So, you’ve been riding for a while, cracking those upwind tacks, doing your first transitions and maybe even boosting your first jump? Sweet! But then you get home and you feel that your knees hurt a bit or the hips are letting you know they’re there? It might be your foostraps that give you some bother.
We’ve had a bit of mixed bag with winds over the last few months but winter has kicked off to a great start. Kiting in the cold has lots of benefits – aside from looking like a badass! Our local kitesurfing community is out all winter too, it’s all down to having a decent wetsuit (like the Mystic Majestic here), gloves (see video below!), boots and you’re ready to go!
Seems like a no-brainer but under or over inflating kite can not only cause it to underperform but also can cause a lot of headaches. Including bursting mid-air leaving you stranded in the middle of the bay. Here are some helpful tips from Cabrinha team on how to correctly inflate a kite, what’s the correct pressure for a kitesurfing kite and how to maintain the inflation valve to ensure its longevity.
Kitesurfing is generally a fairly safe sport where risk mostly depends on the kitesurfer himself. After our lessons you’ll know how to control the kite safely and you’ll know how to perform effective board recovery so you can continue progressing on your own. However, a very small number of kitesurfers feels like adding a potentially lethal piece of equipment to the game – a board leash. Wearing one is a dangerous and stupid idea.
Kiteboarding is very much community-focused sport. Unlike surfers we like to stick together, ride together and keep an eye out on each other. It’s like mafia, once you’re in, there’s no way out! It keeps us safe and watching others ride ups your motivation levels to keep on progressing.
Every kitesurfer has his own reasons to take up the sport. For some of us it’s a stress-buster, a form of meditation, a way to chill and run away from the busy lives. For the others it’s all about heaps of adrenaline and going as hard as they can. But we all always knew what scientists has confirmed recently: the beach has awesome effects on our health.
Kitesurfing is the best vehicle to experience the world like you’ve never done before. It gives you freedom from everyday life. Allows you to unwind and workout at the same time. It’s a life changing experience within reach of anyone willing to give it a go. There are also a lot of myths about kiteboarding. So here’s a list of things we’re getting asked about during our kitesurfing lessons in Scotland.
Safety has always plays the main role during our kitesurfing lessons. Knowing how to safely fly the kite, launch and land and how to behave amongst other kitesurfers is one of the key elements. But there’s also the knowledge of the wind and wind effects that everyone should have before venturing out.
The winter has finally arrived and it’s windy folks! Even though we run kitesurfing lessons throughout the winter we don’t teach when it’s freezing. That’s the time to ride and for those of you who have passed your IKO course it’s also a good time to practice. Make sure to read my previous blog about choosing the right gear though!