What will my kiteboarding lesson be like? What can I expect?

The first task of your kiteboarding lesson is to make it to your lesson! Best to get there about 15 min before, we have parking on site, and we are very easy to find as we are the only kiteboarding school located next to the beautiful Shore club resort (look out for the Big Blue tent) on Long bay beach.

It is good to know that our neighbour, the Shore club is open to the public. This means you have toilets, a bar and food available only a stone’s throw away from our school which makes it possible for you to bring your family or friends to hang out on our stunning sandy beach so they too can enjoy the magnificent turquoise blue sea, the good vibes of our team and feel the stoke of all the kiters on the beach.

It is also worth knowing before you book, that private lessons are best value, if you have already done the basics or if you want to learn as quickly as possible or go at your own pace.

GROUP LESSONS ARE FANTASTIC

if you have never had a lesson and you are part of a group plus, they are excellent value. We can take up to 3 people per instructor and we make sure all our students not only learn the basics but also have a great experience at the same time.

It is also great value to buy a pack of private lessons which can be used for as many people as you like.

Learning to Kiteboard in Turks and Caicos is incredible value compared to other locations around the world simply because the conditions and location are so ideal making progression so much faster. That means you don’t need as many lessons to become independent.

OUR LESSONS

are practical with minimal time spent on the beach as we believe the best training for kiteboarding, IS kiteboarding. Our priority is to maximise your time on the water and give you the most value possible from your session.

At our school is located in the heart of the kite spot. `We have a large shady tent, iced water, first aid, storage for your valuables and comfy seats that overlook the action.

If you want your family or friends to get closer to the action and follow your progress then our jetski support can take them out to see how your lesson is progressing, where they can bring you water, take a photo and be inspired by the sheer beauty and safety the perfect kiteboarding classroom.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

you will always be greeted with a smile by our friendly team of either Katie, Kaylam, Dieno, Kaia, Breadlyn, Philip or Tom. You will then be introduced to your instructor, get signed in then have a brief chat about what you want to focus on for your lesson.

If you have zero experience, then you will follow a more structured session focused on getting you up and riding safely in the shortest time possible so you know if you want to progress to become an independent and safe Kiteboarder.

If you have had one lesson or 20 lessons previously then that’s awesome too and we will simply tailor your session to whatever you want to work on whether it be riding further, turns, jumps, safety or just recapping the basics as you haven’t had a lesson for a long time.

YOUR EXPERIENCE LEVEL

Once we know your experience level and what you want to focus on, then we will select the best equipment for the wind conditions, your experience and bodyweight. We want you to be safe, but we also want you to have enough power to enjoy getting to ride as easily as possible. All our kite gear is supplied by Naish who are one of the biggest and most established brands in the world plus our equipment updated every year. We use the Naish Pivot because it is an incredible all-round kite, easy to use and has amazing all round performance.

Together with your instructor you will set up the kite, bar, board foot straps and after a few times this will become quicker and easier for you to do as it becomes a habit.

We will help you select the most comfortable harness; we use Mystic and Dakine which are two of the most established harness brands. There are two types of harness, waist, and seat. You can try both on and decide which one suits you best. Usually as you progress you will prefer a waist harness, but some people love the seat harness and stick with that, it really becomes a personal preference.

Most of the year its warm enough to learn to kite without a wetsuit and just wear sun protection such as a long sleeved top and shorts (note: bikinis are not a good choice for kiteboarding while learning) however in the depths of winter from December to March it can get a bit chilly after an hour in the water so you’ll be pleased to know that we are the only school on the island to provide high quality 3mm shorty wetsuits to all our students.

It is wise to bring sunglasses and a floaty as during the day you will be looking up at the kite and sometimes into the sun, especially in the afternoon and evening. We have spares but it is great to use your own sunglasses on and not worry if they come off so remember a float for them. We even have some special ski style googles for anyone particularly sensitive to salty eyes. Yes, we have thought of everything.

Once we have the kite setup and you are ready to get into the water it is time to get on the Jetski which will take you out about a mile offshore, away from obstacles, other riders, the beach and any possible danger.

For first timers learning to Kiteboard in TCI, it is always a shock to be able to stand up so far out to sea. You’ll notice that the sand underfoot is super soft too. It is around this point that most people start to relax and have fun, realising that this is indeed a very special place and not just to learn kiteboarding.

WHEN IN THE WATER

there is usually a brief recap and a demonstration from your instructor on important safety so that you know if you feel uncomfortable in any way you can let go of the kites control bar and the kite simply falls from the sky with no power.

You will also have a go at using the main safety system to make sure you feel at complete ease in any situation and to see and feel just how easy all the safety systems are.

If it is your first lesson, then you will spend more time getting used to how to control the kite and how to relaunch it from the water plus some body surfing which is not only essential but so much fun.

Body surfing is where you are pulled through the water without a board, you get to learn how to control the power and most importantly learn how to stop in a controlled way.

If you have had several lessons, then most students appreciate a quick recap on the basics to warm them up and to get back into the zone.

Your instructor

is always close at hand, as your progress and get further away then, you can opt for radio helmets to stay in contact but again your instructor is always close by should you need help and of course a demonstration. A big part of your instructors training is how to adapt each lesson to your learning style and your progression speed.

Once you are comfortable with the kite, then it is time to get the board out and practice either your first short rides or work on any aspect of your riding if you are more advanced.

Many of our instructors use video coaching for all their lessons and will happily airdrop or dropbox you some videos of your progress to you at the end of the lesson which has proved super useful over the years as you can see what you are actually doing rather what you think you have been doing. It is also great to show off your rides and your crashes to your nearest and dearest.

All our lessons are 2 hours long as we have found over the years that this is the optimum time for progress and enjoyment. Many people want to go for longer but in reality, 2 hours is the magic number before brain fatigue sets in and progress slows down. It is not so much a physical workout but more of a work out for your brain while you practice flying the kite and getting up on the board. We aim for the lesson to always finish on a high.

By the time the lesson is over you will be much nearer the beach as you are always moving downwind when learning kiteboarding. This is why having a jetski as a teaching tool is a game changer for your progress as there is zero walking back upwind during your lesson, so you simply get more practice than other locations which makes progression so much faster.

When back on the beach your instructor will always have a debrief with you and work out what your next steps are weather it is to book another lesson or sign you off as a fully independent rider, either way our aim is that you are completely stoked and hooked on kiteboarding.

See you on the water!