Many times, when I want to talk about my passion and rage for kitesurfing with my work colleagues and other acquaintances, I am greeted with bewildered, scared looks, pity (poor girl, she doesn’t know what she is doing), and the persistent question: “Aren’t you scared that you are going to die? Isn’t kitesurfing a dangerous sport? Only stupid junkies do it!” Then, to strengthen their argument, they send me YouTube videos showing crash compilations of extreme accidents. My daughter cannot bear the thought of me doing it, while my mum barely tolerates it and says, with a knowing smile: “Well… if it keeps you happy… “.
Many people explore kitesurfing as an extreme hobby. Although their number increases, only a few of them are interested in taking proper kitesurfing lessons from expert trainers.
Taking proper kitesurfing lessons is very important in performing this extreme sport and avoiding mishaps and injuries while in the waters.
When you start to kitesurf, you can be overwhelmed with the number of complicated things you should keep track of. It a good idea to maintain a list of things that you should pay attention to before and after you kitesurf.
First of all, take an introductory course to learn basic safety. Keep in mind – “safety before excitement.”
I kitesurf because I have taken six years of extensive training, and I know my daughter will not regret letting me venture into the ocean. The tips below apply from the beginners to the novice stage.
- Defrost the chicken loop before each time you venture out and kitesurf. Then you know that it works.
- Be considerate and responsible. You are liable for all the events associated with your pursuance of the sport.
- Please attach the ropes to the kite at the last minute before you jump into the sea.
- Please put on the Leash (safety line) before the kite’s hedge is taken off the ground and take it to the end, when the dragon is tied on the ground after landing. It would help if you always had a weight/fuse (the top, sand, round stone, etc.) on the kits, even when there is little or no wind because the wind can change quickly.
- Think about how the winds can surge around trees, buildings, or rocks to windward before starting kits.
- Kite surfing is not without a dead man’s safety release system, which lets you remove power from the kits whenever you want (should work even if you are numb). Always have a chance to be able to detach yourself from the kite, even under traction.
- Please do not kitesurf near an airport. I had to pay a substantial fine last year because I was kitesurfing near a private airstrip.
- Do not kite surf before, during, or shortly after a thunderstorm.
- The kite cords can be cut when the kits are flying. Do not get tangled up in the kite lines.
- Avoid kite surfing in populated areas; be sure to come out to the “free” water as soon as possible. Select isolated beach or coastal sections for takeoff and landing with much space and out of the wind when possible.
- Don’t plan your kite surfing adventure in the wind from the land if you can run towards the open ocean. However, if you must, ensure that there are possibilities with the rescue boat and have someone watching you from the land all the time. Also, be sure you can manage the demanding situations that may arise, such as a broken leg or kits to breakage. I broke my legs twice in 2018 but survived.
- Please wear a helmet and a life jacket.
- Never use a leg harness attached to the board in which this can be very dangerous because it can cause the board to hit the back of the head.
- Check your tools regularly for corrosion detection: the pull tabs and boom are in good condition, and that there are no abrasion damage or knots to the ropes.
Before you try teaching yourself with kitesurfing, ask yourself first if you are already an expert in it, which of course, you’re not. It is always better to be prepared by people who are more experienced than you to be guided properly. After that, you can begin savoring the sport and be confident in doing it on your own.
