Competant kitesurfers don’t necessarily know how to communicate the necessary skills and knowledge to their friends. There are a lot of safety issues, kiting concepts and various scenarios that need to be covered in order to prepare you for kiting safely. If your friend wants to help you out, you should invest in a beach lesson and one body drag lesson, and once you have these skills and corresponding knowledge then let your friend help you out. What do I need to bring to my first Beach kitesurfing lesson? The only thing you need to bring to your first lesson is warm clothes. We suggest you bring pants and a jacket because you will be standing in the cold wind for two hours. What do I need to bring to my first Water kitesurfing lesson? For your first body drag in the water you will need a 4/3 millimeter wetsuit and a kitesurfing harness. SCKITESURFING doesn’t supply wetsuits or harness, but we can help you make an informed decision when purchasing these items. We also recommend the purchase of a personal floatation device and helmet. Can my girlfriend and I share a lesson? If you or your friend are interested in taking a lesson together, both individuals can participate in the same beach lesson, but water lessons must be taught in a one-on-one student to teacher ratio. If you want, you can schedule a two hour water lesson for the both of you and split the lesson with each person getting an hour. A combined beach lesson is billed out at $80.00 an hour but may last longer than two hours. All water lessons are billed out at $100.00 per hour. What kind of physical shape should I be in for kitesurfing? Kitesurfing doesn’t require above average strength, because the use of a harness makes technique and finesse the most important factor. You must be in good physical shape and able to participate in physically demanding activities such as hiking, biking, or swimming. I have no experience with water sports or the ocean, is this a problem? In order to learn how to kitesurf at Waddell you need to be an above average swimmer and you should be comfortable swimming in the ocean. Our students need to be familiar and comfortable with waves. If you are not comfortable in the ocean there are a number of great kitesurfing schools east of San Francisco that we can recommend. Contact us by email. Once I learn, where can I kitesurf? You have to be very careful about where you fly inflatable traction kites. In Santa Cruz, the only appropriate beach for learning how to kitesurf is Waddell Creek. Most other locations have unreasonably dangerous wind, water, or environmental conditions that could lead to SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. What is the cost of kitesurfing equipment? At Waddell there are a lot of windy days, making the average kite much smaller compared to other locations. The latest in Kite design allows kites to cover a larger range of wind conditions, and therefore you can probably get away with owning two kites to cover most days at Waddell. There is always used equipment floating around, for instance a kite, bar and lines, and a board for $900, but new kites are sold for $1100 - 1300 for a new, complete setup. This may seem exorbitant, but kitesurfing is free from here on out. What is a C-kite and a Flat/Bow/SLE kite and what are the differences? C-Kites were the first inflatable kites used by kitesurfers and were the most popular design until 2005. C-kites are named for the C shape of the kite, with the leading edge making a convex shape. Flat kites / Bow kites / Supported Leading Edge kites were introduced in 2005 and have become the most popular type of inflatable kite sold today. The leading edge on Flat kites are not as convex, and typically the middle section is supported by bridals that allow it to carry less curvature. Flat kites have much more throttle range, and give the rider the ability to depower or turn off the kite, while C-kites have a steady pull, and are unable to completely depower. Flat kites are also known for having a very easy and quick re-launch after they have fallen into the water compared to C-Kites.
