Caribbean
Tomaz Belina
Founder of Kiteboarding Cruise
People often ask me how Kiteboarding Cruise started.
The answer was not a business plan or a marketing idea.
It started with a simple question while sitting on a beach in Croatia:
Why are we spending so much time trying to reach kite spots from land when we could use a boat to reach places that are quiet, safe and otherwise difficult to access?
That question eventually became Kiteboarding Cruise.
Before Kiteboarding Cruise
By profession, I am a civil engineer.
Before starting Kiteboarding Cruise, I worked as a construction site manager.
Water, however, had already been a big part of my life for many years.
I spent 16 years as a competitive swimmer before discovering windsurfing. Windsurfing eventually led me towards sailing, and during my civil engineering studies I worked as a skipper during the summers and between exams.
Those weeks at sea helped me finance my living costs, but I also genuinely enjoyed taking people on weekly sailing trips and showing them places they would not normally discover on their own.
At that time, most of those trips were along the Croatian coast.
After graduating, I started working as a construction site manager and continued in that profession until 2010.
Learning to Kiteboard
In 2010, the construction industry went through a very difficult period.
Many people, including me, suddenly found themselves without work.
At the same time, we had our first child and unexpectedly had much more free time on our hands.
I decided that it was finally the right moment to learn kiteboarding.
At that time, there were no proper instructors nearby, at least not where we lived, so I was mostly self-taught.
As I progressed, I became completely addicted to the sport.
Every chance to ride became an excuse to search for another beach and another possible kiteboarding spot.
The Moment the Idea Was Born
One day, my partner and I were sitting on a beach and talking about kiteboarding in Croatia.
Croatia has an enormous and beautiful coastline, but at the same time it can be surprisingly limited for kiteboarding.
You cannot simply launch from every beach.
Many locations are unsuitable, crowded or difficult to reach. Some of the most interesting areas are almost impossible to access from land.
While we were sitting there, a simple idea appeared.
I already had many years of sailing experience in the region.
Why not connect sailing and kiteboarding?
The idea was not really about sailing for the sake of sailing.
The boat would be the tool that allowed us to reach quiet, private and untouched locations that riders could not easily reach from shore.
It could carry all the equipment, move with the weather and provide safety and support with the dinghy.
That afternoon, on that beach, the idea for Kiteboarding Cruise was born.
Turning the Idea Into Reality
At the time, nobody we knew was offering this kind of holiday.
We had no proof that people would want it and no example to copy.
We simply believed strongly that combining a catamaran with kiteboarding could create one of the best holidays possible.
It took time to work out the concept, build the first website, plan the routes and start looking for customers.
Finally, in 2013, we sold and operated our first few kiteboarding cruise weeks in Croatia.
Those first guests confirmed what we had hoped:
The concept worked.
Looking Beyond Croatia
Croatia is a beautiful sailing destination, but its strongest kiteboarding conditions are mainly concentrated in July and August.
After the success of the first cruises, I started looking for destinations with stronger wind probability and a longer season.
Greece was the natural next step.
It was relatively close, offered excellent summer wind conditions and had a season that could extend from late spring or early summer through to October.
We began operating kiteboarding cruises in Greece in the summer of 2014.
Later that same year, in December 2014, we ran our first cruise in the Grenadines.
From that point onward, Kiteboarding Cruise developed into a year-round operation.
We could follow the seasons instead of waiting for them:
Summer in the Mediterranean and winter in the Caribbean.
From Coastal Sailing to Offshore Passages
Expanding beyond Croatia also meant that I had to upgrade my skills as a skipper.
Sailing weekly trips along a familiar coastline is one thing. Navigating across the Mediterranean or crossing the Atlantic Ocean is something completely different.
These longer passages require a much broader set of skills.
Route planning becomes more important because the nearest safe harbour may be many hours, or even several days, away.
