Kite control — kitesurfing lesson 3

1 Learn

1

Hold the bar like a bike handlebar

Both hands on the bar, about shoulder-width apart, relaxed. Pull your left hand toward you and the kite turns left; pull your right and it turns right.

Push-pull, like a bicycle handlebar — not a steering wheel. Small movements are enough; big ones make the kite spin.

2

The nose decides

Steering turns the kite. Once you stop, it keeps flying wherever its nose points. So look at the kite, steer a little, then let it fly.

Start turns early: by the time the kite reaches the side of the window it should already be turning back.

3

High and slow first

Your first drill: 11 to 1 and back, keeping the kite high in the window. It stays light and predictable up there.

Once that is easy, try a power stroke: from 1, dive the kite toward 2–3 and turn it back up before it gets low. Strokes on both sides make a figure 8.

4

Gusts and turbulence

Real wind is never smooth. Gusts push the kite around; good flyers correct early with small movements instead of waiting and making a big one.

If the kite is falling toward the water in the power zone, steer it up hard — and if a crash is coming anyway, let go of the bar.

2 Try it in the simulator

Complete the missions in order. Each one ends with the same move to try on the beach.

The simulator needs JavaScript. The missions are listed below.

11 to 1, four times — Sweep the kite from 11 to 1 and back, four times, keeping it high — never lower than 10 or 2.

Four power strokes — Dive the kite from high on the edge down through the power zone and back up again — four times, no crash.

Hold steady in gusty wind — The wind is gusty and turbulent. Keep the kite within an hour of 12 (between 11 and 1) for a total of 10 seconds.

3 On the beach

On the beach

Now do it for real

You need: A trainer kite (2-line, about 1.5–3 m²), its safety leash on your wrist, and your instructor.

Fly the trainer kite to 12. Hands relaxed, elbows bent, bar at belly height.
Ten slow sweeps from 11 to 1. Steer only by pulling one hand toward you.
Now one power stroke on each side: from 1 dive toward 2 and climb back to 12; then from 11 toward 10. Feel the pull build and fade.
Link the strokes into a slow figure 8, kite never lower than about 10 and 2.
Fly with one hand for a few seconds on each side — you’ll need this for body dragging.
Walk slowly along the beach while flying, eyes up. Your instructor stays beside you.

Tick each step after you’ve done it with your instructor.

4 Check yourself

1How do you turn the kite to the left? Twist the bar like a steering wheelPull your left hand toward youPush both hands away

2The kite is diving low toward the water in the power zone. What do you do? Pull both hands in hardSteer it back up early — and let go if it’s going to crashRun toward the kite

3Which grip is right? Relaxed hands, shoulder-width, lines never wrapped around anythingLines wrapped around your hands for gripHands together in the middle of the bar