Kitesurfing schools make it seem like a simple process. According to one source, kitesurfing only takes a few days to master, while others claim it’s quite difficult. You as a prospective kitesurf learner need to understand what the real deal is, don’t you?
Is it hard to learn how to kitesurf? While you may learn to kitesurf in a few days to a couple of weeks, the learning curve is steep. You’ll need two different and interacting skill sets: kite flying and board riding. Balancing and coordination are required in both. They may be learnt in a short time, but they need dedicated effort and perseverance.
In this section, I’ll go through the main areas of learning to kitesurf and how difficult they are. See also, how long does it take to learn to kitesurf?
Things that make learning kitesurfing more difficult
Let me start by noting some of the circumstances that might make learning kitesurfing more difficult before looking at the difficulties of each skill involved.
The first is the wind! You may believe that harsh winds are the most difficult for learning, but this isn’t true. Learning will be much more challenging under really light winds of less than 12 knots.
In light winds, flying a kitesurf kite is extremely difficult and even with a bigger kite. Because of novice mistakes, you’ll continue to drop your kite.
The second consideration is water. The first stage of your learning process, in which you’ll be mastering piloting skills on the beach, will be hindered by waves, chop, and current. I know what I’m talking about; rough seas have made it tough for me to complete the start procedure.
Third is the equipment. If your kite is inadequately sized in relation to the wind speed, it will again and again smash into the ground – this is similar to low wind condition. You’ll be overpowered if your kite is too large, even potentially dangerous. You’ll need the appropriate sort of kite for the scenario. A competent instructor will inform you on this.
A bow kite is simpler to learn on than a C kite. The control bar is also an important aspect to consider. If possible, look for one with a safety release system that does not activate by itself! That’s something that happens all the time, especially with older gear, and it will spoil your learning experience.
While learning kitesurfing is considerably more difficult than windsurfing, it’s still important that you pick a good instructor. While it’s critical to get some lessons, make sure you choose a kitesurf instructor who can truly communicate (and if possible in a language you understand!). Otherwise, your learning process will be much longer.
Let’s go through the finer points of how difficult it is to master the core kitesurfing abilities in greater detail.
How difficult is it to understand the wind?
The way your brain is wired has a lot to do with it. It might be difficult for some learners to picture that abstract “wind window” — a 3D representation of the amount of wind power relative to their kite’s position in the sky — since this depends on how their brains are built.
However, it’s probably the most explicit way to represent and comprehend what occurs to your flying kite when you move it. The theoretical side of this is rather simple to grasp. Putting it into action is where the challenge lies.
When you’re attempting to manage the kite as it picks up speed and is about to smash, you tend to lose sight of the theoretical “window,” neutral, and power zones. You simply enter survival mode and follow your brain’s instructions on the control bar, typically resulting in a nasty crash or an unwanted body drag.
The wind theory is simple to grasp, but applying it in practice is another matter entirely. It takes some time and practice to build up reflexes and muscle memory.
How hard is it to learn to pilot a kitesurf kite?
This is a continuation of the previous topic, since gaining an understanding and internalizing the 3D wind power representation is sort of a requirement.
Learning to fly a kite is rather intuitive: moving the control bar left and right steers the kite left and right.
You learn to make “8” figures in the sky after just a few tries, and you start getting some momentum as you race from one side of the window to the other.
When things get harder is learning how to correctly apply forward/backward pull on the control bar: in addition to lowering or pushing out, you may regulate tension in the back lines by bringing it down or increasing it.
When students are overwhelmed, they typically panic and as a result, they pull on the bar even more instinctively, giving the kite more power! This is one of the most counter-intuitive and difficult aspects of flying a kite. Some institutions even sell T-shirts reading “Let go of the bar!”
How difficult is it to learn power dragging ?
Once you’ve mastered to control the amount of pull on your back lines, that is, to keep the control bar midway between its lowest and highest settings as you tilt it left and right, learning to power drag in the sand (also known as “sand skiing”) isn’t so complicated.
The hard part about body drag is maintaining a straight line. When you steer your kite from one side of the window to the next to create power and traction on your harness, you are dragged to each side as well. It’s critical to avoid taking the kite too far down before making a turn – it’s not easy.
At first, learning to body drag in the water is much easier since all you have to do is toss the kite into the power zone and let it carry you downwind. Maintaining a “fin” position with your free arm while body dragging upwind takes more precise one-hand steering and requires more careful monitoring. Learning how to do a barrel roll, for example, is another aspect of kitesurfing that takes practice.
How difficult is it to water start ?
The second stage is to use the traction to get up and moving on your board, which is one of the most difficult stages due to the need for people to concentrate on two entirely separate things at once.
You begin by tucking both of your feet into the board straps and attempting to keep your crouched floating posture while moving your kite into the power region.
Then you’re caught up and forward by the kite, requiring you to push hard on your legs in order to stand up while avoiding being thrown backward.
This demands a significant amount of balance and coordination. This talent takes a few hours for most individuals to master, including some face-planting sessions.
How difficult is it to ride downwind ?
Once you’ve mastered the water start techniques, going downwind is a piece of cake. That is, now that you know how to get your board up and moving, you want to stay on it for a bit longer.
The objective is to keep tension in your lines, which most people initially fail to do: riding in the same direction as the wind and towards your kite, resulting in line slack as your board picks up speed and your kite eventually drops.
While you do get a thrill from riding while carried by your kite, it’s typically only a brief experience because you lose power and speed as soon as possible. If your kite has dropped, you’ll have to sit back in the water and relaunch it if possible.
How difficult is it to ride upwind ?
After you’ve mastered downwind riding, the final stage in your learning curve is to learn upwind riding. This is generally the last skill that most people learn on their own because it usually takes numerous hours of “paying dues,” which can often be completed without the assistance of an instructor.
Learning to kitesurf upwind is difficult, but it does take time. Thing is, when you make an attempt, you’ll initially go downwind rather than upwind, requiring you to walk back up the beach with your kite in the air. That’s not a tough job; it just takes a lot of time and effort.
For each attempt (between upwind walks along the beach), you receive tiny practical time to perfect edging your board to go upwind. However, at some point, everything suddenly clicks and you’re able to establish that essential imbalance between your kite and board’s directions.
How difficult is learning to kitesurf compared to other board sports ?
While some board sports translate to kitesurfing, not all of them do. Many windsurfers claim that their windsurfing habits get in the way of their kitesurfing learning process.
For example, because a windsurfer must continually pull on the wishbone to pick up speed, while in kitesurfing, pulling the bar in does not always create more power – it might actually have the opposite impact based on your kite’s location in the window.
The skills and techniques needed to ride a kiteboard are similar to those required for snowboarding, so if you have experience snowboarding, it can come in useful. You’ll be familiar with sliding on a board strapped and digging in the rail, both of which are important for riding upwind.
The wakeboarding experience might also aid in the kitesurfing learning curve reduction. Some advanced wakeboarders, though, report being hampered by the difference in pull direction – while in wakeboarding, the pull comes from the boat at a horizontal angle, in kitesurfing it is much more vertical.
This can make learning kitesurfing more difficult for a wakeboarder who is used to conventional surfing and may even make it more challenging for an experienced kayaker or windsurfer.
