What to Expect During Your First Kiteboarding Lesson
We’re so excited for your first lesson, and we hope you are too!
Many people expect to be riding around the water on the first day of lessons. We’re here to give you more realistic expectations: it may take a few days before you are ready to ride.
Some students in Corpus Christi can make a few riding attempts by the end of their first lesson.
Because of the deeper water, the fastest learners in La Ventana ride by the end of their second lesson, and most students in LV take 3 lessons before getting up on the board.
Here’s everything you need to know before you arrive at your first lesson, and everything to expect on the first day:
What to bring:
Corpus Christi:
Sunscreen
Drinking Water
Sunglasses w/ strap
Long Sleeve Rash Guard
La Ventana:
Sunscreen
Sunglasses w/ strap
wetsuit (we have them if they don't have their own)
A great attitude, ready to learn an awesome new skill.
How to prepare:
Physically, stretching your body. Some feedback we have heard from students is that they wish they didn’t workout prior to their lesson. Kiteboarding is strenuous and engages muscles in ways most people aren't used to.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and make sure to fuel your body. Be sure to give yourself some time to digest after eating so you aren’t trudging around the water with a full belly.
Prior to your lesson, it can be helpful to watch YouTube videos of people kitesurfing and beginner kiteboarding tips. This may help you get into the right mindset, but it is not required. We recommend Kite Surf College on YouTube for beginners.
Of course, book your lesson in advance!
Here are directions to La Ventana and Corpus Christi.
When you arrive at our kite school:
First, we’ll teach you all about the gear, literally showing you the ropes! We will also show you all the safety systems before we go into the water.
Next, it’s all about kite control. In La Ventana, we’ll fly a kite on the beach. In Corpus, we will begin flying in very shallow water until you get the hang of it. We'll go at your pace from there.
Students in Corpus Christi tend to progress a bit faster due to the shallow water and more forgiving conditions overall. La Ventana is a bit more technical, so it can take a little longer to get comfortable with it.
That said, once students are up and riding in La Ventana, they’re usually prepared to kite in a wider range of conditions. In Corpus, riders often still need some additional practice in deeper water once they move beyond the shallow learning environment.
Remember, we’ll set you up with a two-way radio headset. So if you’re out on the water, you’ll be able to connect and talk to your instructor.
If you’ve already taken a kiteboarding lesson before, or if you have some previous experience of some kind, check out this blog to see which kind of lesson may be the right one for you.