of world titles in Abu Dhabi.
Cappuzzo has the French pair of Bastien Escofet and Julien Rattotti, ranked second and third respectively, breathing down his neck. Each of the pursuers sit on equal points after taking a second and third apiece and are within touching distance of the Italian world champion.
Spot Info: Fahid Island, Abu Dhabi
Wind
Fahid Island is being developed as a purpose-built watersports’ facility and sits next to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island Marina, home of the Formula 1 circuit. The breezes in late October tend to be light-to-moderate, building to between 12 and 18 knots as the day goes on. The wind blows mainly cross-onshore from the north, with the seas remaining mostly flat in the bay sheltered by islands.
Weather
Sea temperatures in October and November are still warm, ranging from 28°C to 31°C, so board shorts and a rashie are all that is necessary on the water. The air temperature ranges from a low of 28°C overnight, to a high of 35°C in the day. Sunrise is at about 06.00 with sunset at about 18.40.
