The full IKO (International Kiteboarding Organisation) course is designed to take you to the stage where you’re a proficient and independent rookie kitesurfer. By learning to kitesurf you will be taking up the fastest growing sport in the world, and one of the most exciting!
Kitesurfing is a mix of wakeboarding, windsurfing, power-kiting and surfing. There’s nothing to compare to it when it comes to a pure adrenaline sport. The knowledge and skills that this course delivers will give you a solid foundation to practice safely and independently and start you on a path towards the freedom and buzz that you’ll get from ripping up the waves and jumping high above the sea. And don’t be put off by thinking that you need to be super fit to learn. Kitesurfing is practiced by a wide range of people in terms of age and fitness level.
The course is run over two days and covers all aspects of the sport from the theory to the practical. The training is delivered by professional and fully qualified instructors in a safe, fun and relaxed environment.
Day one
On the morning of the first day we’ll provide you with the knowledge that you’ll need on kitesurfing equipment, sea/wind conditions and technique. As well as learning the theory you’ll gain a practical understanding (and have fun) by flying small land-based power kites. By lunch time you’ll have a good idea of how to control a kite safely, how to launch and land it and how to get the power out of it!
In the afternoon we’ll take to the water. You’ll learn how to set up a full-sized kite on the beach and how to launch it in shallow water. We’ll build on your kite skills from the morning to teach you how to fly this larger kite safely and how to re-launch it from the sea. Once you’re ready, you’ll use the power of the kite to drag you through the water. This is loads of fun and you’ll have the freedom to go solo, with our safety boat at hand.
Day Two
The second day is all about getting the board on your feet and learning how to get up and going. We’ll teach you how to “water start” including: controlling the kite and putting the board on your feet, diving the kite to pull you up onto the board and producing power strokes with the kite to drive you along. We’ll also teach you how to the recover the board when you wipe out and how to rescue yourself and your equipment if the wind drops. Our instructors are always at hand to coach you through everything step-by-step or to come and help you in our safety boat. The first time that students get up and going is always a massive buzz for them as well as for our instructors and usually leads to lots of whooping and big grins!
From here you’ll be a rookie kitesurfer and trained to a level that will allow you to practice independently and safely. We’ll provide you with certification from the IKO (International Kiteboarding Organisation) upon satisfactory completing the course. The qualification is internationally recognised and will allow you to kitesurf and hire equipment anywhere in the world.
What to bring with you:
We’ll provide you with a wetsuit, boots, helmet, harness and buoyancy aid. Please bring a towel, sun block, a packed lunch and drinks. We like to ferry our students by boat to a quiet place on the beach to learn which is often a long walk away from the nearest shop.
