How to Kite Surf

Consider yourself a fledgeling thrill-seeker? You've come to the right place! Kitesurfing is an ideal sport for those looking to go that extra mile. Requiring great endurance and agility, and often incorporating aggressive overwater jumps and twists, kitesurfing is a real daredevil sport. If you're looking for an activity to show off your jack-of-all-trades physical prowess while getting a real rush, then this is the perfect aquatic sport for you. Here's how you can get started.

Where to Kite Surf

When starting out with new things, it always helps to have a dream goal in mind to help motivate you on your journey across the learning curve, which is often steep at the start, more so, for a sport such as kitesurfing, considering that it draws on skillsets from multiple other aquatic activities such as wakeboarding, surfing and paragliding. Therefore, while you're going to want to find a convenient, local spot to practise this sport as a beginner, dream big in terms of where you see yourself kitesurfing once you've reached at least an intermediate level in proficiency.

One of the most scenic spots in which you could hone your craft is in the clear, sparkling waters of the Maldives. Do some research and find a Maldives private island resort that offers the sport, such as the Naladhu Private Island Maldives among a few others. While not all resorts offer this sport, with activities like jet skiing and snorkelling being more ubiquitous, more and more are starting to offer kitesurfing as a recreational activity for in-house guests. Other great kitesurfing spots around the globe include Maui in Hawaii, Mui Ne in Vietnam, Kalpitiya in Sri Lanka, Tarifa in Spain.

Picking Your Kite

One half of your main kitesurfing equipment is the actual kite that will enable you to sail across the waters. When you're just getting into the sport, make sure to choose a small one that has a high level of stability. This is recommended for beginners as they may have a hard time finding their balance and steering the kite initially. If you don't know much about kites, that's not a problem. Just announce to the store person that you're new to the sport, and they will lead you to the beginner kites.

As you progress in the art of kitesurfing, you'll be able to have more variety in the kites that you can choose from. Usually, the size of the kite you'll want to pick depends on the level of winds in the usual localities that you practise in. For areas or times of the year when there is a lot of wind, you would want to choose a smaller-sized kite. In contrast, when you're expecting the winds to be a lot gentler, you would be better off selecting a bigger kite, so that it can catch more wind.

Choosing Your Board

The other half of your main kitesurfing equipment is the board that you will use to glide across the surface of the water. If you've tried out other sporting activities that make use of boards such as snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding, you'll know that every 'boarder' has certain preferences when it comes to choosing the right fit for them. However, as a beginner to kitesurfing, make sure to start with a board for novices until you get the hang of things. How can you spot a board made for new kite surfers? They tend to have a bigger surface area and be a lot heavier, as these characteristics enable them to provide more stability for beginners.

Don't Forget Safety!

While the kite and board form part of the main equipment, don't forget to don the correct safety equipment! Kitesurfing can get quite rough at times, and as a newbie, you can expect to lose control of your kite and board often. So, do be sure to wear at least a helmet and impact vest that will provide some cushioning when you fall.

Simulations and Baby Steps

Before you go out in the water with your board and sail, take the time to get familiar with them on the shore. Just like how beginner surfers simulate standing up on the board while on the sand first, take baby steps when you first start kitesurfing. You'll want to get a feel for steering your kite while on land first, and then slowly in the water without your board. Once you feel more confident, you can add your board into the mix. From there on it's all about how often you practise!