Kiteboarding Lessons : 10 reasons why you should take them

October 18, 2005

{21 comments}

To take kiteboarding lessons or not is a question that pops up all the time. The fact of the matter is there is no question. Kiteboarding lessons are a must. Here are 10 reasons why you should take kiteboarding lessons :

1) Safety
Kiteboarding is a dangerous sport. Taking lessons will familiarize you with the safety aspects of the sport and how your equipment works. Knowing this means a safer experience for yourself and those around you.

2) Jumpstart your learning experience
Why take months to learn kiteboarding when you can be up and riding in as quick as a few hours? The quickest way to get on the water is to invest in kiteboarding lessons. Kiteboarding instructors use proved teaching methods that will get you on the water in no time.

3) Save Money
A kiteboarding rig can cost anywhere from $2000 and upwards. That's a lot of money to spend if you're not sure if this sport is for you. Kiteboarding lessons could cost in the region of $150, which is cheap in comparison to spending $2000. Taking kiteboarding lessons will give you an idea of if the sport is for you or not.

4) Trash someone else's gear
The first few hours on a kite you are sure to give your kite a decent beating as you will be dropping it constantly. If you take lessons you get to use school equipment, which means you don't have to worry about dropping the kite.

5) Meet other kiteboarders
There's nothing more intimidating than starting a new sport without knowing anyone. Kiteboarding schools are a great place to meet other beginners just like you. Meet other beginners and practice kiteboarding with them once you're done with the lessons.

6) Get cheaper gear
Most kiteboarding schools have great beginners packages available to students. These packages are often way cheaper than what you will find at a normal kiteboarding shop.

7) Knowledge
You didn't think you can start kiteboarding by reading your kite manual or browsing the net did you? No book or site can replace one on one instruction. Kiteboarding lessons will teach you valuable knowledge such as how to rig your lines, how to self launch your kite, how to relaunch your kite, how to kite safely, how to go upwind, etc.

8) Learn in safe conditions
If you start by yourself you will have no idea what kind of condtions are safe to learn in. How would you know if the wind is too strong, or even how to read the wind? Your kiteboarding instructor will take you to a beginner-safe beach that will make your learning experience safe and pleasant.

9) Try out different gear
Most kiteboarding shops have a huge range of kiteboarding gear that is ready to try. Taking a kiteboarding lesson will give you the opportunity to try a wide range of gear before you buy.

10) Peace of mind
Taking kiteboarding lessons means a kiteboarding instructor is there to help when you need help. If you drop your kite or loose your board they'll be there to help.


21 Comments
Add your own comment to 'Kiteboarding Lessons : 10 reasons why you should take them'

1 Roy 10/21/2005 1:30:15 PM

Can't agree more, and you keep the sport safe by taking lessons. The instructor will let you know about your gear requirements, and make recommendations.

2 Blake 5/13/2006 11:40:48 PM

Hey I agree with all that but what if you cant afford lessons and a setup. Most of today's instructors taught themselves on shittier equipment. Shouldn't it be easier to learn on today's gear?

3 adam 5/26/2006 12:23:46 PM

wow, i've just been toying with the idea of taking this up and i think ^^ is a dumb idea. well..not dumb. if you can't afford it you can't afford it. but if you can, i'd rather learn the right way than by trial and error.

4 T 8/11/2006 9:59:16 AM

#4 is key! I took 3 lessons, totalling $450, but at the end of the third lesson, I had one of the attachment points rip out of the kite I was using for the lesson. It was the instructors kite. Had I been using my own gear, and trying to learn on my own, I would probably have spend more than the 450 I spent on lessons to get the kite fixed, and I still wouldn't be as far along as I am today. Definitely go for lessons, it's not worth not taking them.

5 Mrlaroo 3/21/2007 10:51:45 PM

I learned from Real Kiteboarding videos and am now taking great turns on snow but if lessons were available I would of gotten them, just because it's safer and if not buy your smaller kite first!!!

