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You have been bitten by the
KiteSurfing bug, you can’t wait to hit the first current
to propel your body screaming 40-feet into the air and
crashing into the water. With each gusts of wind your
elevated high off the surface and breaking each wave as
you land. The thrill associated with the sport of
KiteSurfing has many able-bodied thrill seekers flocking
to the beaches across the world to set sail and fly across
the top of the ocean.
But before you could set
your feet in the water you will need to know how to
KiteSurf, if you have surfed or have sail surfed you have
an immediate advantage to understand how to maneuver your
board, however when KiteSurfing your feet will move a
little and your arms and hands are the only thing holding
you to the kite, your feet are attached to the board.
Most rookie KiteSurfers
have accidents because they have trouble calculating
distance and variable levels of speed that the kites can
create by a gust of wind. Learning to KiteSurf through
instruction and practice is by far the best way to learn
and experience the heart-pounding action and
gravity-defying jumps.
As with any sport there are
safety precautions you should adhere to.
You must be a good swimmer.
Swimming entails that if your kite flies away from you,
you may have to swim after the handles or swim back to
shore. Depending how far out you have gone on your board
this may not be such an easy task.
You can be carded or rated
by a professional instructor. This will help you
understand the risks as well as the conditions that are
appropriate for your time out on the water. Your
instructor should be certified by the IKO, International
KiteSurfing Organization. Never go out with a friend, it
could prove disastrous.
You should always wear a
helmet. Like bicycle laws they are encouraged in some
countries and mandatory in others. Your head is the most
delicate part of your body, if you crash into the sea at a
high-rate of speed or run into rocks your chances of
suffering head trauma can be disabling.
Watch the weather
conditions. It is important to understand the weather and
the effects of strong wind and how it can play havoc on
avid KiteSurfers.
Other guidelines you will
learn along the way will be important and somewhat common
knowledge but it is good to go over the basics to make
sure you and the people around you remain safe as you
launch.
- Never launch kites in
crowded swimming areas
- Do not lay your lines
out along the beach
- Whenever possible try
not to launch kite from the sand
- Be willing to help
KiteSurfers as they re-enter the beach
- When making jumps in the
water, measure the downwind zone
- If you can not swim far
distances avoid going deep into the ocean
- Use your self-rescue
signals when killing power to the kite
- Always wear a
life-jacket or a buoyancy jacket.
By following the simple
rules you can keep yourself as well as those around you
safe during launch and re-entry to the beach.
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About
The Author
Jakob
Jelling is the founder of http://www.kitesurfingnow.com.
Visit his kitesite for the latest on
kitesurfing equipment, kiteboarding
lessons, places to surf and much more! |
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