If you haven't tried kiteboarding, you’ve got to take a lesson. You will never be sorry. Arizona Lou says, "Kiteboarding is the most awesome thing I've ever done." Riding and jumping with a wake board, being propelled only by the wind gives an unimaginable rush – and you are in control – not the driver of some smelly, noisy boat.
Video: 4:07
Progression Beginner 2nd Edition by IKO - a good beginners' video.
Kiteboarding does not require much strength as the pull of the kite is on your harness instead of your arms. Mostly you need skill in controlling the power of the kite. Also it is gentle on your knees, as your typical board speed is 10-15 miles per hour (mph).
When you take lessons your instructor provides you with equipment appropriate for the conditions and your size. You will typically follow this sequence:
Your first lesson may be with a small (2x5’)
trainer kite
Practice with a cheap two-line stunt kite and you may be able to skip this lesson.
on land where you learn how to control it, about the power zone, the wind window, and the neutral zone.
Then with a
traction kite
(from the word tractor, which is what we call any kite that is designed to pull you)
you will learn proper rigging, the safety systems, to hook and unhook from your harness and how to re-launch the kite when it gets down in the water
Next you will have a chance to sample the real power of the kite by body dragging. This is where you experience controlling the kite while it pulls you through the water.
Then it is time to put a board on your feet and see how you do!
We do not give lessons, unless someone twists our arm very hard.
If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish it all in one day and maybe be up and doing some riding. However, most people spread it out over 3 or so days.
You say, but I am large klutz. Why would I want kiteboard? No problem. Just get a kite appropriate for your size and have fun.
Here are the Top Ten Myths About Kiteboarding, and if you are worried, you ride on the water and not dangling up in the air. No boat anywhere around is needed for this sport. However, you can do awesome jumps. We are currently trying to improve the consistency and height of our jumps, as well as increasing our hang time. How high do we go? Sometimes about 15 feet, but more consistently about 8 feet. Just give us wind, and water!
To find schools with which we are familiar go to our Shops & Links. For schools worldwide go to Kitesurfing Schools.org. This website also contains a wealth of other kiteboarding information. We are a
PASA
Professional Air Sports Association
Certified Kiteboard Instructor. Click for our documentation page, including our lesson plans.
Instruction Communication Helmet: We did extensive testing and came up with a combination that sounds better and is more dependable than the expensive Headzone system. You do not have to use the radios as specified below but this combination will give the best sound quality. To properly position the Motorola speakers at the ear openings of our hockey helmet, it was necessary to drill small holes for the Tie-wraps.
Parts List
(1) Helmet that covers the ears, but with openings by the ears for hearing
(1) FSR: Uniden GMR1235 radio for the instructor to use
(2) FSR: Motorola T4500 Talk-About to attach to the helmet
(2) Radio pouches: Dollar Tree cell phone pouches with the plastic belt clips removed
(2) Tie-wraps (zip ties) to attach the radio pouches to the helmet
(3) Non-lubricated condoms for waterproofing the radios. Use new condoms each time, but, of course, you already know to do that!
Headzone Radio Helmet is a boon to intermediate and advanced instruction, but pretty pricy at about $600 for a kit with shipping to the US. Also they seem not be too dependable.
Jump Theory with Jeff Howard and the Incredible Hulk
Load & Pop - the first skill for jumpping
Six Keys To Send It Big , with Matt Myers from Broneah Kiteboarding and Kiteboarding Magazine
Dimitri's Jump Tips: get some board speed with the kite at about a 45 degree angle, then do in rapid 1-2-3 sequence:
send the kite
carve the board upwind
pop or jump up
Jump Jibe with Down-Loop and other lesson notes 6/11/2010 with Brian at
KHK
Kitty Hawk Kites kiteboarding center in Rodanthe, NC.
:
The progression of the lesson Dimetri's jump sequence, in rapid sequence: get some board speed with the kite at about a 45 degree angle, then do in rapid secquence, as 1-2-3:
send the kite
carve the board upwind
pop or jump up
included:
Jumps - board speed; send the kite earlier
Jump jibes -
edge the board farther upwind, almost to the point of stopping
Send the kite just before that point
Pop the board off the water when the kite is at 12:00 (overhead)
Pause the kite at 12:00 before bringing it down in the new direction
Jump Jibe with kite down loop (looping the kite is all about commitment)
Do the same with the board as with jump jibes
Down-loop the kite (pull bar w front hand) at the apex of the jump
Point the board downwind and ride away
Down-looping the kite will turn a regular jump into a jibe due to the direction of the pull of the kite
Jibe toe-to-heal-side with kite down-loop
Jump to toe-side
Down-loop the kite (pull bar w front hand)
Follow the kite with the board carving to heal-side
Keep the board pointed at the kite
Jibe heal-to-toe-side with kite down-loop (more difficult)
Down-loop the kite (pull bar w front hand)
Follow the kite with the board carving to toe-side
Point the board at the kite
Dig in the toes more
Turn the hips in the direction of your carve
We also discussed doing back rolls, but did not have time to try any, as the jet ski got coughed in too-shallow water. Also the lesson started a little late (my fault due to injuring my arm on a hat wire in the morning.
Wave Riding
20 wave-riding tips
Here are Kiteboarding magazine’s top 20 wave-riding tips after four days of sage-like guidance from wave master Ben Wilson.
1. If you are rolled by a wave, let the bar out; don’t steer the kite while disoriented.
2. When body dragging in for your board, point your kite away from shore when waves roll through.
3. Always turn your kite before you turn your board.
4. If you want to stay on a wave, keep the kite low.
5. If you lose tension in your lines, grab the front lines above the bar and pull or push the bar out if you have additional depower range.
6. In light side-on wind conditions, double your wave count by riding waves upwind. ??
7. Move your back foot up on the board and over the rail to maximize upwind efficiency and the volume of your board. ??
8. Pick a wave early so you can feel it out as it shapes up.
9. It’s better to be too far upwind on a wave than too far downwind.
10. Visualize what you think the wave is going to do before you ride it.
11. When riding unhooked, grab the bar with your front hand with the chickenloop in between your index and middle fingers.
12. Make sure your lines are tuned so you cannot over-sheet when pulling the bar all the way in.
13. Lower your center of gravity for better balance, especially when dropping into a wave.
14. Suck up and be light on the board when going over whitewash.
15. To enhance upwind performance, turn your torso so it is over the chickenloop.
16. Only wear a seat harness in the waves if you have back problems.
17. If overpowered when unhooked, grab the chickenloop with both hands and hook back in.
18. When learning to ride strapless, start by taking just the back strap off of the board.
19. When riding unhooked in sideshore to side-on conditions, once the kite is parked, make subtle adjustments to the kite.
20. If the whitewash is too big to get over, consider chicken jibing — decide early, rather than too late.
Question: What to do with the kite if we accidentally catch a wave so the lines do not slacken??
Repair tips
Most kite repair is simply the application of good sense. Here are a few ideas we have picked up:
The best way to fix a blow-out is to use old bladder material as a patch
Use generous amounts of neoprene cement or vinyl repair adhesive with the bladder patch
Use self-stick repair patches on small areas
Before pulling the bladder into the kite:
Put the bladder in something like a plastic grocery bag and shake it around with some talcum powder
Tuck the front end of the bladder into itself so it will easily fill the sleeve space in front of the valve when inflated
It is not necessary to have everything bone dry before gluing or reinstalling the bladder. Wiping it well is OK.