6 Stephen 3/22/2007 5:48:31 AM

When I started out kiteboarding, I did not have access to lessons, and it took me over a year or two to learn how to kite properly. I really wanted lessons, but there was nobody in my area to teach at the time.

Before lessons were available kiteboarding had the most fatalities and bad injuries in 2 years of any new sport ever. Lessons are not there for instructors to just make an extra buck or two. Lessons are there because the sport needed it.

If you dont have the money to take lessons, then dont take lessons. It is however highly recommended that you do take lessons. Its not called an extreme sport for nothing.

7 Ron 12/10/2007 6:17:44 AM

The only thing that you said here was "Take A Lesson"!

8 Bob 12/13/2007 5:13:00 PM

If you can't afford hang gliding lessons.....you don't go hang gliding.

GET IT!!

9 Luke 1/25/2008 5:27:03 PM

Lessons are great and really help the sport to evolve in popularity. Just like hangliding in the bad-old-days, there were no lessons and quite often people built their own equipment. You would sit on top of a hill drinking beer 'till someone got the courage up to go first. Sometimes there was a successful glide. Other-times there was carnage. This is how todays knowledge base was formed and all in the sport benefit from it.
So if you want to reinvent the wheel and show some pioneering spirit, just go for it. I take my hat off to you my friend. Just make sure there's someone on the beach with a video camera and you-tube account. Alternatively, if you have some cash and are a 'by the book' sort of person - the benefit of lessons can outweigh the cash. Live well - Fly High.

10 danodane 2/1/2008 9:35:59 PM

I've been in the water for 20+ years...surf, waterski, wakeboard, barefoot ski, ocean jet-ski racer (stand-ups) in waves with amateur rating, snow-ski, snowboard and I think you get the picture...I would never go about this on my own...and here's why I am still taking lessons with a pro...

Go on YouTube and look at all these idiots trying this on their own...In my humble opinion...I'm a 40 year old exec these days that plays as hard or harder than I work...I value my life more than a couple of grand....as I'm sure most of you do as well...

Look...If you are looking to get into the sport...Take note:

THAT'S A HUGE AIR-FOIL YOU ARE MESSING WITH THAT WILL HAND YOU YOUR A#$@#AROONIE IF YOU DON'T RESPECT THE POWER!

If you can't afford lessons...stay out of the sport!...Go surfing!

At the very least...GO GET ONE LESSON AND GET TRAINED ON LAND WITH THE KITE SO YOU KNOW THE SAFETY FEATURES AND HOW THE WIND WINDOW WORKS.

Then we won't see you on YouTube next week slamming into a cruise ship...which will cost you a ton more than the $200 bucks you spent on "safety training."

My two cents...

Dano..

11 rick 3/10/2008 3:37:17 PM

if after reading 10 reasons why you should take lessons you still have any doubts as to whether you should. Get a little trainer kite and put that puppy up.It'll show you in short order why you need lessons at least it did me. They warn you about power lines, roads,trees and such for ya'll whats inland also be aware of electric fences, cowpies,and the odd cow. There's a reason I mention these.

12 Romi 12/13/2008 9:14:18 AM

This advice is really great, but what would be more helpful is reviews of the different kiteboarding schools on offer. For instance, there are a few advertised on this site in Cape Town, but what are their relative pros and cons?

13 Stan 1/4/2009 5:25:36 PM

I didn't take lessons. The school is pretty far away, I couldn't work out the schedule when there was wind, etc, etc. Hindsight being great, I probably would have progressed better if I had, but I'm older (and hopefully and little more cautious), so I didn't pay w/ anything other than bruises. I also spent over a year ground flying my kite, so I was really good at that, once I got in the water. If you don't take lessons, this is nearly mandatory. It can be done, but if I would have had lessons handy, looking back, I would have taken them. Either way, you just have to be smart about it.

14 Eugene Cawthray 3/6/2009 11:26:03 PM

I had my lessons with Aqua Sports Maui it was awesome.
Excellent service. The team was flexible, forceful(to make sure I was learning), friendly and focused. They actually taught me (a 61 year old physically average male)to get up onto a kite board. Also, a great learning location.

