How to prepare for your first kiteboarding lesson

Be Prepared to

…Have the time of your life

This kiteboarding thing is the REAL DEAL It’s going to be the thing that you talk about for months and hopefully the thing that you do for many years to come. It’s the most fun thing that I can imagine.

…Drop a bunch of money on gear

The sport is very rewarding, but it is also very expensive initially. Once you overcome the initial investment remember; THE WIND IS FREE

….Start thinking about life differently

Your perspective on where to travel, what to do on your days off, what you are saving up for…. this will all change. You will start obsessively watching the weather forecast and look to the trees for signs of increasing wind speeds.

Prepare yourself by

…Flying a two line kite prior to the lesson

So much of the skill of kiteboarding is related to kite control. You can get a head start on your lesson by purchasing a trainer kite and spending some time getting acquainted with it. There are a lot of different trainer kites on the market. Be sure to get on with a “flagging line” that tethers to your wrist so that when you let go of the bar it will depower the kite but the kite will stay attached to you. Enjoy the simplicity and fun of flying a kite. Its a timeless beautiful thing and is fascinating to observe. Once you get to a point where you are comfortable flying the kite and do not necessarily need to look at it to know where it is, you are more than ready to take a kiteboarding lesson.

… Wearing the right clothing

One thing that a lot of people don’t realize until they are out in the wind and soaking wet is how cold you can get in the water. If you are a cold natured person you should at least be sure that the shop you are taking lessons from has neoprene outerwear that you can use during your lesson. Most lesson formats are 2-4 hours in duration where you will be soaking wet with wind causing “evaporative cooling” which is a fancy way of describing wind chill as it relates to the water.

Another clothing item you should prepare by wearing is shorts or spandex bottoms and an athletic top that will stay on. Ladies do not make the mistake of wearing your string bikini for a kite lesson, or you will end the lesson in your birthday suit. Also, most lessons are taught in seat harnesses which will chafe your legs terribly if you aren’t wearing shorts or spandex.

some crashes will knock your lenses out

…Buying some low quality sunglasses with a croaky

The sun during lessons can be a real beast. You will have to look at the kite a lot and unfortunately that can mean looking into the sun. Please do NOT wear your favorite sunglasses for your kite boarding lesson. The crashes can be quite intense and can knock your shades off your face. On that point, get some croaky to keep your shades on your pretty little face when you crash.

ENJOY