There are a handful of common mistakes kiteboarders make. Over the years, kiteboarders tend to make these same mistakes. This post is to highlight and show what some of the most common mistakes are. We will break this post down into segments that correlate with our beginner’s guide. Sometimes it is easier to see what the common mistakes are to then make the conscious effort to change them.
Basic Kite Flying Control
It may not appear difficult to fly a kiteboarding kite, but it is counterintuitive. Flying the kite requires finesse and skill. It may appear like a person needs to be strong to control the kite, but no strength is required. The harness absorbs most of the energy. Here are two of the most common mistakes and how to fix them.
Water Relaunching
It is inevitable for a kiteboarder to crash the kite. As a result, an important skill is to perform a water relaunch. There is quite a bit of finesse involved with water relaunching kites. We have witnessed beginner kiteboarders with their kite on the water for hours making these basic mistakes. Here are the basic mistakes and how to fix them.
Waterstarts
One of the most difficult stages in the process of learning how to kiteboard is the waterstart. What makes this stage difficult is aligning multiple variables together. For example, the board needs to be in the right position before initiating a power stroke. If one part is wrong, the rest of the exercise will go wrong. The positive is that when the pieces align, it is an amazing feeling. Once done in the correct way, muscle memory kicks in and waterstarts become repetitive.
Riding Upwind
Kiteboarding upwind is the golden ticket towards being an independent kiteboarder. This is the final step towards a kiteboarder going out on their own. The key point here is riding out and coming back to the point where a person began. The alternative is that the wind blows the person in the direction of the wind. The ideal scenario is to ride out and come back upwind of a starting point. Here are some of the common mistakes and how to fix them about riding upwind.
Transitions
Kiteboarding transitions are a bonus. The most important aspect to kiteboarding, once making waterstarts, is riding upwind. Riding upwind will also help make transitions easier. However, the ability to transition is just a cool aspect of kiteboarding. The alternative to a transition is coming to a controlled stop, then riding back in the direction one came from. Below is a video of the common mistakes and how to fix them with a kiteboarding transition.
Jumps
Catching air is not all that difficult. Once a kiteboarder learns how to ride upwind and transition, kiteboarding jumps are easy to attain. The key aspect here is control. Most kiteboarders learning to jump ride with too much speed and rely too much on the kite. Here are what some of those mistakes look like and how to fix them.
These are the most common mistakes kiteboarders make from our perspective. The purpose of this post is to help identify a mistake for the kiteboarder to make the conscious effort to fix the mistake. If a mistake persists, send us a message. Or to fast track the learning process, schedule a kiteboarding lesson with us.
