14 Steps to learn kitesurfing
MCK Tulum • May 15, 2017
Because learning how to kite is a linear process, not one hour magic lesson.
Kitesurfing is not a sport that can be learned in one or two hours. It demands a bunch of hours of training. But above all, it demands going step by step mastering one exercise at a time. At the end of this learning process you will kite safely on your own.
One of the most asked questions is: How long it takes to learn kitesurfing?
This question depends on different factors: the student skills, the wind conditions and the sea conditions, among others. Approximately, it takes from 3 to 4 hours to get to the board stage and between 9 to 12 hours of training to become an independent kiteboarder.
Every student is different and has a different rhythm. If you have excellent skills and you are “a natural”, you will learn very fast. If not, don’t worry, the learning process will take a little longer for you. Go step by step. Focus on what you are doing, listen to your instructor and you will end up kiting.
We manage to put together this 14 step kitesurfing program
,
so you can know exactly where you are in your learning process:
1) KITE & WIND THEORY
This is an important part of the course, sometimes overlooked because people is not very much into theory. But completely necessary to set up the foundation of a good kitesurfer. It is a must to learn 3 basic things:
- Where the wind comes from?
- Wind directions in relation to shore and which one is better to kitesurf; and
- The wind window theory
2) KITE & LINES SET UP
Pumping the kite and connecting the lines properly before launching are essential steps to fly the kite.
Seems easy, right? But if you don't pay attention to your kite lines the kite can fly wrong and result in an accident.
(Extended explanation here)
3) INNER-WORKINGS OF THE BAR & SAFETY SYSTEM
Learning how to use the bar and its de-power system will help you to give more or less power to the kite.
It's crucial to understand and learn the 3 safety systems of the kite. Despite of the differences between kites and brands, more or less the security systems are the same.
- Release the bar
- The chicken loop quick release, to de-power the kite; and
- The safety leash quick release, to detach the kite from the rider (just when necessary)
(Extended explanation here)
4) SELF RESCUE TECHNIQUE
This technique is what you do to bring yourself back to shore in case you had a problem with the equipment or the wind just dropped while you are out there. By holding the kite by both wingtips you form a sail that will pull you downwind into shore.
5) INLAND KITE CONTROL
Mastering kite control in the sand is one of the most important steps, because kiteboarding is 80% kite control.
In this stage you need to control the kite flying with two hands and with just one hand, which will help you when going into the water holding the kite and the board at the same time.
6) BODY DRAG UPWIND
Body dragging is the process of using the kite to propel you through the water in a desired direction without the use of a board.
7) POWER STROKES
Here you will learn how to give power to the kite to pull you out of the water. It is a necessary exercise to know what will you do to stand up on the board in the next step.
8) WATER START WITH ASSISTANCE
After 3 or 4 hours of lessons, more or less, you will be ready for the board part. The most wanted step by all the students and maybe one of the most difficult. With a board on your feet you will use power strokes to get you up on the board and riding. An instructor will be in the water just behind you grabbing your harness to control your power and assisting you in those first attempts.
9) WATER START SOLO
Once you are confident enough to try water start by yourself, the instructor will guide you from the shore.
10) RIDE DOWNWIND
Mastering the water start will take you directly to ride downwind. This would be the time when you feel you are kiting for the first time. This would be the time when you realize you are stocked for life.
In this stage you will ride downwind alone and safe. During this process your instructor will guide you and assist you from the shore. After each downwind ride, you will have to walk back along the beach, which is called "the walk of shame". But don't worry, all of us did it at some point in our kitesurfing lives.
11) RIDE UPWIND
Riding upwind is the key to becoming a kitesurfer. It is what separates beginners from advanced riders. It basically means you will ride against the wind, zigzagging along the water.
12) TRANSITIONS
Once you can ride both ways (downwind and upwind) you will learn transitions to change directions. The sliding transition is the first one you will perform without putting your butt into the water.
13) JUMPS
After riding both ways and transitioning smoothly you will get into jumps if you desire. Some kitesurfers don't need to jump, they just want to ride all along the beach without any complications. Specially, if they have some kind of knees or back injuries, due to the strong pressure when landing in the water.
Learning to jump or wave riding can be done at the same time. You don't need to jump in order to surf the waves with your kite. They are two different and independent ways of kitesurfing.
14) WAVE RIDING
Learning how to surf the waves with an strapless surf board using your kite is a great experience. But, strapless kitesurfing is much more than waves, many jumps and tricks can be learned with your surf board if this way of kiting is what you want to learn and practice.
We are passionate about strapless kitesurfing and we love to share the passion with our students.
