Get into… Kitesurfing

canoe, News — By Outdoor Adventure Guide on August 15, 2012 at 11:08 am

Take a wake/surf-esque board, a harness, a man-lifting kite and a large body of water and you know what you’ve got – the ultimate water sport. After years of refining and developing, the sport finally hit the mainstream 15-odd years ago. So we reckon it’s about time OAG to the waves and give the waterborne sport a whirl.

What is it?

Quite simply, it’s a board (a bit like a traditional surfboard or wakeboard) with two sandal-like foot straps attached. The rider wears a harness which is attached to a kite. Not the Mary Poppins kind though – we’re talking big, powerful kites, usually supported by inflatable tubes and controlled by a bar so that the rider can use the wind to pull themselves along the water. There’s a few sports out there with a similar principle – landboarding, snowkiting and kitebuggying for example.

Why do it?

Surfing’s great, wakeboarding’s wicked and paragliding is awesome. But stick them together they’re blown right of out the water. The kite gives more lift, buoyancy and stability than standard surfing. The power from the kite can be used to get amazing speed as you carve through the water and a skilled riders can muster some big air lifts.

Kitesurfing, or kiteboarding as its also known, is just about one of the most versatile sports out there; from freestyle to wave-riding and hangtime to speed-racing. The most popular type is freeride. All about having fun and learning new techniques, turn up to any beach in the UK and the chances are there’ll be another kiteboarder or two out there freeriding. But before you go trying board-offs and big-air moves, it’s best to start with the basics.

How to do it.

The first, and most important thing to learn can be done on the dry stuff: kite control. 85% of the sport is down to the kite. Once that’s mastered you can put board to water and start working on those turns. But, as a potentially dangerous sport, it’s always best to start off with some lessons. The British Kite Surfing association has a list of 32 approved kitesurfing schools on its site.

Where to go?

Once you’ve had some lessons and mastered the basics, you can start finding your own spots. With coastline in every direction, and a few lakes in between, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to potential kiteboarding destinations, but here’s a quick synopsis of the best ones around the country:

-Ainsdale, Merseyside

-Blyth beach, Northumberland

-Hunstanton, Norfolk

- Camber Sands, Sussex

-Exmouth, Devon

-Boyndie Bay, Aberdeenshire

-Hells Mouth, Gwynedd

Photos: teamplayers.co.uk