Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Beginning Kitesurfing in Dubai and how to avoid them
Every kitesurfer was a beginner kitesurfer at one point in his or her life. We have all made mistakes and failed at some point. Although learning through the mistakes can be a good learning curve, you can save yourself some time by not repeating somebody else’s mistakes and choose to do things better. For years we observed the struggles of the new kiters and we gathered not just the Don’t but also the Do’s that will help you to progress in kitesurfing quicker and safer.
Take Lessons from a Certified Instructor.
Do: Book few hours from a certified instructor.
Don’t: Learn on your own from scratch.
Learning on your own is a sure way to pick up bad habits, lengthen your learning curve and maybe ruin it for somebody else on the beach and potentially cause a serious injury. Learning with a friend or on your own usually ends up in never really mastering the sport and 9 out of 10 end up dropping out. However good a kiter your friend is it doesn’t mean they will know how to teach kitesurfing in a safe and efficient way. Find a certified experienced instructor and get real lessons.
Research your Instructor.
Do: Ask questions and shop around.
Don’t: Go for the lesson with the dude who you like watching on the water.
Not all instructors are created equal. Do your basework, ask around the beach, observe instructor’s methods and directly ask why you should take lessons with this particular instructor. In our experience, not all kitesurfing instructors in Dubai are certified. Not all certified instructors have experience nor use the appropriate equipment and methods for teaching. Learning with a kite size too small can get frustrating in Dubai’s light wind conditions and students soon start to doubt whether the sport is really for them; a kite too large could be potentially dangerous.
Spend sufficient time on the Basics.
Do: Repeat the kitesurfing exercises until you master it.
Don’t: Try to do kitesurfing tricks without knowing basics.
As in every sport, the basic techniques are essential to becoming a better rider quickly and safely. Rushing to the water will, in the long run, hinder your progress. Practicing gear setup, flying a trainer kite and practice drills on land will accelerate your learning curve on the water. Check out some of the basic techniques in these
videos courtesy of Ozone, our brand of choice.
Buy the right kitesurfing equipment.
Do: Ask specialists from the kitespot what’s best for you.
Don’t: Buy secondhand kites on Gumtree.
Many rush the decision to buy equipment without knowing what really works for them and in the particular kitespot. Some buy old and used kitesurfing equipment that is a false economy. Having your own kite gear is a good idea as once you have the basics down you can practice and spend as much time as you need on specific drills. However to choose the right set of equipment turn to specialists for an advice rather than buying blind. Google is great but it will not give you enough knowledge of the sport and the spot to recommend the right kitesurfing board and kite for you. Simply ask the people who know (yes, like us) before you spent thousands on gear that is just not right for your weight, conditions and skill level. We have prepared a few
beginner packages that are made with learners in mind. We can also prepare a ‘tailor made’ kitesurfing bundles.
DISCLAIMER
The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional kiteboarding instruction. Safety is every individual kiteboarder’s own personal responsibility. Know your limits and use the information published here at your own risk.
