Intermediate Kiteboarding Lessons
Intermediate Kiteboarding Lessons
You’re up and riding…now what? Our instructors have identified several categories of skills where new kiteboarders can rapidly improve. It’s common for beginners to struggle with the finer points of speed/power control and staying upwind; we can help you develop those necessary skills. We’re also here to guide you as you take your first rides in new unfamiliar locations. These classes will take you from riding to ripping!
With the exception of the Delta day Camps, all intermediate-level instruction is one-on-one. As an intermediate learner, you’re free to choose the topics and skills you want to cover in your lesson time. You don’t have to stick to just one topic for your whole lesson. For all on-water lessons, WOW Kiteboarding provides radio helmets so you can easily converse with your instructor at all times.
Consider the following course descriptions as suggestions for topics you may want to study at the Intermediate level. The basic price of these lessons is $300 for 2 hours instruction. If you choose to purchase 6 hours of Intermediate instruction, you pay $800 (a $100 discount).
Board Skills: Edge/Power Control
Riding with an instructor is the fastest way to improve Intermediate-level skills. Get more finesse and power as you unlearn any bad habits you may have developed. This course focuses on kite and board control to manage speed.
Board Skills: Upwind
For new riders, staying upwind is the Holy Grail! Your instructor will cover the fine points of working your way upwind. You’ll learn how to use your board edge as a rudder, how to sheet and steer your kite for maximum upwind movement, and how to smooth out your transitions to maintain upwind speed and balance. Jeff would like upwind to be on top of transitions as you would need to learn to go upwind then transitions.
Board Skills: Transitions/Jibbing
If you can solidly ride in either direction, but you have trouble transitioning from one to the other, this is the course for you. Your instructor will cover multiple techniques for jibbing, including toe side transitions. This course is a great opportunity for riders wanting to learn to ride directional boards (surfboards). Jeff would like upwind to be on top of transitions as you would need to learn to go upwind then transitions.
Beach Launch With Personal Watercraft Support
This is a really fun course for our instructors as they support you in this complex environment. Mounted on a Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski), your instructor can help communicate with you to steer clear of trouble, and help you become comfortable knowing the limits and where and when to call it a day. Radio helmets make it easy for your instructor to stay in-touch with you and the PWC is there to support your progress. You’ll enjoy a regular kiteboarding session and review all your basic skills including self-rescue.
Beach Launch: Instructor Rides
Our instructors love this class. If you can ride comfortably to left or right, and body drag in any direction to reach your board, then let’s play a game! You and your instructor will rig kites and launch together. Then, you’ll play “follow the leader” upwind and downwind while demonstrating courtesy and safety to other riders you’re sure to encounter. Your instructor will stay in communication using radio helmets. The game ends with a dry kite landing safely on the beach or a self-rescue in the water as you return to the beach.
Delta Day Camps
If you’re up and riding, you own your own gear, you’re self-sufficient, and you want more day camp experience, then join us for a Delta Kite adventure. Just outside of San Francisco is a large body of warm water with world class wind conditions! This location is unique because the wind is strong all day from April through October. Besides the awesome wind conditions, the Delta provides a wide variety of water conditions from rolling swells to carve to large areas of flat water for tricks. Our secret kite spots are a series of giant bays, with diameters greater than 4 miles in width and gorgeous grassy island views. We pioneered this part of the delta and have been bringing folks to this area for several years. This location has so much to offer. I think it will take us another 3-4 years to kite the distance. So, if you’re a kiter and you’re looking for your next adventure, this is it. We will meet in the Pittsburg Marina, drive up-wind in our captained boat and take you to several of our secret kite bays. We will also share our tips and offer you support if you need it. Then at the end of the day, we’ll set up for a 5-8 mile down-wind return to Pittsburgh kite point. This experience is truly one of a kind and is supported by 1 kite guide that will be with you at all times and a captioned boat fit for the location. Reserve your spot and join us for the time of your life.
