When you kitesurf, you are actually sailing with a board that has sails attached to it. The board is typically longer than the sailor, making it easier to catch some waves and have some fun!
You can learn how to kitesurf in many different ways depending on your skills and what type of kiting you want to do. Some people start out learning how to ride larger, faster kiteboards before moving down size kite boards or touring kites.
There are plenty of ways to get more comfortable riding a kiteboard. You can take lessons from professional kiter coaches, watch YouTube videos, read tutorials online, talk to other riders – even at beaches where you can practice your new skill!
Practice as soon as possible after getting the kite board so you can understand how to control it and adjust for any conditions.
Learn to control your kiteboard
When you are able to control your board, you can do more things with it! You can ride up or down steep cliffs, surf along shorelines, and even skim across water if there is enough power in your kite.
When learning how to kitesurf, one of the first things you should learn is how to control your kiteboard. This will take practice but can be done quickly as long as you have someone who knows how to help you.
You want to make sure that you only work with professionals for this, however. Make sure they have their licenses, insurance, and know what tricks and maneuvers are.
There are many ways to gain control of your board. The best way depends on the type of riding you like to do.
Learn how to perform tricks
Tricks are one of the most defining characteristics of kitesurfers. There are many types of tricks, but they all have one thing in common – you need a board that is stable and comfortable before you can do them!
Many people learn the wrong way about tricking. They start trying bigger and harder tricks which take more advanced riders or surfers with good enough boards to teach beginners.
Trick types include: backflip, front flip, round off, tabletop, barrel roll, and half-pirouette (also called a nose pick). All of these require different level riders and kiter skills first.
Luckily, there’s no hard and fast rule on when someone becomes capable enough to attempt a trick beyond “when they feel like it!”
But once you do decide to try one, make sure your board is ready. Boards that wobble or lean too much won’t work when you want to pull out all the stops.
Also, know what kind of rider you are so you know if a trick is possible for you! Some riders can only go from standing still to doing something spectacular while others love being active and exploring new things.
Find a kiteboarding group
Finding a kiter community is one of the most important things you will do as a beginner rider. The best way to learn how to kitesurf is by meeting people who already know what doing it looks like!
There are many ways to find riders in your area. You can go to local beaches where kiting is popular, visit parks that have good wind conditions, or search social media sites for groups.
The easiest way to begin is to attend an introductory lesson with experienced riders. This gives you both some basic tips and lessons from someone more advanced so you can keep up and improve.
Once you’re able to ride safely and efficiently, you can start exploring different areas and types of water.
Practice filming yourself
A lot of people begin kiting before learning how to actually ride the board. If you are one of these individuals, you should know that being able to film your riding is a great way to improve your skills!
Many resorts have video production departments that will edit all of your rides for you, creating an online profile or even publishing it directly with social media sites like YouTube and Facebook.
This is totally free to do so there is no excuse not to start practicing your kitesurfing videos now! Get into a short channel shot every time, make sure to be engaging while rolling through the waves, etc.
Once you feel comfortable doing this, try shooting some longer content as well, giving yourself more room to grow in terms of length. Many professional riders use b-roll (the background material) to learn about the sport because they want to see what settings work best at different beaches and around different types of surf.
Overall, investing in quality gear is important since this is the base layer for most kiter’s films.
Become familiar with kiteboarding locations
As mentioned earlier, one of the most fundamental ways to improve your kitesurfing is by becoming more familiar with the beach or surf area you are at!
This means knowing where good takeoff spots are, as well as know which ones are safer for riders and what conditions are ideal. Some best practice is waiting until late afternoon or early evening to ride because this is when the wind is usually up and stable.
Knowing the right areas to go kiting can also help prevent drowning. Many beaches have lifeguard patrols during the hours that people can swim so it’s smart to check out their schedules before heading out.
And don’t forget about current levels either! Never take a risk unless you understand how strong they are and if there are safety measures in place such as swimming flags.
Another important element to learn is whether the water is warm or cold! Winds pick up heat from the sun so being able to identify warmer waters is very helpful in choosing appropriate riding temperatures.
Buy a good kite
A kite is an integral part of any board rider’s equipment. There are many different brands that offer various levels of performance, but no matter what kind you buy, one thing will always remain the same!
That is, they will all pull your leg up.
A lot of people think that only professional boarders need to invest in expensive kites, but this isn’t true at all. Even if you’re just learning how to ride, you should be buying a beginner level kite.
The reason for this is so you can get some really great riding experiences without spending too much money. This way, you won’t have to worry about investing more money later when you want to purchase something better.
There are also lots of great kites out there that don’t cost very much, which makes it easier to start off on the right foot.
Play with power
When you kitesurf, your goal is to have fun! Therefore, one of the important things to do is to enjoy yourself and be having more fun every time you ride.
The best way to achieve this is by practicing good kiting skills. One of these is playing with power.
Power means using enough force when pulling or pushing through on your board while riding. The amount of power you use can depend on the type of rider you are and the area you want to improve upon.
For example, some riders may need less power when pumping up their back foot so that they slide forward more easily. Others may need more power to really get going and feel comfortable while riding.
There are many ways to practice power in kitesurfing. You can try different types of boards, areas, and levels to find what works for you.
Practice landing
Landing is one of the most fundamental kitesurfing moves, but it can be tricky for beginners. When you kitesurf, there’s always someone else doing the work for you!
Landing is when your board “bounces” down after hitting the water or shore. This happens because the surface you hit has some elasticity in it (like foam paddles!), so the board bounces up a little before coming to rest.
The trick is making sure that your momentum is stopped before the bounce, otherwise you will hurt yourself by slamming into the ground or another person.
Practice landing just like riding a bicycle — start with no wheels and see how quickly you can make it through the air and come back down!
Many people learn this the hard way by hurting themselves before they figure out how to do it without trouble.
