Kitesurfing, also known as” Kiteboarding “started at the end of the 90’ and become one of the most popular extreme water sports gaining followers all over the world.
Kitesurfing is a unique and exciting sport that is the combination of many other watersports: The speed of water skiing, the acrobatic moves of wakeboarding, the precise curves on the waves like surfers and the amazing jumps that makes you literally flying!
Hearing all of this makes you feel like you want to run to the beach, get a kite a board and launch yourself into this incredible adventure.
But like all extreme sports is not as easy as it seems and could be very dangerous! Numerous deaths happened around the world…
Watching experience riders flying effortless on their boards and shredding havoc on the waves or jump as high as a bird really looks like it’s nothing and anyone can do it…
Kitesurfing is a sport to be taken with extreme respect! The kites are extremely powerful and can easily become a danger to yourself and to others. Like a wild horse can drag you on the beach or thrown you in the air like a twig.
So try to follow the few tips that are listed below trying to avoid those mistakes and mishaps that all of us pioneers of this sport have happened sooner or later during our first steps:
1 – It’s always best, at least at the beginning, to use the services of a professional school, this will help you to learn more quickly and way more safely than if you try on your own.
Not only that but you will save money! Because crashing and destroying a brand new kite can seriously hurt your bank account.
2 – Get informed! There are hundreds of sites on the web where to find information’s about kitesurfing, how to learn, types of kiteboarding equipment, where to do it and all the dangers related.
Here are few very good:
- Kitesurfing School, pretty much the bible for those who want to learn the sport,
http://kitesurfingschool.org
- Kite Forum, a forum where thousand of fans enjoy discussing their favorite sport, www.kiteforum.com
- Bali Kitesurfing, the original and most informative guide about Kitesurfing in Bali and all of Indonesia www.bali-kitesurfing.org
- Bali Kitesurfing on Facebook, get all the latest news and find a daily wind report of the conditions in Sanur at Kite Beach
3 – If there are no schools in your area, try to learn on your own but step by step.
Start by flying a small trainer kite specially designed for learning safely also call ”stunt kite” normally about 2 square meters.
Then read everything possible in the web sites mentioned above and get an instructional Kitesurfing DVD professional made like the one from Progression.
Learn to Wakeboard behind a boat to help with your board riding skill.
In Bali the best place to start is at kite Beach in Sanur “Pantai Pura Mertasari” where there is huge lagoon with calm water that is perfect for practice.
The wind intensity in Bali is never too strong so is very rare that it reach a force such that kiteboarding become really dangerous.
Rather there are more days when we wander from one beach to another desperately looking for that gust of air that allows us to glide over the water and dream.
To learn kitesurfing in Bali there are already few schools and they are all located in Sanur:
Bali Kitesurfing School, is owned and run by the Balinese kite team, they are very patient and very good in teaching.
They only use the latest and best equipment on the market.
Water Lessons are all One on One and the instructors follow you at all time in the water in a motorized boat.
Rip Curl School of Surf, is an international Kitesurfing school that is associated to IKO.
In Bali and all of Indonesia at the moment there is only ONE shop where to find all you need.
KITE & SURF BALI – THE PRO SHOP located in Sanur very close to Kite Beach.
Prices are really convenient compare to any other place in the world and they sell equipment from the best brands like: Cabrinha, Ozone, Underground, Flying Object and more.
Related External Links
5 great kitesurfing spots in Asia | Travel Wire Asia
Peter’s kiteboarding blog: Fantastic ski run down the Vallee Blanche …
Peter’s kiteboarding blog: Col du Passon and ski down Le Tour Glacier
Peter’s kiteboarding blog: Skiing Aguille d’Argentiere
POC does OBX | charleschristianson.com