This is just the basic program to learn kitesurfing in our kite school in Tulum. Each of these steps will be explained in detail in future posts to help you understand much better every stage of the course. Feel free to ask any possible question about it.
See you soon in the water!
Learn Strapless Kitesurfing in Tulum Mexico
Standup Paddleboarding: What It Is and How to Get Started
Because knowing the safety systems for kitesurfing will solve any situation or problem you may have kiting, avoiding being dragged away by your kite & avoiding causing any accident.
It's about how a good instructor can make the difference when learning to kitesurf.
Why it is essential to pump the kite and connect the lines properly
Why a good introduction to kite & wind theory is "A MUST" if you really want to learn kitesurf
Some important things to have in mind when planning your next kitesurfing holidays in the Mexican Caribbean
About our brand new web site mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com
It is essential to take kite lessons with a certified instructor. Why? The main reason is that being an action sport with many variables, you can get involve in extreme situations where you have to apply all the knowledge of wind, body position, kite control, security systems, etc. So, it is very important and necessary to know all the rules of kitesurfing and all safety techniques before starting to navigate on your own. Now, we'll give you three more good reasons to take kitesurfing lessons: 1. For safety. And not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of other riders and swimmers in the area. Kitesurfing should not be underestimated. A bad learning can expose you and those around you to a serious accident. Taking the course, you will learn the techniques of kite safety, principles of wind and the necessary conditions to start riding without accidents. If you learn safety rules properly and follow them, you’ll never have any problem. 2. Because you learn faster and better. When you learn kitesurfing with a certified instructor, you do it in much less time and much better than if you do it on your own through the principle of “trial and error”. Principle that not only take you longer to master the sport but very possibly you end up injured. By learning on your own you expose yourself to unnecessary risks. 3. Because you learn with the school equipment. You don’t need to spend money on kite equipment to learn kitesurfing, because you learn with the school gear, with the latest technology and security systems all in perfect conditions. Kiteboarding equipments are not cheap and if you buy one before you have an idea about kitesurfing you will probably make a mistake buying one kite inappropriate for someone starting out. It is best to learn with the school equipment and once completed the course, you ask advice to your instructor about the material that suits you. The best thing you can do is take a kitesurfing course to become an independent rider. The course will allow you to go to any beach, decide the most appropriate kite size according to wind conditions and start riding on your own without problems. In kitesurfing, like in all sports, the more you practice the better you will be. So, if you were thinking of starting kiteboarding and also want a vacation in Tulum contact our school (Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf) and if you are looking for the best place to stay in Tulum beach while learning to sail, your place is Ahau Tulum. Waiting for you here!
For us kitesurfing is not only an extreme sport but also one of the best exercises for our body and our mind. We have made some research in various online publications and below we explain the 10 benefits that the continued practice of kitesurfing can bring to your physical and mental health: # 1 – Tones your body, especially the upper area, arms and abdomen. Strengthening your abdominal area makes a physical improvement of the abductors and legs too. You increase the strength in your arms by holding, the kite in legs by bending over the table to ride, and the muscles of the hands by grabbing the bar. # 2 – Kitesurfing combines aerobics and resistance exercises. This combination is perfect for keeping a balance weight, molding your figure and gaining physical strength, very important to have a healthy heart. # 3 – As you have to keep the kite in the air with one hand while you enter the water grabbing the board with the other hand, and when riding you are focused on several tasks at once, your coordination and your concentration improve. # 4 – Also riding on the board is great to improve your balance. # 5 – With any sport you eliminate stress, but if it is an extreme sport adrenaline rushes are much higher, creating a great feeling of wellness. # 6 – In turn, stress reduction automatically strengthens your immune system and allows you to have a stronger health. # 7 – The way of navigation and jumping in kitesurf, in which you have to constantly make decisions about movement and position of the bar, body, board, etc, makes you resolve difficult situations on the water, increasing your reflexes and reaction capacity. # 8 – Like any sport in which you interact with the environment, kitesurfing fosters respect for the ocean, animals and nature in general, as well as makes you breathe fresh air away from the city smock. # 9 – When you practice kitesurf inevitably you meet more kitesurfers on the beaches, which helps you to interact with people with common interests and tastes, improves your relationships and your ability to communicate. And most important, you know a group of people whom you can talk freely about your passion. # 10 – Finally, we can say that kitesurfing allows you to experience new sensations, like the feeling of flying, increasing your level of happiness. In this passing life we are here to try to be as happy as we can. So … What are you waiting to learn kitesurfing? The more you practice the fitter and happier you will be.
