How to start your kitesurfing adventure? 

Kejt, kajt, parachute, kite, or maybe you've heard something else? Regardless of what we call kitesurfing, the important thing is that you have it at your fingertips! With the development of equipment and infrastructure, this sport is becoming more and more popular. Learning has become easy, pleasant, safe and, above all, relatively fast. So how do you start your kitesurfing adventure?

Below you will find some of the most important points and tips that should be taken into account at the beginning of your kitesurfing adventure, so that it is completely safe and results in the acquisition of appropriate skills!

Kitesurfing spot

The first important decision will be where to start learning to kayak. With the development of the sport, there are many more opportunities to choose a kite spot and school, and these adapt the infrastructure to customer requirements. 

Schools, especially domestic ones, compete with each other in offering free accommodation or discounts for particular age groups (e.g. students), camps for children or camps dedicated, for example, to a specific gender.

All this is interesting and encourages you to take advantage of the offer, but before you decide on it, we suggest doing a little "research" - because if you decide to study in Poland, it is worth signing up where, first of all, licensed instructors are employed (e.g. PZK - Polish Kiteboarding Association, or IKO - International Kiteboarding Organization). Moreover, you have to take into account capricious wind conditions. 

It is also important that it is a school that adapts lessons to such conditions and takes you to alternative spots if necessary. So that you can benefit from the training as much as possible.

If you decide to foreign nurseries, apart from the license and reputation, be sure to check the wind statistics before leaving. There is nothing worse than a week-long kayta trip when there is no wind for the whole week! Various applications will help with this, for example Windguru, Windy etc. If you, as a beginner, cannot read them, ask for help on Facebook groups such as Kiteforum or Kite wyżyny. 

If you have already chosen where you want to study, it's time to move on to the second point, i.e. who to take lessons with. 

Kitesurfing instructor

There are many instructors. Most often, the guy who just got on the board yesterday wants to be the one. Or a husband who really encourages his wife to learn how to set up ropes because she will help. However, we strongly advise against taking classes between friends and couples, because they end in quiet days at best... Or it could be worse. 

A professional instructor is one who, of course is licensed and can ensure your safety. Apart from swimming on water, which is an element of nature, there are danger situations. It is the instructor's responsibility to teach us what to do in such situations. 

The instructor is also a bit of a psychologist. It is important that he is able to motivate you when you feel frustrated. It's easy to go from euphoria to resignation on the water, and the learning curve in kitesurfing is very variable. For this type of initial love-hate relationship, we recommend someone experienced who will go through the moments of doubt with you. Behind the next start from the water, one of the coolest moments in kitesurfing awaits - a long, controlled tack!

How to start your kitesurfing adventure – equipment

A few simple questions asked to the nursery representative will definitely make it easier for us to make a decision. First of all, you should find out whether he has the full range of kites - from four to seventeen meters. Only then can you be sure that you will go out on the water in all conditions. Of course, it is important to have several kites of each size. 

The second issue is the age of the equipment - kites older than two years will not help you learn faster. It is best for the equipment to be relatively new. It is also worth asking whether the first lessons take place on shorter links, which will certainly speed up learning and be safe for the student.

When it comes to boards, it is worth checking: Does the school have the so-called door type nursery boards, which definitely help with the first slides. In terms of safety, of course, each student should be equipped with a helmet and a vest.

How to start your kitesurfing adventure – budget

Many of you ask how much you should spend on learning kitesurfing? The answer to this question is quite difficult because everyone learns at their own pace. For some, ten hours of lessons will be sufficient, for others, thirty. This is influenced by many factors - for example, was it windy all week and you were able to continue studying in ideal conditions? Do you have experience with board sports? 

Kite courses they start from PLN 1500 - PLN 1800 for about eight hours of lessons. However, it is difficult to stick to this budget and be independent. From experience, we can say that most people become independent after the second kite trip, so this amount should be doubled to talk about a realistic budget for the lessons themselves. 

Co dalej?

What options do you have if you have already learned to kayak? Generally you have two options. The first is to buy equipment - if you intend to swim several times a year and do not want to constantly use rental equipment, it is worth purchasing your own set. Remember that swimming on your own equipment means rapid progress. You get used to the kite and the board just like you get used to the car. Secondly, you can be sure that there will be no shortage of a given size in the rental company and you will ensure that the equipment is in perfect condition. 

The downside of this option is definitely the price. With a minimal set consisting of two kites, a board and a trapeze, we are talking about an expenditure of PLN 10 - PLN 25. Depending on whether the equipment is used or new, prices vary significantly. You must also remember that transporting equipment by airlines costs from sixty euros one way. 

The second option is renting - this option is preferred by people who go to the cabin once or twice a year. This is a logical alternative because we do not have to worry about the size of the kite or the transport of equipment. However, it is worth remembering that especially in the so-called In high season, advance reservation will be necessary. 

Now that you know how to start your kitesurfing adventure, we hope to see you soon at one of the windy spots! Good luck!