I’ve been learning to kitesurf for a year now and believe me, it has been REALLY challenging. But I love getting my little adrenaline fix and would recommend the sport to anyone.
The popularity of kitesurfing continues to grow year on year. Membership of the British Kitesports Association has increased steadily since 2000, now standing at 4,000 with 50 licensed clubs across the country and a further six abroad. It says there are approximately 8,000 to 10,000 regular kitesurfers in the UK in total, which is awesome!
I don’t know how many of those members are female, but I would absolutely love to see more women on the water. Lots of people try it and give up after a few months. It isn’t easy, but once you break through it’s totally worth the hard work. So my aim this year is to get as many girls as poss on the water.
Here are my top tips for newbie riders or anyone thinking of giving it a go.
- Find an amazing kite school or instructor, this is absolutely essential. You will need lessons and someone to coach you. Poseidon Kite School in Poole or Will in Wales are both brilliant and have provided me with all the skills to go solo.
- Study the wind, learn about wind directions, gusts, knots and familiarise yourself with your local spot. Wind Guru is my go to place.
- Don’t buy a harness on the internet! I have made this mistake twice. You need someone to give you advice and ensure it fits correctly.
- Find a local kitesurfing group. Most areas have monthly socials and the kiting community are a really friendly bunch. I have made so many new friends and everyone looks out for you on the water.
- Watch videos online – there are stacks of useful tutorials as well as safety videos.
- Go to a demo day so you can try new kites and boards before you buy.
- Don’t kite offshore !!
- If you can, go on a holiday with other kiters. You will meet loads of people and progress quickly.
- Make sure you buy your British Kitesurfing Association insurance. It’s an absolute must.
- Enjoy yourself – kiting is meant to be fun and however long it takes, when it finally clicks it will be TOTALLY worth the wait.
Thanks Hayley for the tips, ‘banked’ for when I need em! As a newbie from Cape Town, Im following your journey with enthusiasm… in fact Im soon to start the learning journey next week with my first lesson… I caaaant wait, and then for it to ‘click’ when it does!
Awww good luck Kayjay! It’s such an awesome sport. Patience, perseverance and practice ! It took me ages so except it’s a journey and you will fly 🙂 xx