Don't worry if you don't have bulging biceps and a degree in aerobics. All you really need is a whole lot of courage to lie down on one of these wooden boards and zoom down the dunes at 80 km per hour towards the Atlantic coast in Namibia.
Duneboarding in Swakopmund is popular among Namibian children as well as young Australians, Americans and Europeans, but anyone can try it out. Duneboarding expert Beth Sarro and her four instructors equip you with a helmet, elbow guards and gloves and then explain how it works:
You position yourself at the edge of the dune, lie face down on the board, take a deep breath and then someone pushes you off. You careen down the sandy slopes at breath-taking speed, and after just 30 seconds you're at the bottom. You brake by pressing your toes into the sand and lifting up the board. The worst thing that can happen is that you fall off - and land in a lovely pile of soft sand. The quickest way to get back up the hill is to follow the tracks made by others before you.
If you want to take a break at the top, you'll be rewarded with perfect blue skies and a view to the endless golden dunes. You can also observe the local "wildlife" - black basket bugs, lizards, and lichen that nourishes itself from the moisture of the Atlantic mist. To master the basics, people usually start on the training runs "Little Nellie" and "Birgit" and then move to increasingly challenging slopes.. Three hours going up and down the dunes goes by in a flash.
On a tandem, all the front person has to do is hope like mad that the other person knows how to steer and brake. Standing up solo on the board requires some balancing talent, although snowboarders and surfers are usually quite adept. With a bit of practice, inexperienced boarders can also learn to glide elegantly down the slopes.
After the last run at 12:30, participants are served a lunch with chilled beverages and sandwiches.
A dune boarding trip can be booked separately or as part of a tour package by African Desk. Send your ideas to
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and we’ll send you a complete, no obligation quotation.
Don't worry if you don't have bulging biceps and a degree in aerobics. All you really need is a whole lot of courage to lie down on one of these wooden boards and zoom down the dunes at 80 km per hour towards the Atlantic coast in Namibia.
You position yourself at the edge of the dune, lie face down on the board, take a deep breath and then someone pushes you off. You careen down the sandy slopes at breath-taking speed, and after just 30 seconds you're at the bottom. You brake by pressing your toes into the sand and lifting up the board. The worst thing that can happen is that you fall off - and land in a lovely pile of soft sand. The quickest way to get back up the hill is to follow the tracks made by others before you.
If you want to take a break at the top, you'll be rewarded with perfect blue skies and a view to the endless golden dunes. You can also observe the local "wildlife" - black basket bugs, lizards, and lichen that nourishes itself from the moisture of the Atlantic mist. To master the basics, people usually start on the training runs "Little Nellie" and "Birgit" and then move to increasingly challenging slopes.. Three hours going up and down the dunes goes by in a flash. 
On a tandem, all the front person has to do is hope like mad that the other person knows how to steer and brake. Standing up solo on the board requires some balancing talent, although snowboarders and surfers are usually quite adept. With a bit of practice, inexperienced boarders can also learn to glide elegantly down the slopes. 
