It is strongly recommended that you find a school which teaches kite surfing. Get a recommendation from a friend who has completed this training or try to find a school which has BKSA accreditation. You could also get private instructions, but you'll need your own apparatus. This gives the schools the advantage, though. Since they provide the equipment, you can skin up their gear, and not your own, while learning the sport. In any event, do not underestimate the importance of a qualified instructor. Trying this sport on your own could result in the injury of yourself or others.
No matter which method of learning you select, you will eventually need a helmet, wet suit, board, harness, and a kite. Most kite surfers use inflatable kites which provide you with the ability to remove them from the water and relaunch them. With foil kites, the cells fill up with water and they are unable to be relaunched. When choosing a kite, bigger is not necessarily better. Discuss gear with someone knowledgeable, whose motivation is not only in sales. A kite which is too large can overpower the surfer and cause damage or serious injury. Along with the equipment you will also need upper body strength, strong swimming skills, and knowledge of the wind and water currents.
Lessons usually include choosing your kite, wind precautions, introduction to the equipment and how it works, landing properly, and kite surfing safety. You'll also learn to launch, land, steer, and how to judge weather conditions. It usually
takes about 3 days to learn the basics and about 3 weeks to become somewhat accomplished. One thing the instructor might forget to tell you is that your neck muscles, back muscles and leg muscles will hurt tremendously the first few times that you kite surf. Prepare for this by doing a physical workout at least twice a week for several weeks before beginning the course.
As a beginner, you must master the basics before your first flight. Those skills include complete comprehension of kite handling on land or water, an understanding of how the kite flies and generates power, and the ability to launch and land without assistance at a specified area. You must also be able to make an emergency stop on water and prove that you can get back to your base by either paddling, kite surfing or body surfing.
When you're ready for your first real ride, check the weather, and your equipment. Locate a spot which has plenty of room for laying out your kite, but also is vacant of people, powerlines, or floating objects. The wind speed must be at least 10 mph before trying to kite surf. Also, avoid this sport in foggy weather or upcoming thunderstorms. Most importantly, know your limitations. If you are becoming tired, give it up for the day. If you are having any cramping at any time, abort as soon as possible. Never fly alone. Always have a spotter and an emergency crew in attendance. Although kite surfing can be a tremendous amount of fun, it is also a dangerous sport if you don't follow all of the safety guidelines each and every time you kite surf.
