Kiteboarding Hand Signals

February 15, 2004

{10 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.




10 Comments
Add your own comment to 'Kiteboarding Hand Signals'

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 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,

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

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

4 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 ...

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

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

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

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

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

People, these hand signals are not meant as maybes or questions. They are commands. If you need help, you need help.

In scuba diving and mountain climbing one uses other forms of communication as you always go out with a partner - such as "look there" or let's go there" or "I want to go out of the water", and in such cases it's important to know if it is ok since your partner must come with.

In kiteboarding the communication is a command, and if you are in need of help or you get a command, these commands must be obeyed, there's no two ways about it. If someone is in trouble they need help, and if someones kite needs to be caught, it must be done. There's no two ways about it! What's so hard to understand about that?

8 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"?

9 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!!!

10 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).

Leave a Comment