Kitesurfing on South Padre Island

Wave riding lessons - $199/ per hour - Private Lesson only

Private Kiteboarding Lessons

Although kitesurfing and kiteboarding generally refer to the same sport. We use the term kitesurfing to refer to kiteboarding in surf. If you can stay upwind, ride toeside, do slide and carve transitions, easily retrieve your board, relaunch your kite and self rescue then you are qualified to get out on the gulfside and have your first waveriding experience.

We will start off with a brief discussion on special kite and board techniques for getting out through the white water to the outside while you and your instructor each set up a kite. This is followed by a quick demonstration of these techniques. We will then practice body dragging with the board out through the breakers. This technique is very useful when there are swimmers in the area and will allow you to distance yourself from them before trying the water start.

Private Kiteboarding Lessons

The techniques we will continue to work through will be plowing through the shorebreak by bringing the kite high, flatting out the board and popping a wheelie by weighting the back of the board and lifting on the front. We will then work on load and pop over larger breakers and continue on with sending the kite and jumping over the bigger waves. depending on the timing of your approach to a wave you may choose to hit it as a ramp, plow through or you may not want to try to mess with it at all. Just as the larger waves start to peel they are often too steep to plow through or use as a ramp. Hit one of these babies and the impact on knees, ankles and the entire body can be significant. These are the the ones we will learn to identifiy by shape and jump over or do a snap turn and head back in to avoid the impact zone.

Private Kiteboarding Lessons

After you get familiarized with the techniques and have sucessfully done a few rides the instructor will self launch and you will start playing follow the leader and doing YOUR FIRST DOWNWINDER IN THE SURF!!!!!! YIPPIE!! For many riders wave riding has been the ultimate goal ever since flying the trainer kite. The feeling of self saticfation after your first wave session is increadible. Don't be suprised if you already start to feel like a flat water snob, not nearly as excited to meet up with the guys for flat water riding as you used to be. How long until you're smackin' the lip, or front rollin' of a liquid kicker? Who knows, at least you've taken the first step and heading down the path.