Kiteboarding is a relatively new sport, and because it uses wind power, it is essential to learn how to ride safely.
Jeremie Tronet, a professional kiteboarder and founder of the JT Pro Center in the Grenadines, shared an important video featuring the most common mistakes in kiteboarding.
Learn to avoid them and enjoy your time in the water.
These mistakes are not only made by beginners; intermediate and even advanced riders make them all the time.
1. Kiting Without Assessing the Conditions
When arriving at a new kite spot, always ask the local kite center or local kiteboarders about the safety rules of the place.
There might be some no-kitesurfing zones or other dangers you need to be aware of.
2. Bypassing Tangle Checks
When setting up your kite, never connect your front lines without checking that your bridles are free from any tangles.
Always double-check your lines before launching.
3. Keeping Hands on the Bar Before Launching
Do not keep your bar in both hands before someone flips your kite over to help you launch.
Make sure to let go of your bar until the kite is completely turned over. You can then untwist your lines and get ready to launch.
4. Pulling the Bar When Launching
Stop pulling the bar when launching.
Make sure to lean forward and bend your shoulder toward your bar so you can have the bar pushed out before launching safely.
5. Playing Around While Launching the Kite
Stop screaming or making weird faces when you are ready to launch your kite.
You should raise your thumb as an international sign to launch the kite.
6. Pushing Hard
Never give the kite a hard push when launching someone. It will simply break its initial position and make it fall from the sky.
Just hold the kite until you see the hand signal and let it go without any push.
7. Grabbing the Trailing Edge While Landing
When landing with assisted support, remember never to grab or even touch the trailing edge of a kite.
The only safe place to land a kite is by its leading edge.
8. Depowering When Reaching for the Board
When kneeling to reach for your board with the kite at 12 o'clock, most people depower their kite fully as a reflex, making the kite fall from the sky.
To reach for your board, make sure to keep the pressure in your bar or keep your kite lower on the edge of the wind window.
9. Water Starting Near the Shoreline
With onshore wind, you should never do a water start without clearing some distance between you and the shore.
Your fins will get stuck in the sand, and you will faceplant in front of all your friends.
Take ten more seconds by walking away or body dragging out until you are at a safe distance.
10. Pulling Hard on the Bar After Landing
When it comes to landing, don't pull the bar so hard after the kite has landed; it will be very uncomfortable for you and for whoever is grabbing your kite.
As soon as the helper catches the kite, let go of your bar and release the pressure in the lines by walking toward your kite.