This is a big piece so get yer slippers on and get a hot cup of tea before reading on! Once you can stay upwind, kitesurfing is transformed into an awesome sport all the initial frustrations will fade into insignificance and you’ll want to spend all of your money on new kitesurfing kit!! So read on if your constantly going off down wind, in-fact, even if you’re staying upwind, there’s some stuff you can learn from this so read on anyway! KIT The first thing to check out is your kit. A lot of people I’ve taught have either had the wrong kit or have had the right kit but incorrectly setup. Unless you have an old kite, this normally isn’t the problem, although anything other than slingshot is shite, only joking!

There are two main items of your kit to look at, your board and your line setup. If one or both of these are badly set up or the wrong type, you’ll struggle to stay upwind and get to the point you started at. Boards The board size you’ll need depends on three variables, your weight, the conditions you ride in and your skill level. I’m about 90kgs and have tried smaller and larger boards. I’ve found that around a

Kitesurfing with the Waterboard Lesson Information Beginner Lessons Improver Clinic

Obviously if you’re lighter than me you’ll end up on a smaller board and if you’re heavier, you’ll need a larger one. The lesser of the variables is the predominant conditions you ride in, although these days with the advancements in kite design, you can still get away with the same size board no matter where you ride. A lot of the kitesurfers over in Cape Town use slightly smaller boards as the wind is usually strong, 9m weather most of the time! Then there’s your skill level. You’ll want a slightly bigger board for the first few months (20-30 sessions), and then you can go down onto the board that’ll be your pride and joy for a long while. It is better to start big because if you buy a board that is too small and skatey for you before you’ve learnt to control your edge and speed, you’ll go down wind. So big is good. The flexibility also has an influence on the ride it gives. The more flexible the board is,

the more forgiving it will be (as long as it’s not too bendy!). This works a bit like suspension. As you put pressure on your backfoot, the tail flexes slightly, controlling the power. So if it is really gusty a flexible board is good, as it will calm down these surges of power.

The Slingshot Drake and Jarvis are awesome beginner boards with a nice bit of flex and a good size. I’ve put the following guide together to give an indication as to what size you should be going for:

Most kitesurfers are quite friendly and approachable so if your having problems or are not sure if your board is the correct one for you, see if you can borrow a board when down on the beach. You’ll know when you’re on the right board because it will feel comfortable and you won’t be fighting to keep it in a straight line. The other thing to do is to come along to our open days here at the Waterboard. We will have products on show that you can try, so you don’t have to part with your hard earned cash until you’ve found the right steed for you and your level.

	©2006 The Waterboard Ltd Inc. All Rights Reserved ©2005 Fluid Edge ©2005 Mike Smith Many Thanks to Mike Smith for providing this article.