Want to start kitesurfing? Heres a quick getting started guide from the IKSA

The Irish Kitesurfing Association

The IKSA is the national governing body for kitesurfing in Ireland.
It represents Irish Kitesurfers on many issues including beach access for kitesurfers and organises a great calender of events and gatherings throughout the year
Membership for 2007 will also include insurance and discounts on some kitesurfing shops.
We need your support as an organisation to help the sport grow safely in Ireland.
Check out www.iksa.ie for more details

How do I start ?

To start kitesurfing you need to learn basic kite-flying skills first.
Some people buy a small (eg. 2 metre) two line kite and learn kite skills that way.
These trainer kites can be bought from us at LSD Kiteboarding. Just click on start kiting for more details
Be careful and follow the instructions supplied with the kite.
Start in light winds to get used to your kite.
Never fly kites on a crowded beach.
The skills you learn using these small kites will help you progress faster.

Is it hard?

No! But we would say that wouldn't we! Compareds to other sports like surfing or windsurfing, we think that its much easier to learn. Each of the steps can be great fun and you will learn a lot exploring the in the kite.

Do you need lots of upper body strength?

We get asked this one a lot, particularly by girls. The answer is no. When kitesurfing, most of the power of the kite comes through a harness worn around your waist. You only need your arms for steering and there isn't too much pressure on them. Kids as young as 10 have started kiting and get on great as long as they have the right equipment an support from a parent. More and more girls are discovering the sport too.

Kiting is a sport for nearly everyone, and you can push yourself as far as you want, or stick to the basics and stay within your comfort zone.

Lessons

Getting training is very essential as kitesurfing can be dangerous and there is a lot to learn.
When you get lessons you can use the schools equipment. This means you can make your mistakes on someone elses equipment.
You might also decide that you don’t like the sport and you haven’t spent too much cash.
There are schools and qualified instructors in Ireland and plenty of good beaches to learn on.
If you do get addicted to the sport, your instructor can advise you on what equipment to buy.
A list of instructors is available on this site.

 

I'm not stupid, why should I take lessons??

Kitesurfing can be a dangerous sport if not taken seriously. You are attached to a large kite that looks like a parachute. You would not go parachute jumping without lessons from a qualified instructor would you?
Likewise, you should not try kitesurfing without getting lessons from a qualified instructor first.

Insurance

It is essential to get insurance for kitesurfing. You might injure someone else while you are in the water or launching and landing a kite on the beach. You may also cause yourself an injury.
Co. Councils expect all kitesurfers to have insurance and you may be asked to provide proof.

The IKSA will be including a special deal on Insurance as part of their membership for 2007, this will be reasonably priced too.

Websites and Fourms

There is a lot of information about kitesurfing on the Internet. A great place to start is right here, www.iksa.ie There are links to many Irish websites from here. This site is regularly updated with whats going on in the community.
There is a good forum for Kitesurfing chat at www.kitesurfing.ie.
Why not join up and introduce yourself? Kitesurfers are a friendly bunch and are always ready to give advise or a helping hand.
This site has a lot of active members and your questions will be answered, don't be shy. It's another place to find out where your local kite scene is at and make contact with other kiters.

Weather

As you may have noticed, the weather in Ireland can be very unpredictable.
The sport of kitesurfing completely depends on having suitable weather conditions. If the wind is too light it is impossible to get going, but if it is too windy it can be very dangerous.

It is essential to check the weather forecast before you go kitesurfing.

Where can I get a forecast?

A wind-meter can be used to check the wind speed at the beach.

The wind forecast is given in km/hr on RTE television and met.ie and in knots on windguru. A conversion table is available under “Weather” on this site.

What wind strengths can I kite in?

Depending on the size of the rider, size of the board etc. you can kite in winds from 10 knots up to 30+ knots. As a beginner 10 – 15knots would be best.
Small kites are needed for high winds and big kites needed for light winds.

Ask your instructor or other kiters what size kite is suitable for different winds.
DO NOT GO OUT IF YOUR KITE IS TOO BIG FOR THE WIND STRENGTH.

What wind directions can I kite in?

A cross-on wind is the best. You will not get blown out to sea or up on to the beach easily.

A side-shore wind is good too but make sure you don’t go too far from the beach.

An on-shore wind can be dangerous as it will blow you onto the beach.

Offshore winds are extremely dangerous. You or your gear may be blown out to sea.

NEVER KITESURF IN OFFSHORE WINDS

If the wind direction is not right for your beach, DON’T GO OUT.
Try a different beach or try a different day.
Ask local kitesurfers for advise on the best beaches for the conditions
Tides need to be checked on some beaches as you might have nowhere to launch or land your kite.

Please put your name and phone number on all your gear so it can be
identified if found. If you do loose a kite or board out to sea please
notify the coastguard by dialling 999 or 112 and explaining the
situation.