Kiteboarding Lessons: Do I need them?

Kiteboarding lessons, do I need them? Short answer: yes.

Kiteboarding when you don’t know what you’re doing is pretty dangerous. Reckless kiting can put yourself, other kiters out on the water, and passers by on the beach in danger.

Just as you wouldn’t drive down a highway without taking driving lessons, you need to be taught how to fly a kite from someone who really knows their stuff. Preferably someone qualified and certified by the IKA, with a clean record.

In Cabarete, you’ll find plenty of kiteboarding schools with skilled, friendly instructors to help you take your first tentative steps into this exciting sport.

Taking lessons will equip you with essential know-how. There’s a lot to stay on top of in this sport. It’s called an extreme sport for a reason.

What will I learn in Kiteboarding lessons?

Learning how to fly the kite and move it with control through different positions in the wind window is essential. Kite control is a key factor deciding how you fare out in the water.

You’ll be taught on the beach first, likely with a smaller training kite. These depower very easily so are forgiving when you make mistakes.

Learners need to get to grips with the science of the sport, and how the direction of the wind works to power your kite.

The horizontal plane is discussed in terms of numbers on a clock, where 12 o’clock is straight ahead of you and 3 o’clock is 90 degrees to your right. The vertical plane is discussed in degrees. For instance, the most powered up point in the wind window is at 12 o’clock at 45 degrees.

Once you’ve mastered the training kite, you’ll move onto sand skiing and body dragging through the water.

After you’ve shown you can skilfully control the kite, you can start learning to board.