Kiteboarding… looks awesome, right? You are probably here to find out how to get started in this amazing sport, and we want to help get you started. Read through this page first and feel free to ask us in the forum if you have any questions.
First off, we have a really great community of kiters around here. First step is to tap into our community. We have a few ways in which we communicate. Our website has a forum, and we have a active chat channel in the GroupMe app which you can download on your portable device. If you want access to the GroupMe chat, download the app and send an email to teammasskiting@gmail.com with your name and phone number so we can add you. Just because there are not many posts in the forum doesn\’t mean we do not check it. Feel free to make a login to this site and post in the \”new members\” section and tell us a little about yourself, like your name, your skill level, and anything else you want to tell us. We\’ll say hi back!
Trainer kites. Consider buying or borrowing a 2m or 3m trainer kite before your first lesson. Time you spend flying that trainer kite will shave time (and money) off your first lessons. If you fly that trainer kite for 8+ hours before your first lesson, we promise you will excel much faster in your first lesson. Look up some YouTube videos about how to fly a trainer kite. Ideally, you will be able to fly the kite all around the window (maybe even one handed) without having to look at the kite. If you can \”feel\” where the kite is when not looking at it, you are WAY ahead of the game.
Lessons are mandatory for all first timers. We do not sell lessons here but we are concerned for your safety as well as the safety of others. We want your first experiences to keep you stoked, not keep you in the hospital. You can find a list of local schools and professional instructors here. Your first lesson may only be an hour or two long and is designed to teach you wind theory and fundamental skills of kiting. You may not get in the water for this lesson, but you will get a basic understand of how the sport works, as well as safety information. You will usually fly a trainer kite, and when you can show your instructor you have control, you move on to your first water session, which may take place in the same day or on a different day. If you this first lesson is a waste of time, think again. Most of us know someone that thought they could learn on their own or through a friend, and they are unsafe, a liability to all around them, and usually end up progressing slower than anyone else who has taken lessons.
You first water lesson. This will be your first time piloting a large kite, and soon you will be in the water to practice body dragging. Body dragging is flying the kite while you are in the water, using your body to steer yourself through the water. This is a super important skill that you use all the time. As long as the kite is in the air, you can always body drag upwind… if you fall and lose you board, you can always get back to it. Most instructors will not hand you a kiteboard until you can show that you can body drag upwind. It\’s so important for your safety. Once you have proven you can body drag up wind, you will get your first attempt at getting up on a kiteboard.
After this lesson, depending on your comfort level, you may be ready to buy your own gear