Cairo Water Sports are Turning our Nile into a Giant Playground

Okay, first things first - swimming in the Nile in Cairo does NOT cause immediate death through bilharizia (as in, stagnant water). It's just like being in any other body of water, and we're quoting Emma Benany on that. Benany, along with Hany Anwar and Rafaat Rashad, are ex-national and international rowers and founders of the one year old Cairo Water Sports company. As you can imagine, they specialize in providing a variety of water sports activities in Cairo, specifically on the Nile.

"Rowing as a sport has been neglected for a long time, and we Egyptians were the first to invent it in the first place!" Benany told CairoScene. "We are a country that has two seas and the longest river in the world yet these water sports are unpopular! We wanted to give access to the people to enjoy the beauty of the Nile and water sports without the usual restriction the other clubs have, and from here came the idea of opening this school."

From their base at the Greek Rowing Club on the Dokki corniche, CWS offers rowing classes starting from absolute beginner abilities to advanced lessons, and if you're good enough they give you opportunities to compete internationally. They also have kayaking as either high performance training or recreation, dragon boating (where you learn to ride a traditional Chinese boat), stand up paddles and full windsurfing courses, all of which can be easily booked through their Facebook page @cairo.watersports.

"I think the biggest benefit is that it makes you experience serenity in a city that is usually crazy, the peace of mind you get from being around the water and also training is incomparable to anything else" Benany said. "The workout is never boring, ever! You move all the time, you change views and get a fresh breeze of air.”

And if you're worried about safety protocols, there is always a coach on-board; they provide life jackets for any of the riskier sports, and there is a motor boat with certified maritime keeper (بحّار) nearby.

Prices per hour per person are Rowing - 200 EGP, Kayak - 150 EGP, Dragon Boat - 100 EGP and for the full Windsurfing Course - 1,500 EGP.