15 Casio 7/27/2009 9:59:04 PM

I never took lessons and was up in the water going upwind with only 15 times in the water. I don't think everyone shouldn't take lessons but as long as you play it safe and get as much info as you can, doing it by yourself or with a friend should be fine.

16 Iceman 9/3/2009 7:21:39 AM

Bob,
Some analogies work, yours doesn't. The consequences of dropping a hang glider are drastically and inherently more dire than dropping a kite. Safety is definitely an important consideration, but per participant, many more people die hang gliding and, yes, even driving a car than do kitesurfing.

Stay safe and use common sense out there!

17 Tyler 5/21/2010 12:13:07 PM

i am looking to buy a kite for kite surfing on lakes i have flown a 5.5m pansh legend for 2 years but was wondering since i don't have the money for lessons and there isn't any around where i live so my question is should i buy a 9m 2006 cabrinha crossbow kite with lines bar bag, reviews say the depower is good so safety should be good but is it safe to do as long as i start off in low 10-15 mph winds for i don't care how long until i master the kite before i even attempt to start jumping even if i have to start on land or just body drags would that be safe way to start?

18 bruno 6/26/2010 6:44:35 PM

i want to start kiteboarding , and maibe il go with a friend who also is a kiteboard teacher.
but im concidering to go teach on my own , becaus of schedule problems..
i have been kiting for over 9 years started small and now i own a peter lynn 13m, which I kite landboard with and also jump and stuff.
so im pretty experienced on land, if not very.
i also watched the progression beginner kiteboard dvd of 2.5 hours.
you still think i need lessons...?
im in a dilemma here.

grts

19 will 8/10/2010 1:56:50 PM

DON'T TAKE LESSONS...........
GO ON YOUR OWN.....
FIRST GET A SMALL TRAINER KITE...LEARN IN LIGHT WIND.AS U GET CONFIDENCE TRY HARDER WIND.-
ALLWAYS WATCH IF THERE'S PEOPLE AROUND YOU, DON´T KITE NEAR THEM TILL U KNOW WHAT U DOING.-
READ AND INFORM YOURSELF.
ALLWAY USE COMMON SENSE.-
GET SOMEONE THAT KNOW HOW, TO GIVES U A HAND.-
NEVER KITE OFF SHORE WIND.-
GET SECOND HAND GEAR IN GOOD SHAPE......THE MANUFACTURE OF A KITE PLUS BAR AND LINES COST NO MORE THAN 200 usd WHY DO U HAVE TO PAY "2000$$$$????????
IT'S ALL ABOUT BUSINESS.......SAME FOR SCHOOLS.....WHEN I STARTED THERE WAS NO IKO O WHATEVER S¿¡T...AND AS IN ANY SPORT IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY.-
LEARN YOUR WAY.....BE SAFE
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!
IF U TAKE LESSONS THEY PROBABLY SELL U THEIR BEAT UP GEAR......KITE SCHOOL =PIRATES!!!!!!!!

20 Mike Robley 9/19/2010 9:40:39 PM

I am now 18 and I have worked at a kiteboarding store for 2 years, i can truly say lessons are the best way to get into kiteboarding from experience. Like the guy above me says i bought a used kite and tried to teach myself first. I got ripped off in price and didnt know what i was doing. For two years i struggled at the beach trying to get my kite to work while getting dragged along the beach and losing hope. At the age of 16 i started working for a store and from there i learned from other instructors who are now my coworkers how to kiteboard. Anybody that says you shouldnt take lessons probably took lessons and thinks they can do it on their own but if they didnt have the quidence and support of an instructor theyd probably be on their asses pouting cause they couldnt get a hang of it. So basically shut it and listen to those who have experience and want to help you in a constructive way so you dont die.

21 Pipoi 10/5/2012 11:07:20 AM

I had a lesson and it was pretty crap, for 3 hours he told me stuff that i already knew, helped others out rather than his paying customer and while i did everything he asked a wasnt able to go on a board, even the other instructor from the same school was confused, if you are going to fork out heals of money make sure you know what you are getting, i feel ripped

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