Maksim Slivka
I’ve just spent a fantastic week at AWS, and I can confidently say it was an unforgettable experience. The staff’s hospitality, the excellent food, and the stunning location in such a beautiful region all contributed to making my stay truly special. Before arriving, I had a few concerns that others might share—namely: I was traveling alone, I was an absolute beginner in water sports, and my chosen sport (kitesurfing) is highly weather-dependent. I’d like to address each of these for anyone considering a trip to AWS. NO PROBLEM TRAVELING SOLO Coming to the camp alone turned out to be no issue at all. Many others were also traveling solo, and we quickly formed a large, international group. My impression is that people who choose camps like this tend to be open and friendly, which made it easy to connect and socialize. BEGINNER-FRIENDLY AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT As a complete beginner, I felt completely supported. Our group included people who had never touched a board before (myself included), as well as those with some prior experience. We were divided into smaller groups based on skill level, which made learning comfortable and paced appropriately. The instructors were incredibly patient, supportive, and attentive—I genuinely feel that I learned a lot during just two kiting sessions. WEATHER CHALLENGES HANDLED GRACEFULLY Kitesurfing, as expected, is dependent on wind conditions. Unfortunately, we only had two windy days during my stay. However, the way the staff handled this was exceptional. We were encouraged to try other available courses and could switch activities up to a day in advance. I ended up spending quite a bit of time wakeboarding at the Wake Park (a great kitesurfing substitute), and also tried stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and windsurfing. During the windsurfing session, weather conditions became unfavorable and we had to stop after an hour—I was only charged for that hour, which I really appreciated. At the end of the week, the administration recalculated all the session costs, especially since kitesurfing is the most expensive activity. I was reimbursed for the price differences without having to ask. This level of transparency and fairness truly stood out. FINAL THOUGHTS My week at AWS exceeded expectations. As a beginner, I learned a ton, tried new activities, met amazing people, and—most importantly—fell in love with water sports. I’m already looking forward to coming back next year.