How long it takes to learn kitesurfing? A practical guide

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO LEARN KITESURFING?

Are you wondering how long it takes to learn kitesurfing? This is probably one of the most common questions and the answer is “it depends”. There is no fixed number of hours or days of class since the time it takes you to learn will depend on your skills, the conditions of the place where you learn, the quality, continuity and modality of the classes. Therefore, you should be suspicious of anyone who says you are going to learn in 2 days or 6 hours of class as it always DEPENDS!

Let’s see in detail what it depends on:

-Firstly, the skill of the student is a must when we talk about learning kitesurfing. Although kitesurfing is a sport for all ages, children and adolescents have greater ease and also those people who already practice some other similar sport (paragliding, snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, etc.)

-Secondly, the spot conditions are also very important. There are places where it is easier to learn than others. If you take classes in a place with flat water, where you stand, with constant winds and few people, you will learn faster than in a place where there are waves and strong winds.

-Thirdly, the quality of the lessons will determine the progress of the students. If you take lessons with qualified instructors you will learn step by step in a safe and fast way. An experienced instructor knows how to explain the exercises in a didactic way, adapt them according to your progress and give you the necessary tips to achieve the goal of being an independent KITER! Learning with a friend or someone who knows how to kite but has not learned how to teach properly can be counter productive, it will take you longer to be 100% independent.

Another important think to take care when you are learning kite is the Continuity: the more continuity you give to your classes, the faster the learning process will be. That is, if you practice every day for a whole week, you will surely learn faster than if you do it for 3 days, you let a month go by and you try again.

Ultimately, the modality of the lessons are also an important aspect to consider. There are different options when it comes to kitesurfing classes like taking private lessons (one student with a kite and an instructor) or semi-private classes (two students or more sharing a kite and an instructor. Both have their pros and cons, but almost always a semi-private class means a little more time to learn since you are sharing the practice time with other people. Hence, having a private lessons will be more productive.

Taking all this into account you can calculate approximately how long it will take you to learn kite surfing.

To use as a reference the average it takes a student to learn to kite is between 6 and 9 hours of class taking private lessons (distributed between 2/3 hours of class per day). Obviously, it can be more or less depending on the student’s skills and the continuity of their classes, but if the conditions of the spot are excellent for beginners, like flat water and constant wind, this is the average time

Learning kite in a good time average

Now that you know how long it takes to learn kite, I want to give you some tips that will help you to learn in a proper way and in a good time average!

Kitesurfing or kiteboarding has become very fashionable, becoming one of the most popular water sports, regardless of age, since it is not required to be a body builder to practice it. There is no age limitation, (there are children six years old and adults over 60 years old practicing this sport). You just need to feel that you like it and logically you will need to learn to control the kite and the board,

Initially, I will focus on some suggestions if you want to learn this sport on your own, although it is an inadvisable suggestion due to the risks involved in not being properly prepared to face strong gusts of wind.

Kitesurfing can be learned without previous experience since it is a sport that does not involve great difficulty. If you have practiced a similar or related sport (such as surfing, water skiing, even in-line skating, etc.), it can be useful to progress much faster.

If you have ever practiced skydiving or any other related sport, it will also help you.

It is not recommended, as I indicated in the opening paragraph, to try to learn alone, if your budget is not enough to enroll in a school or pay for a few private classes, ask for the help of a friend who already has experience in this practice.

The first thing they must teach you is to control your kite in the sand, for which you should practice in not so strong winds so that you become familiar with the required movements, to guide your kite to the right and to the left. At this point you may ask howlong it takes to learn how to control the kite? It will also depend on your previous experience. In the event you ahve never touched a kite before, it will take around 2-3 hours until you are able to control properly the kite in the sand.

Once you have learned the basic steps to control your kite in the sand, you can try to get the kite to drag your body through the water while practicing direction and speed control (you should not get on the board at this time).

This step, known as body drag, will help you familiarize yourself with the kite’s feeling of power without risk. Do it as many times as you want, until you feel confident in your movements. Body dragging is something it doesn´t take too time to learn, but as I said before, it will always depend on your skills…

Now that you know how to control the kite in the sand and to do body drag, you can make your first attempts with the board in the water. This part is known as the waterstart. You must practice until you have mastered the control skills on the board. How long it takes to achieve this point? As we have remarked before, the average time to ride is between 6 and 9 hours, in flat water conditions and steady winds

Finally, once you are able to ride independently, you can get on your board with your complete equipment and enjoy the waves and the wind.

Some tips when learning kitesurfing

The first thing you should do is take classes well in a school or with an experienced friend in it, since it is a hobby that can be dangerous, if the suggested safety measures are not followed.

Buy your complete kite equipment. It is no good to be selfish with money so better you buy top quality items. Currently, there are many varied kites and large range of prices. Consequently, use your equipment wisely and responsibly and always follow the recommendations of those who train you. No take unnecessary risks. After all, your health is the most important thing to take care

Also, make sure that the wind is adequate and you have enough space free of people and obstacles. Always remember that you are starting and you do not want to cause an accident.

Try always to have the way to return to the shore and check the weather conditions at all times. Similarly, avoid the risks, do not be reckless, remember that the experience is being acquired little by little

Never practice kitesurfing alone and specially avoid doing the sport when the wind is blowing directly onshore and offshore…

When you are already in the sea, stay attentive to your surroundings, in order to avoid colliding with another kitesurfer. Another important think to take care is called the rules of way: those who are on starboard have a passing preference, in your case if your right hand is forward you have the preference.

In the same line, before deciding on a change of course you should look back to make sure that there are no more athletes who prevent your turn, it is as if you were driving but at sea, you must be aware of everything that happens around you.

Avoid crossing whenever you can, never perform a maneuver if you do not have the right of way.

In addiction of the navigation rules, you must know and understand perfectly the operation and limitations of your equipment; always use a kit with chickenloop or quick release (which are clips for quick release) and the safety leash whose main function is to continue to be connected securely to the kit. Once you have activated the “Quick Release System” (chickenloop) of your bar and you are not in control of the kite.

This leash system prevents you from losing the kite, not so much for its value, but rather because it is your security system that can act as a lifebuoy, due to the risk for you you must activate it and completely disengage from the kite, and also because an uncontrolled kite is a danger to the rest of the athletes.

This security system is essential, you must demand it when purchasing your equipment, although currently most include it, be careful with your equipment, check it regularly to check its status.

Follow all the recommendations that I indicate and you will be very successful when learning this sport, you must be aware that the cost of a good equipment ranges from € 500 to € 2000, depending on whether you want it new or used.

Ideally, you should take a kitesurf course with a professional. Prices are usually € 300 and you will learn faster than if you do it alone or with a friend.

In short, if you want to start off on the right foot, I suggest that in addition to investing your money in a good kite equipment and kite lessons, since it will be useless to have all the necessary equipment to navigate safely and then end up tangled in the ropes or going out swimming in the sea because you did not apply any of the basic rules of this sport.

You must keep in mind that not all beginners are the cause of the problems that arise in the practice of this sport. If you are an applied and careful beginner you can be sure that you will do very well in this exciting sport.

Now that you know how long it takes to learn kitesurfing. .In conclusion, learning kitesurfing can be an easy task you you can do in a short period of time if you take the right instructors, the right equipment and the right spot