Weather forecasting is no longer only about deciding where to kite the next day. It becomes part of choosing when to depart, which route to take and whether conditions are safe for the boat and crew.
Offshore sailing also means sailing through the night, organising watches and continuing to make good decisions while the boat is moving around the clock.
You also need to understand how the boat works.
When something breaks in the middle of the sea, there may be nobody nearby to help. You need to diagnose the problem, make repairs and find practical solutions with the tools and spare parts available on board.
Managing energy becomes essential as well.
Batteries, solar panels, generators, navigation equipment, refrigeration, communication systems and the watermaker all consume power. Their use needs to be monitored and planned throughout the passage.
The same applies to fuel, fresh water, food and spare parts. Everything needs to be calculated before departure because you cannot simply stop at the next shop in the middle of the Atlantic.
Over the years, longer Mediterranean passages and Atlantic crossings gradually taught me these skills.
This experience did more than allow us to move the boats between destinations. It also made me a better skipper during our normal cruises.
Understanding weather, boat systems, energy use, maintenance and offshore planning helps us prevent problems before they happen and make safer, more practical decisions throughout every trip.
More Than Ten Years Later
Today, the original idea remains the same.
The catamaran is not the destination.
It is the tool that allows us to reach places most people never see.
It lets us move according to the forecast, anchor close to the riding areas, carry all the equipment and explore several islands without packing and unpacking every day.
It also allows us to provide direct support with the dinghy, reach quieter locations and spend more time on the water instead of driving between beaches.
The boats have changed.
The destinations have expanded.
The company has grown.
But the idea that started on that beach in Croatia has never changed.
Still Personally Involved
I am still personally involved in the trips and in the operation of the boats.
Depending on the season, you may find me skippering, planning routes, checking the forecast, maintaining the boats, helping guests choose equipment or discussing the next day’s conditions.
Remaining involved on the water keeps the company practical and keeps the information on this website connected to what really happens during the cruises.
Why I Write These Guides
Everything I write for this website is based on firsthand experience.
I do not write as a travel journalist or someone researching destinations from a desk.
I write as someone who has spent years sailing these routes, checking forecasts, adapting itineraries, helping beginners, supporting experienced riders and seeing what actually makes a trip work.
Conditions change.
Every group is different.
That is why I try to explain the real advantages, limitations and trade-offs instead of giving everyone the same answer.
My goal is to make this website a genuinely useful resource for anyone considering a kiteboarding or wing-foiling holiday by catamaran.
If these guides help you choose the right destination, boat or type of cruise, they have done their job.
Even if the honest conclusion is that our trips are not the right fit for you.
A Few Facts About Me
- Founder of Kiteboarding Cruise since 2013
- Civil engineer by profession
- Former construction site manager
- Competitive swimmer for 16 years
- Windsurfer before becoming a kitesurfer
- Worked as a skipper while studying civil engineering
- Mostly self-taught in kiteboarding in 2010
- Operating kiteboarding cruises in Croatia since 2013
- Operating kiteboarding cruises in Greece since 2014
- Operating kiteboarding cruises in the Caribbean since 2014
- Experienced in Mediterranean passages and Atlantic crossings
- Still actively involved in route planning, boats and cruise operations
Articles by Tomaz Belina
These guides are written to help you make the main decisions before booking a kiteboarding or wing-foiling cruise.
Which Destination Is Right for Me?
Compare Greece, Antigua and the Grenadines and decide which experience best matches your preferred season and travel style.
Which Catamaran Is Right for Me?
Understand the real differences between SMART, SPACIOUS and PREMIUM catamarans.
Shared or Private Cruise?
Learn which option works best for solo travellers, couples, families and private groups.
Will My Partner Enjoy This Holiday?
See what a non-kiting partner can expect from a week aboard.
Is This a Good Family Holiday?
A practical guide for parents considering a catamaran cruise with children or teenagers.
Why Guests Keep Coming Back
Discover what makes some guests return five, six or even twelve times.
