So, you have decided to be kiteboarder or at least to try. According to Wikipedia Kiteboarding of Kitesurfing “is a surface water sport that uses the wind to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing). Once we are familiar with initial terminology we will move forward.

In order to become a kiteboarder you need to pass through several relatively simple stages. Here you will find a short overview how it works in our kite school.

Prepare yourself for at least five days of semi intense training with 2 hours per one session on the water per day. Some of our students are really interested in becoming pro riders and ask us a lot for a whole day training. We, of course, understand them but still recommend to keep a lesson within the limit between 2 and 2.5 hours per session. Why is that? It is not because we do not want you to ride in two days, but because your body and mind is not ready for a complex of many simultaneous small movements. After 2-3 hours of kite lesson you will be overloaded by amount of new information and movements. All you need is time to distribute this new information and new reflexes over your body.

If you had some training before than our instructors will ask you few questions to understand your current level and prepare lesson plan.

We pay a lot of attention to the safety of our students during the whole training cylce. This is why we teach you according to the standards of IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization). IKO develops the teaching guidelines and certifies kite instructors and kite station. We recommend you to read through the the IKO levels before the start of your kite course. It will help you to understand what to expect from your lessons and kite instructor.

Safe kite lessons can not exist without safe equipment.

 is our choice for kites and boards, the flagship of the kiteboarding and wakeboarding equipment.

Day One

You will get very compact theory lesson professionally inserted by us into the practical skills, so you do need to spend whole day at the desk like in school. During this theory lesson we will discuss with you several topics. Things like, why the kite is flying in general, where does it fly, what is the wind window and how you should locate it. We will speak about the wind directions, wind effects and its consequences. We will identify hazards on the spot and find the solutions to mitigate all possible risks. After all of this we will set up a trainer kite and will do necessary exercises to convert theory into the practice. Than we will set up an inflatable kite, will speak about the safety rules and will try to perform the first piloting on the water.

Day Two

You will try to launch and land the kite as a kiter and as an assistant as well as to relaunch the kite from the water. The last skill is very important because you even can not imagine how many times you will drop your kite on the water. The next step is a famous body drag exercise. In other words you will learn how to steer your kite to create some power and than follow the kite.
Usually body drags are taking a lot of time, so we may continue with them during the next day.

Day Three

Nobody likes Day Three. Why? Because we will spend it by doing different types of body drags:

• downwind body drag

• upwind body drag without the board (also known as "superman" or "superwoman" depending of the sex)

• upwind body drag with the board

• upwind body drag to rescue the board

Before this day you never drunk so much salt water, believe us. Another positive outcome of this day apart from the learning many new useful skills is that you will not get any cold in your nose for at least half year.

 

Day Four

Your instructor will prepare you for the water start.  You will get some theory on the beach which will help you to fulfill your mission. Than on the water we will learn how to put the board on your feet, how to keep the balance with kite and board at the same time, will learn how to make a power stroke and even try to unite it in one move.

Day Five

The Judgement Day! If you listen carefully your instructor throughout these days than you will probably find it relatively ease to ride your first 50 to 100 meters. We know it is possible. We have seen it and heard the happy shouts of those who have done it!

That is how we see your way into kiteboarding. Of course, there are some deviations from this plan. The are also some other cases, like you can be very talented or maybe you are next world kite champion, so it will take less time to learn how to kite. Kids always do better than guys from the office but this is another story.

In the end of kite course everybody gets an IKO Kiteboarder card with a your own level. This card will be a pass into a world of kiting. It will allow you to continue your education in any IKO center around the world or rent kite gear.

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