Flyboard Experience in Hurghada

A flyboard is a platform connected by a long hose to a jet ski. The jet ski pushes water down the hose, the board redirects it through nozzles under your feet, and you rise out of the sea. It looks impossible and it is learnable in about five minutes.

Your instructor controls the throttle from the water beside you at first, which is the reason beginners get airborne so quickly - you only have to think about balance, not power.

What actually happens

We collect you in an air-conditioned vehicle and take you to the launch point. You get a safety and technique briefing on land, then a helmet and life jacket, then you are in the water. Almost everyone spends the first minute face-first in the sea, which is expected and part of it. Most people are standing steadily within five minutes and can hold a hover at one to two meters by the end of the session.

Your flight time is 10 to 15 minutes. That does not sound like much until you have done it - it is physically demanding, and by the end of it your legs will tell you so.

Good to know before you book

• The whole outing takes about an hour, with a maximum of 10 people per session.
• You should be able to swim and be comfortable in open water.
• Not suitable during pregnancy, or with back, neck, shoulder or knee injuries. Please tell us about any of these in advance.
• Contact lenses will not survive the first fall. Wear glasses with a strap, or nothing.
• Transfers from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh and El Ahyaa carry a $5 per person supplement; from Safaga and El Gouna the supplement is $10.
• Photography and video are not included - and this is one activity where hiring the video is genuinely worth considering, because nobody on shore will get a usable shot on a phone.

Realistic expectations

You will not be doing backflips. Reaching a stable hover a couple of meters above the water on your first session is a good result, and that is what the instructor will aim you at.

$90 per person (regular price $120), including equipment, instructor and air-conditioned transfer.