Kiteboarding Hand Signals

February 15, 2004

{12 comments}

Knowing your hand signals are essential, as when the wind blows and you are in distress it is often impossible to explain to someone exactly what you want them to do. Get to know these signals, send them to all your friends, and get to use them at your local beach as these are the universal kiteboarding hand signals.

iKiteboarding.com spent some time with Jameson Smith, Airush Team rider and IKO instructor from Maui, to get the lowdown on kiteboarding hand signals as used by the IKO to teach students.

While a lot of these hand signals are useful for teaching, all of them can be used to communicate with fellow kiteboarders on the beach. A kiteboarder might be busy getting dragged towards you and you can instruct him to let his bar go immediately, or you might use another signal to ask someone to catch your kite. These signs are good to know as you never know when you might need one of them.

International Marine Distress Signal

Use this signal whenever you are in trouble and need help. This signal is the most identifiable signal, and is common knowledge to the public.



Catch my kite

Use this signal to instruct someone to catch your kite. As the 'catcher' you might want to approve that you will catch the kite, by doing the same back to the kiter who is landing his kite.



Tell someone to put down their kite

Use this signal to instruct someone to put down their kite.   



Head out to sea

Use this signal to instruct someone to head out to sea. Often when a student or kiter is heading towards the beach, you can see he is about to put himself and or other people in danger, you instruct him to go out again.  This can also be used to show a student to head towards the water now.



Come back in to shore

Use this signal to instruct someone to come back to shore.



Keep your kite high

Use this signal to instruct someone to keep their kite high. This signal can be used in the water too.  When you think two kites might collide, you can instruct the other kiter to keep his kite high, and you will keep your kite low, to avoid the kites colliding.



Instruct someone to release their bar

Use this signal to instruct someone to release their bar. Often beginner kiteboarders have a mental block of not wanting to let go of their kites (even when they are in real trouble).  Also when your kite is floating in the waves, it is often better to release the bar and let go of the kite completely.  This will take the pressure off the kite and the lines, and reduce the chances of your kite (and you) being damaged by a wave breaking on it.




12 Comments
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1 Jason 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

These are great. How about some signals for once out at sea such as telling another kiter that you want to go upwind/downwind of them.

2 Stellan 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

The "Catch my kite" is used in climbing as a question - "Are you OK?" If hte person responds with the same sign hes ok if not he has truble. We use it a lot in ...

3 w0mbhanger 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

nice ! you ought to teach them some classic taunts as well

4 John Paul 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

Thanks for giving these signals. They certainly will be useful for the rescuers to commmunicate with boarders,

5 Rodney 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

what a radical article. This is exactly what Ive been looking for. muchos gracious

6 Alfred 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

Good one ! The kind of stuff one should get to know.

7 matt 9/25/2005 8:32:06 AM

then what's the signal to ask/verify "are you ok"? in swift water rescue, kayaking, rafting, climbing tapping the top of your head is the signal...what is the signal is kiting if that means "get my kite"?

8 jon 11/26/2006 9:08:26 PM

the catch my kite signal in scuba diving and recently adapted for myself to my spotter in big surf is used for "I'm ok" or a notification that you understand or are "clear on the concept" it has helped alot and i have used my own set kiteboarding as well though this does differ completly in the commands the same signals give i will try to understand if some one is using these. thanks though this will help in the future!!!

9 Tim 12/22/2006 11:33:39 AM

Several of your hand signals come close to other forms of hand signals that may cause some confusion, especially when seen from a good distance.

Catch My Kite looks like the signal used for Divers to ask and reply, "Are you okay?" Maybe a hand raised straight above head with palm open (kite) and the other hand reaching up (active motion) to grasp wrist (catch).

The release your bar is too close to the Distress Signal. Recommend you change the arm motion to a Military Press (Hands at shoulder level with closed fists and press upwards with open fists).

10 LJ 12/13/2009 11:46:54 AM

Ok Tim, so when landing my kite, I must take BOTH hands off the bar and do some signal... with both hands.... I think you need to think that one thru.
As mentioned these are ESTABLISHED commands and not ideas or maybe's.

11 Rafael 1/13/2010 11:39:36 AM

Great "moving pics", makes it a lot easier to learn or refresh on the signals.

To everyone asking for improvements, these are the IKO kite signals, they didn´t come up with these here... They are similar to scuba and other signals and have different meanings, but every sport has its own language and you need to learn it.

But I have had much trouble trying to ask for help to land my kite, as people on the beach and even in kiteschools don´t know these signals and look at me like I am a crazy monkey scratching my head...

WE NEED TO SPREAD THESE SIGNALS!!!

12 T-dog 11/4/2010 2:45:56 AM

I don't think it's a bad thing for the uneducated to NOT know our signals. Do you really want someone that doesn't know how to handle a leading edge (and that doesn't know NOT to grab the trailing edge) to grab and secure your kite? I've seen beach patrons out of the know end up with kites ontop of them b/c the don't know to grab the mid-leading edge. I've also seen trailing edges grabbed... looks a bit scary if the kite powers or flips.

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